The curious case of the Maruti Suzuki Jimny | Deep Drive Podcast Ep.8 | Autocar India
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 มิ.ย. 2024
- The Maruti Suzuki Jimny was amongst the most talked about launches of 2023 but within a year of launch sales have dropped to low triple digit figures. Hormazd Sorabjee - Editor, Autocar India - and Sergius Barretto - Managing Editor, Autocar India - discuss what went wrong in the latest Autocar Deep Drive Podcast powered by Kotak Mahindra Prime.
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Chapters -
0:00 - Introduction
0:36 - Jimny sales decline
1:59 - What went wrong?
3:25 - No diesel option
4:58 - Making a fun product practical
8:05 - Overemphasis on off-road ability
10:08 - Jimny 4x2
11:20 - Discounts
11:50 - Poor conversions
12:25 - City and highway use
14:00 - What can be done?
15:05 - Social media and customer clinics
16:35 - Electric Jimny
17:29 - Global appeal
17:48 - Toyota-badged Jimny
19:03 - New engines
19:21 - Looking ahead
Deep Drive Podcast | Autocar India
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#autocarindia #deepdrive #podcast #marutisuzukijimny - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Chapters -
0:00 - Introduction
0:36 - Jimny sales decline
1:59 - What went wrong?
3:25 - No diesel option
4:58 - Making a fun product practical
8:05 - Overemphasis on off-road ability
10:08 - Jimny 4x2
11:20 - Discounts
11:50 - Poor conversions
12:25 - City and highway use
14:00 - What can be done?
15:05 - Social media and customer clinics
16:35 - Electric Jimny
17:29 - Global appeal
17:48 - Toyota-badged Jimny
19:03 - New engines
19:21 - Looking ahead
I bought a Jimny 2 weeks ago, one of the best decisions. Its a fun, easy going, plucky little car. Its at home in the city and offroad. And its Exclusive, as not a lot of people bought them.
100% agree… less jimnys on the road makes mine special and a head turner.. apart from all the good stuffs that one would experience only if one bought it..
I live in South Africa.... The Jimnys are everywhere and they are used as lifestyle vehicles. All the movie industry people have them...
The pricing is killing it. For me personally, i love the jimny and i prefer the jimny over Thar, but i cannot convince my family. They want confort , i feel selfish just to spend so much for my fun. I dont know why i had booked it hoping that itl be around 15. The low cost could convince my family member. Now that this price we have few car that even offer adas.
I still haven't purchased a new vehicle yet, my heart says jimny.
Go for the new Gurkha
Buy the Jimny. We have 2. It is not uncomfortable, and is waaaay better for small town roads in terms of comfort and fit. It can go to many more types of roads than any other cars with ADAS in this price range.
Maruti is doing 4k + in exports each month...so honestly they don't care if they sell here or not.
They should, M&M is selling ~6k thar each month without export. If they can't sell a product type which is in demand, low competition and existing fanbase then there is some problem with their overall approach towards the market. And selling 6-7k+ vehicles (export+home market) is always better than ~4k (mostly export) vehicles per month.
Exactly
Source?
They also export tons of swift and other cars. Still they sell swift in India. Do you really think it won't affect them if the sales of swift starting to decline
The four door version was launched mainly for India..
The reason for the poor sales is pretty obvious.
1) Price as per Size .... the Jimny price has to be in the same ballpark as the mid spec of mid size SUVs like Venue ,Sonet
2) Auto gearbox .... A 4 speed auto is a nono for this day and age.
3) Tyres .... Vehicle looks completely undertyred especially when Sonet etc come with 215 section tyres.
We cannot compare Jimny with venue, sonet, its two different category with in suv.
Agreed with point on tyre sizes. They are too small and narrow.
Looks wise they are off putting. Seems like it lacks road presence.
Don't know what's wrong with putting little broad and big tyres.
As said, no one expects Baleno, swift like FE on Jimny. All we expect is fun experience with good road presence and enough power.
