Top-spec Maruti Suzuki Jimny Alpha AT 5-door costs Rs. 4.87 lakh more than Suzuki Jimny 3-door in JDM for top-spec XC AT
Maruti Suzuki Jimny went on sale in India recently. Even though it is one of the most anticipated launch in India, there have been mixed opinions about the pricing strategy ever since its launch. Especially when the significantly larger and more appealing Thar costs Rs. 2.2 lakh less with the base variants.
Interestingly, Jimny prices in Japan start from a whopping Rs. 4.57 lakh less than Indian pricing for base variants. In the top-spec trim levels, the price difference between Indian and JDM Jimny is around Rs. 4.87 lakh in favour of JDM Jimny. Let’s take a look at the details.
Jimny Prices Start Rs. 4.57 Lakh Less In Japan Than India
JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) Jimny is not the same as Indian Jimny. For starters, Suzuki manufactures JDM Jimny in its Kosai plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan and Maruti Suzuki manufactures Indian Jimny in Gurgaon plant in Delhi NCR. JDM Jimny is locally manufactured in Japan, and not exported from India.
The same can’t be said about Mahindra XUV700, which is exported to Australia and still cost Rs. 1.8 lakh less than Indian pricing. Sticking with Jimny, it is important to note that JDM Jimny is 3-door only, while Indian Jimny is 5-door only. Making the situation worse for Indian Jimny is the fact that JDM Jimny gets ‘Suzuki Safety Support’ ADAS suite as well. Something which Indian Jimny lacks.
In Japan, 3-door Jimny is on offer in three trim levels namely base XG, mid XL and top XC. All three trims get a 0.65L (658cc) 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine (64 PS, 96 Nm, 5MT, 4AT, turbo intercooler). This engine gets three driving modes namely Urban, Suburban and Highway. Fuel efficiency is up to 17.5 km/l as per WLTC.
4X4 transfer case, LSD, front and rear rigid axles are standard fitment between both JDM and Indian Jimny. Even though Indian Jimny gets a larger 4-cylinder 1.5L petrol engine (102 bhp, 134 Nm, 5MT, 4AT), it lacks turbocharging, turbo intercooler and drive modes. So, both engines are likely to be of the same cost for the manufacturer.
Is India-spec Jimny worth it?
If we take actual pricing, JDM Jimny costs between JPY 1,414,000 (Rs. 8.17 lakh) and JPY 1,730,000 (Rs. 9.99 lakh) before consumption tax. Indian Jimny costs between Rs. 12.74 lakh and Rs. 14.89 lakh before taxes. So, in the comparable top-spec trim levels, JDM Jimny costs Rs. 4.87 lakh less than Indian Jimny.
This Rs. 4.87 lakh signifies addition of two doors and an extended wheelbase but loses out on ADAS suite and extra engine hardware like turbocharging, turbo intercooler and drive modes. You can be the judge of whether India-spec Jimny is worth it or not.
