No 2WD, no price cuts for Jimny, says Maruti Suzuki India

Even after the Jimny's underwhelming performance in terms of volumes, mainly due to its high price, Maruti Suzuki India will not introduce a two-wheel-drive (2WD) version of the SUV or lower its price, according to a senior company official.

The Maruti Suzuki Jimny was launched in India in June 2023. It recorded wholesales of around 18,000 units in FY24. The SUV sits in the price bracket of Rs 12.74 lakh to Rs 14.95 lakh (ex-showroom).

Powering the Jimny is the old K15B 1.5-litre petrol engine, which delivers 105PS and 134Nm. The motor can be paired either with a 5-speed MT or a 4-speed AT. Based on a ladder frame chassis, the SUV has ALLGRIP PRO four-wheel-drive (4WD) technology as standard.

Maruti had pinned its hopes on the Jimny and the Fronx (introduced in April 2023) to become the SUV segment leader in FY24. While the Fronx did extremely well, recording volumes of over 130,000 units, the Jimny failed to make a mark. The country's largest carmaker also offers the Brezza and the Grand Vitara.

Replying to a question from India Today during a select media meeting on whether Maruti will lower Jimny's price or bring in a 2WD version, the carmaker's Executive Committee Member Shashank Srivastava said: «We have no plans to introduce the Jimny 2WD or decrease the price of the SUV.»

«We had a lot of bookings for the Jimny. We accumulated almost 52,000 bookings. We started accepting bookings for the SUV in January 2023. But the actual launch was in June 2023. However, there have been cancellations after we announced the price. There has been feedback that the price is on the higher side,» he added.

Maruti did offer hefty discounts on the Jimny in December 2023 to boost sales. While there were offers to the tune of Rs 2.21 lakh on the SUV during the month, the dealerships were providing additional benefits from their side.

Srivastava said that an examination was done and there was a suggestion to introduce the 2WD. «However, as this is a legacy brand, not just for India but globally, known for its off-roading prowess, there should be no compromise. So we decided that 2WD is not a good option,» he noted.

In any case, the volumes range from 1,800-2,000 units per month for the