I have owned endeavor, thar in the past, now safari storme 4x4 and jimny alpha. I am surprised the way jimny performs on bad roads and off road. For exploring himachal and Ladakh roads jimny's width helps a lot. No doubt safari storme is still the benchmark when it comes to suspension setup and commanding driving position and the LSD 4X4 and the best mile muncher. But jimny manages well. Proud to own a global product. Only con is low torque. Features I love is Best AC, silent cabin, 14kmpl mileage, good suspension, no problem car. it's a must buy car for a couple and explore the places. Maruti Suzuki's only strongest car. We love Jimmy the way it is. No need to change.
Exactly my thoughts after buying it three months back. It's a long race reliable workhorse No-nonsense car with commanding road view.
I just can't understand why people compare it with hatchbacks.
Bought a Jimny a month back and am loving it
This podcast shows why Hormaz is so brilliant and articulated and connected to the automobile industry and community.
He is editor in chief of Autocar, so obviously.
100%true. He is great in that!!
I love Sergius too.
...and the MANAGING editor is ????
I did a 2100km drive in the manual jimny in 3 days in Mar. Hormazd is right when driving on the highways, wait for a bad patch and say bye to all the Skodas and VWs zooming in their Slavias and Virtuses. Heck I was leading a SUV convoy with 2 Thars and 2 Fortuners following my car over bad roads to overtake the long traffic jams on the Ahmedabad Mumbai section of the highway.
I bought the Jimny and Love it! wanted to buy it whenever it launches in India and was waiting from 2020 after the 3 door was showcased in Delhi Auto Expo. Believe it was a great move to launch with 5 door as its convenient and can be used as the only car for a small family. Price wise I still think its fair to be around 15-16 lacs as even the swift costs 10 lacs now!
I personally prefer Jimny over a Thar, but problem with Jimny is the price, way too expensive, costs 17 lakhs on road in Pune, plus at this price point, you get engines and transmissions that are very dull.
Bought it as lifestyle vehicle, its my only car for 30 to 40 km a day of city ride. High stance, great looks and satisfactory mileage and yes, I'm a practising doctor with hardly any time for off roading!
In UAE the 2 door version is selling like hot cakes. Showrooms still have a 5-6 month wait time for the 2 door version. The 2 door is an iconic design and thats what the Jimny was meant to be - A small, yet capable and fun 4x4 off roader. Launching it as a 4 door variant Maruti tried to fix something which had nothing wrong.
Its the image of Suzuki as a brand thats known deliver higher fule average than the competition that has killed the Jimny... Lets do remember what happened to KIZASHI, original GRAND VITARA previously when India was not ready for those vehicles...
A niche vehicle aimed at the mass market is not a workable idea. It's not a family car...
The best advantage of Maruti Jimmy is it's right design wideth under below 1700mm &roads can never be stretch in wideth &also option of two door model should be Launch by company can on Less price tag will be more success in Light shade colour mean dark colour should be ban by all auto maker 4higher night safety as safety safety safety is main thing on road 4all vehicle should be only priority
Launch the 2-door Jimny for the hardcore crowd at a lower price
Engine, mileage, size, price, features are the cause
Safety also
Jimny is a cheap small car everywhere else in the world.. but at more that 15 lakhs in India it just became a premium car for most of the indian customers. And for that price it doesn’t meet any expectations for that price segment.
I bought Jimny in Dec23 and its a head turner. I drive it on delhi roads and many people stop me to ask about it. I am yet to take it offroad but i am looking forward to it. It is practical and eye catcher.
I love my Jimny and have driven approximately 4000 km. I recently drove 1500 km in a week and completed a 500 km drive in 8 hours with my family. The suspension is really awesome, and there was no tiredness after driving for 8 hours. On hills, I never felt a lack of power to climb the steep sections. Most people comment without having driven it for a long distance. It is a real SUV, not a raised hatch.
