Maruti Jimny might have been launched in India for the first time, but its global heritage and history go back decades.
Maruti Jimny is a product that has an expansive history and India experienced a bit of it with the Gypsy, which was the second-generation model of the Jimny. Initially, the Japanese carmaker introduced the Jimny as a Kei car which was designed with small engines for city commutes. Currently, Japan sells Kei cars that are typically under 650cc in engine capacity. Slowly, the Jimny started getting bigger with a longer wheelbase for a wide variety of applications. In fact, Gypsy was the first long-wheelbase model that was introduced in India and became an icon.
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History of Suzuki Jimny
First-Gen (1970 – 1981)
1970 was the year when this iconic barebones Jeep was incepted. It was called the LJ10. (Light Jeep) It had a 360-cc two-cylinder two-stroke engine that makes 25 PS. Also, it measured under 3 m in length and weighed just 590 kg. Interestingly, it became an instant success in its home market having sold a whopping 5,000 units in its home market. That is where the journey began. Under this generation, there were four models launched until 1981 called LJ10, LJ20, SJ10 and SJ20.
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Second-Gen (1981 – 1998)
This second-gen model became one of the most successful Suzuki vehicles ever. In fact, this is the same model that made it to India in the form of the legendary Gypsy, albeit, in a long wheelbase format. There were so many models on sale in various parts of the world as a part of this generation of the Jimny along with various powertrains. This includes a 1.0-litre 4-cylinder engine that makes 45 PS and had a top speed of 109 km/h with a 4-speed manual transmission. With time, the shape, size and capabilities of this generation of the Jimny improved.
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Third-Gen (1998 – 2018)
By this time, Jimny had become a global phenomenon and we started getting the shape that we see on the current-gen model. In fact, it also got the bigger 1.3-litre engine that was good for 80 hp of peak power and had the 16-valve VVT technology. After 2004, it got the familiar 1.5-litre DDiS turbo diesel engine with 86 hp of peak power. Note that all versions of the Jimny has 4WD which has been the highlight of the Jimny moniker since its inception. There was a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission on offer.
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Fourth-Gen (2018 – present)
The current-gen model has existed in the international for around 4 years now. However, this was the 3-door version. It is for the first time ever that this model has been launched as a 5-door avatar for the Indian market. Indians are known for being price-conscious and valuing practicality. Maruti Suzuki is the largest carmaker in India since its inception. As a result, it understood the needs of the customers which is why the 5-door model was launched here. It comes with a 1.5-litre petrol engine that makes 103 hp and 134 Nm of peak power and torque mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission.
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