It’s a car that you don’t buy looking at the specs and features. It’s endearing like Hormazd said. It’s probably a second car and for those who love the essence of a car and driving and sadly we don’t have a market of such people. We care too much about ‘Road presence’ and how others perceive a car that we are driving. The Thar lets you boss people around on the road or so most people think. Why do you think the 4x2 sells in truckloads? The way that most people with Thars behave on the road reminds me of all that is wrong with our society.
Just improve the turning radius of the car and give a more peppy engine option too, that’s it. Engine is too slow and the Turning radius is abysmally
I still think... Maruti shud launch the 3 door variant of Jimny in India. It makes more sense with reduction in weight and enhancing the power to weight ratio.
@autocarindia
Genius conversation,
Wonderful points
1: Maruti needs to get away from millege
2: Be flexible..provide what people want...Diesel, 4×2
3: Overpricing also hit the sales
Overpricing was the main issue.. 18.3L for a car of that size doesnt make sense given maruti's build quality . Sub 15L fully loaded would have made more sense even as a 3door. People liked it because it was a quirky little 3door, exact thing maruti changed, why fix something that aint broken? Almost everyone looking at this car will primarily look at power, who is really worried about fuel efficiency in an "off-road" car . Anyone and everyone would choose more power over FE.
If maruthi brings back their 1.5 diesel (that came towards the end of BS4 in ertiga ) everyone would be intereted not just the jimny their overall sales would climb considerably..
Some Great cars like Great films dont necessarily do well at the box office!
You made a point there..
Jimny was supposed to be a lifestyle vehicle..
It would have kept as a 3 door vehicle instead of stretching it to a five door..
I think the biggest problem with Jimny is its size and engine. Lifestyle buyers in India don't want an off-roader, they just want a car that looks big and goes fast.
I think the one solution they can have, is by giving a Jimny XL! They can give it a wider track and try to increase the width of the body in order to make it look bigger, and they can also try to plonk in a turbo on the 1.5L engine. A smaller engine with a turbo again won't work because then people won't buy it citing that it has a small engine!
So I'd say Suzuki should a wider version of the Jimny with a 1.5L Turbo, with around 150-160BHP on offer. That way, a Jimny XL can take on the global scene, meanwhile the same car with a Gypsy badge, can take on the Indian market!
They can't afford to increase the size as it requires a lot of re-engineering and it's a costly affair. Looking at the sales figures they don't even risk spending so much for increasing the size at least for the time being.
A 1.2 litre turbo petrol and a 1.5 litre diesel engines (they can source them if they don't want to develop) will help as they also get tax benefits and they are powerful as well. For Jimmy's size 1.2 litre turbo petrol will be good
Agree with the “goes fast” but don’t agree with the “looks big” as there is a market for small cute cars as well in lifestyle like Mini Cooper….the main thing is big or small, should have a peppy fun to drive engine because lifestyle vehicles are driver oriented and they should feel the same fun while driving which they had when they looked at it. 4*4 are additional capabilities, but the core should be a fun and peppy engine. In that regard, may be an electric Jimny might help
Still Maruti has chance to boost up the sales figures. Just they have modify a bit. Make it Wide, start giving wider tyres right from base varients, change engine into turbo engine, bring 4x2, reduce the price, like top varient shouldn't cross 15 lakhs onroad.
Pricing is the only killer. Even then the real enthusaists are buying it. I guess Jimny is meant for real enthusiasts only.
Hope Maruthi Suzuki launch the 3 door Jimny atleast in limited quantity for all model year in India. I am really not understanding the mentality of our people where there is an overload of pending orders for all the other countries. I really recommend Maruthi to launch the 3 door Jimny a minimum of 5000 units for every year in India.
There are many who really appreciate and would like to own the original compact dimension 3 door which was launched worldwide and succesful world over. There should be the options for us, not just the traditional mentality of just practicality.
A very big reason for the dip is the availability of 2WD version in Thar. People who don’t want to use a 4WD and need that muscular look for city usage can use the 2WD. I think a 2WD Jimny with a lesser price point can become a great hit in the Indian market.
How could you not expect Jimny to struggle this badly….having five doors and missing a comfortable three seat back bench, on top of it lack of punchy engine. Who is going to buy….only those who have ample parking spaces.
The engine is powerless.
Do you own one? A friend does, it’s brilliant.
I think Jimny n Thar sud be the 2nd car at home, those who hav extra money,
Simultiniously company sud think of some modification n price drop, now with Jimny top model price u can effort 4×2 diesel top model Thar, thn why jimny?
I hav few suggestion i think it will boost the sale
Jimny sud come by 4×2,, tyre size to be improved, It sud come in soft top to mk it convertable, for new generation, n Finally price drop,
U mean to say cramped parking space
And price , engine and no diesel options is killing it
I hope they won't launch 2wd because I don't want jimny to be like other cars like its everywhere, this should be a unique vehicle and less in count out there and which makes it special. This is meant to some specific category peoples, so let it be . In dubai it costs more than 2100000 rs without any tax . Here in india with all the taxes I bought mine is at the cost of 1850000 . So it's not the price alone it all about the lifestyle you do here . If you need it you will buy it . And I wish it remained the same . Cause I don't want this vehicle roaming around like a swift or casual car .
Thank you Hormazd for the Podcast. I think you're absolutely right, the Jimny requires to get positioned as a Lifestyle product and introduce the international 3-door version as an option as well for India market. Given the fact, that the JB74 has tons of options for modification - the combination of lifestyle & option to choose between 3/5 door can be a good revival strategy.
Secondly, as Sergius mentioned, Maruti needs to alter its positioning strategy from their legacy Ad-campaign "Papa ki Karaan, petrol Khatam hi ni Hunda!" or the "Kitna deti hai".
The problem with Jimny is that it cannot be a proper car as it has missing basics like cup holders and a big glovebox. It’s also quite expensive for its size for India.
The Jimny is a product of 50 years of R&D. It is the right size for both off roading and the crowded city with narrow alleys. In fact it reminds one of the military jeep that Willys made during the war.
biggest reason for jimny to fail is their very own brezza, it looks bigger, has same engine and is much cheaper. What maruti buyer wants is practicality and brezza makes much more sense there
I really thought they will also bring the 2 door version to India. Considering our congested roads and growing nuclear families in big cities. If priced in the Celerio range, this would do amazingly well. They can market it as such. Despite all it's flaws, the MG Comet EV is selling well in India. They missed the opportunity with that one.
Any plan for 2 door Jimny ?
1. need a more powerful engine
2. need better service
3. there are some minor issues with Jimny need to be fixed
4. need to tune for better mileage
5. Price needs to be reduced
When I test drove the Jimny, I was astounded by the lack of power from the engine. When you push down the accelerator, the engine feels like it being strangled by an invisible hand as it trying to get going. Even the 1.2 WagonR feels more powerful to drive. Maruti should somehow make it more fun to drive on a day to day basis. They should somehow make the engine more free raving and powerful.
Problem is not the engine, it was offered In breeze and was decent in acceleration. In Jimny this engine is put is a box shaped car plus they have kept the gearing short which makes a GOAT for offloads but that short gearing is horrible for on road accelaration
Its under-powered, under-tyred, over-priced. Definitely not value for money. So what should maruti do- plonk in a turbo, decent tyres atleast 215 or 225 and slash price by atleast 2L😊
Main reason for the failure of jimny is nothing other than over price it was supposed to be priced somewhere around 8 to 9 lakhs
Brilliant discussion & analysis. Pity you didn't discuss about the ancient, slow 4-speed automatic gearbox.
I think MSIL needs to bring out a facelift for the Jimny with minor changes that shouldn't cost the company too much.
Bigger tyres (atleast 215/75).
Somehow fit in bottle holders and arm rest.
Minor upgrades to the interior.
Possibly a sunroof since India seems to be the market for it.
Personally would love to have a turbo engine but it doesn't seem like Maruti Suzuki would want to invest so much into a product which is already not doing well.
Exorbitant pricing primarily that keep the buyers away from Showroom :) for what it is it could have been a great second lifestyle car under 10Lakhs.
I was so excited for the Jimny coming to India but for me Maruti killed it with the 4door version. They completely destroyed the basic essence of Jimny by stretching it and making it look like a school bus. Jimny is a pure lifestyle car and should have been kept it that way in India too. The additional two more doors only added to the weight making it more sluggish. And to be honest people hardly use the second row seat which is only good for short rides inside the town. For the enthusiasts it was the proper 4x4 hardware in a cute little car which can do proper off roading but Maruti failed to understand that and their sales figure is showing that. But I am still up for Jimny if Maruti gives us the option for three door version and it will also help their sales for sure as there are many people like me who steered away from Jimny coz of its long narrow look.
Sir is there any chance of getting 3 door.
Great podcast and grounded insights. Thanks.
P.S. Kindly look into the audio volumes and maintain the audio levels consistent across the podcasts.
Maruti should also bring normal 4*2 variant of Jimny
They need to launch an xl version in bigger size for indian market which is easier said than done.
However, at the very least they need to launch more engine options
All it needed was a diesel engine either the 1.3 ddis full aluminium block with 100 hp 230 Nm torque or the ddis 1.5 with 120 hp and 320 Nm torque the Suzuki version with higher power with 6 speed box (not Suzukis 6 speed as it's not great ) . And sold at its current price and easily dominate the market.
The car is ok as is .
The 1.5 petrol can only do so much
Waited for 3 door. Ended with 5 door.
Current production, 3 door should be launched as Mini Jimny.. @8 lac..
All they needed to do was at least offer the turbo petrol. Even in it's three door avatar many foreign publications always told that it needs a better engine. But even with the jimny XL they didn't do it.
Those smart ones at Maruti launched it with too many doors and priced it greedily. Only reason for failure
It's a fun car , and serious drivers keep off... We have the Alpha MT & if Maruthi comes with two doors, we still like to buy one more 😊
Hormazd why doesn’t Bajaj make M80 anymore. Such a great and popular product
Oh boy, the M80. Such fond memories. I dreamt of owning one on those days (early 90s) but my family could not afford. If it comes in today, I will be the first one in the line to buy 😊.
I still remember the ad made for our no roads (Indian roads ) there can't be a better vehicle for our Indian roads. I rode it in possibly some of the worst roads in the world.
Major issue a fun vehicle should also be feature rich, it has to look good from the inside.
Yes absolutely correct, don't listen to social media...
If maruti still wants to sell them in india, then either they get the turbo for not hike the price much. Or get a 3 door jimny at a lower price, way low
Absolutely right! I have removed the 4 x 4 shaft of my Gypsy!
The brakes are horrible on the Jymny.
The pricing of the car killed it..wouldve made more sense if the 2-Door version was launched at a lower price..
Pricing is completely wrong - Cat for a price of Tiger...No Sorry!
Mileage and price
As most people are not using thar off-road, they just need a car that looks menacing. That's about it IMO. It's just the looks. A 4x2 is NOT going to make any change in sales for the jimny. The only reason gypsy was popular was because it was unique and looked cool.
The car is just 2 lakhs dearer than it should be. I've always maintained that since launch and now sales figures say it too.
what about 3 door jimny?
Nicely discussed... yes jimny is indeed a great product ..may be MSIL need to bump up bhp & torque moderately i.e atleast 20 extra ponies either to the existing engine or stretch the cc to 1750cc to achieve a respectable midrange pull in highways..one of the core qualities of a lifestyle vehicle...
Its ridcously expensive almost 2x the price should have been, still interior storage spaces is missing, even after 5 yrs of r&d
Love Jimny - Need power, need mileage and importantly reduced pricing. It has to be a great city and highway driver , just offroad capabilities wont help as we all use it for daily ride to office and highway and only a minor percentage for offroad.
Suzuki should carry on with the Jimny sales might take pace with time after few face lifts and upgrades but if discontinued Suzuki's image might take a beating amongst the masses.
Valid point about export of jimmy doing very well ! Comments like high price ( its the taxes ) and its underpowered are not valid ! its bang on for the with 1.5 litre engine ! it’s meant for a purpose and serves very well including the city ride ! Jimmy very popular all over the world including in Japan !
A road car with similar form factor and great features and comfort like mainstream cars would exponentially increase the sales as people would definitely then go for it for the SUV tall design and compact city friendly dimensions without compromising on family comfort.
The Jimny is a fantastic SUV that drives like a car. Firstly, its size is comparable to the Kia Seltos, a compact SUV, with decent bells and whistles and a comfortable rear seat. The price shouldn't have gone up by a maximum of 14L, and it's undeniably cute. However, an SUV like the Thar is all about great road presence and an intimidating stance, whereas the Jimny looks very civilized. I believe it needs a major facelift as soon as possible to make it more buffed up , and a talented design team can work its magic.
SUZUKI must retain Jimny in Indian market, irrespective of its sales figure. Keep it for a niche market, make it available only for serious buyers. Don't listen to anyone, just that if you want to bring a new generation 1.6L Diesel engine go for it, just that. And make it available with stock all terrain all weather bigger profile tyres
Agree that it should have been positioned as a lifestyle vehicle which is a fact. I am one of the 318 who owned this wonderful vehicle in the month of March!
"Its a cute little vehicle". Thats what you described it as. Unfortunately in India size matters. The Indian "SUV" market is not as mature yet to see the true value of the Jimny owing to its extra compact size. If one lives in the hills the compact nature is a real boon. But the majority of sales come from the plains and the Jimny looks like a malnourished kid if parked next to a 2024 5 door Gurkha.
The price is 2 lacs higher than it should be.
Lack of power for highways with a 4 speed AT in todays day and age? What were they even thinking?
Suzuki is its own worst enemy.
When i visited showroom before delivery in Indian market...i have written pricr should be between 9 to 10...but they haven't
I can't speak for the Indian market since I'm not there, but from my perspective, it shifts what is primarily a fun and capable off-roader and a reasonable city car desired by enthusiasts into the crowded SUV market. In this well-established segment, its useful features come across as awkward quirks to SUV buyers who likely only find it appealing due to its cuteness. Also having the rear door ruin the lines of the over fender, one of the original main design features, makes the re-designers seem second rate.
Launch price shuts it's sales.. Wrongly priced..
I got it for a good (heavy) discount in December..
Loves it❤..
As the sales are less, it's a head Turner on the road.
They need to up the power. I was okay with the space, interiors, ride etc, however when you need to pull in an open stretch, it just does not respond. We need at least some more power and torque, or may be a turbo for the 1.5.
I wonder why they didn't force feed the engine with a turbo or supercharger or both?
Price , no diesel engine , late arrival , Safety may be and no marketing
The Premier Rio was a very practical car for indian cities and metro cities
The 3 door version should be launched in India - there is quite a demographic shift in India and raise in the number of 1 or 2 member families
It's not that Jimny is a bad car, but Maruti's pricing strategy is certainly wrong in India..... What's happening here is that Maruti has too much offerings in it's portfolio.... And they are trying to layer those products pricewise, so that cannibalism doesn't happen....
For example they have Fronx, Baleno & Swift.... Essentially Fronx & Baleno are same vehicles (considering 1.2 ltr K12C Fronx variants), only differing in looks& suspension .... But Maruti wanted to position Fronx as a premium vehicle compared to Baleno....Here is the problem....If you compare Baleno's top MT model's price & Fronx's top MT model's price (with same engine & underpinning apart from a little different suspension) you will find the discrepancy....Baleno Alpha MT is around 10.8 lacs on road, Fronx 1.2 Delta Plus (O) MT 10.4 lacs.... Only a difference of 40K will give you following extras:
1) Rear Wiper (Absent in Fronx)
3) AC Vent for rear passengers (Absent in Fronx)
4) 360 degree camera (Absent in Fronx)
5) Cruise Control (Absent in Fronx)
6) Six Airbags (Against 2 of Fronx)
7) 9 inch touchscreen (against 7 inch of Fronx)
Given such bizarre discrepancy in two similar vehicles with same engine, same transmission, same braking system, same interior material, same chassis & only difference being looks & suspension I find it height of stupidity if anyone goes for Fronx 1.2 MT Top Variant when it's abundantly clear that Fronx is absolutely overpriced.....
Similarly, Maruti wanted to make sure Jimny doesn't cut into sales figure of Breeza & priced it absurdly high.... The mistake that Maruti's management did was in the wrong assessment of potential buyers of these two vehicles.... One would buy Breeza for regular City drive & Highway Cruising & more inclined towards comfort & fuel economy.... The Jimny buyers are completely of different breed...A Jimny buyer is someone who is looking for offroading adventure.... So actually there was no overlap, but Maruti thought there would be 😆😆😆
And the outcome is evident now, Jimny flopped pathetically in Indian market because of being absurdly overpriced...
Hormazd shows experience matters, his views are on point
Please do a episode on scorpion success story ... It's a marvelous machine
One reason off the back I think Jimny failed was a lack of good gearboxes and they should have launched a 4x2 version, with maybe a turbo engine, with excellent low end torque. You can see that Mahindra concentrated on this a lot on Thar and that's what got people excited about it, which led Thar to be a go to vehicle for people, in case a lifestyle category.
I went to service my Swift recently and asked them about Jimmy, the guy was pushing me to get Grand Vitara and said "Jimny is not for normal public, hence no one buys it"
Great video loved it
I am too happy having something different...color style compact clearly off ground and capabilities of flying off road
did you notice that the seats yes the front seats are so cramped? i went for a test ride and the drivers seat was so tight i did not take it. the only competitor for them is Old Bolero which is going well in rural areas. but then it’s to pricey in comparison. i went for Elevate instead. in india 45 plus rural population has a girth and they reject cramp seats . but it is the best vehicle for rural india wish it had larger seats
What is your view on gurkha in this Lifestyle market? On the other side there Jeep Wrangler...
The problem with the Jimny is that it's too tiny a car for adventure in a geographically diverse country like India. We have to get to the adventure, which is usually a 8 to 10 hour commute from a metro city. That's the journey where we'll experience the shortcomings. I resonate with the positioning problem, it could have been positioned as a adventure workhorse, instead of a tough 4x4.
IMO, problem with Jimny fiasco is down to following pointers:
> Lackluster engine+gearbox combination
> Perceived & available size/space
> Most importantly they didn't figure out the "sotta" quotient, for which Marketing & Branding is to be blamed
Jimny shines only in markets where 4x4 is actually put to use. Not in market where only size, power and electronic features matter
It is suzuki's attitude which is responsible for the failure.
The three door jimny was launched in foreign markets however suzuki thought in india people don't have appetite for lifestyle products whereas mahindra took buyer centric approach.
Jimny is a good product It just needs a price correction and Engine options may be diesel or hybrid.
Good deep dive discussion.... I hope Suzuki themselves might have done their RCA.....I think u guys tore part by part analysis.... But it's a fair 4x4 car .. I was pushed by my family to not take this car.... Hope it comes back well or suzuki will be just happy to manufacture and export it globally....
Much to do with the built quality too?