BIGGER: The newcomer steals from its three-door sibling but offers more room and practicality
By Ali Mphaki
After years of rumors and months of spy shots, Suzuki has finally unveiled the Jimny 5-Door. For the sake of accuracy, the model technically comes from New Delhi-based Maruti Suzuki and made its debut today at Auto Expo 2023 in India. It’s still the ladder-frame off-roader we all appreciate, but now significantly bigger to accommodate the rear doors providing access to a far more spacious interior cabin.
While the kei car version of the Jimny 3-Door sold in Japan is 3,395 millimeters (133.7 inches) long, the global model stretches to 3,645 mm (143.5 in). This newly added 5-Door measures 3,985 mm (157 in). Its wheelbase has been elongated to 2,590 mm (102 in), thus making it a substantial 340 mm (13.3 in) longer than that of the 3-Door variant. Maruti Suzuki says the vehicle is 1,645 mm (64.8 in) wide and stands 1,720 mm (67.7 in) tall, with both figures matching those of the international Jimny 3-Door.
It retains the upright and boxy styling of the donor car and gets a black roof to contrast the Kinetic Yellow main color. Flared wheel arches, round headlights, slatted front grille, exposed rear hinges, and off-road tires are some of the familiar traits inherited from the 3-Door model. It sits on 15-inch wheels with 195/80 rubber and has a rear-mounted spare wheel with a black cover.
The interior has been largely carried over from the standard Jimny, right down to the grab handle on the passenger side of the dashboard and the faux exposed bolts. The Indian-spec model gets a rear bench that can accommodate up to three passengers. With the rear seats up, it has a cargo capacity of 208 liters (7.3 cubic feet), which can be expanded to 332 liters (11.7 cubic feet) after folding the bench.
Goodies include a nine-inch infotainment with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a rearview camera, and an Arkamys sound system. On the safety side, the 5-Door has hill hold and hill descent assist, along with six airbags, ESP, and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD).
Power comes from a mild-hybrid 1.5-liter gasoline engine producing 105 hp at 6,000 rpm and 134 Nm (99 lb-ft) at 4,400 rpm delivered to a four-wheel-drive system. Gearbox choices include a five-speed manual and a four-speed torque-converter automatic. Suzuki Jimny 5-Door owners will be able to choose from 2WD-high, 4WD-high, and 4WD-low modes for some serious off-roading courtesy of a 36-degree approach angle, a 24-degree breakover angle, a 50-degree departure angle, and a 210-mm ground clearance.
Maruti Suzuki will assemble the Jimny 5-Door at the Gurugram plant and is already taking orders in India where it’ll go on sale in May. Other markets will follow, including Africa, Australia, and Latin America.
MOTORING:
Briefs
COUNTRYMAN IN USA
Mini says it will start production of the new Countryman S All4 for the US market in March 2024. The first customer examples are expected to arrive in early May next year. The automaker plans the same launch scheme for the JCW model, too. In the fall of 2024, Mini will start deliveries of the all-electric Countryman.
Another important upgrade from last year’s base model is the addition of standard all-wheel drive on the 2025 Countryman. The new generation crossover comes with Mini’s All4 system, featuring an electronic control of the power between the front and rear wheels depending on the road conditions.-Moto1.com
AUDI SPECIAL EDITIONS
Audi South Africa has announced the launch of a number of special-edition derivatives across key product ranges. Black Edition and Urban Edition models boast additional cosmetic and functional features, and will be available in market from early-2024. The first models to receive the Black Edition treatment are Audi South Africa’s sophisticated A4 and S4 sedan ranges.
On the A4, the Black Edition package can be selected for the 35 TFSI, 35 TDI and 40 TFSI models, while it’s also an option on the S4 TFSI. Only 100 A4 Black Edition versions will be imported to South Africa, making these derivatives a highly unique sight on our roads.
DRIVERLESS BMW
7-SERIES
BMW has revealed that its 7 Series range will soon get Level 3 autonomous driving tech from 2024. This technology will help the upcoming BMW 7 Series sedans to essentially drive itself for speeds up to 96.5km/h.
It is also worth mentioning that BMW will also enable the Level 3 autonomous driving technology in all-electric BMW i7 sedans as well. Thanks to this tech, users of the upcoming 2024 BMW 7 Series will be able to equally relax in bumper-to-bumper traffic and on highways. Additionally, having Level 3 autonomous driving technology will also help the new BMW 7 Series become a lot safer as the technology will prevent the car from getting into an accident. That being said, according to BMW, the upcoming 7 Series sedan’s Level 3 autonomous driving tech will not only work in broad daylight conditions, but it is also equally effective when the sun goes down as well.
HILUX NO ROAM ON TV
A pair of adverts in the UK for the Toyota Hilux – a poster and a television spot – have been taken off the airwaves by the local Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over the view that they lack “a sense of responsibility to society”. As reported by The Guardian, it’s the first time an advert has been banned in the UK over social grounds relating to environmentalism and the preservation of land.
The TV advert, having been posted by animation company Platige Image, and has been used in the UK since 2020, shows a fleet of Hilux utes off-roading together through tussocks, gravel, and a riverbed, before taking to the tarmac. The advert’s kicker is revealed as one of the utes backs up its driveway and parks, the owner’s reaction implying that the Hilux had been off-roading by itself. The ad ends on the tag line ‘born to roam’.
ONE MORE THING
Is it your First Amendment right to honk your horn in America? A look at the law in many states says no, but one California woman hopes to change that by challenging her ticket for illegal horn use to the US Supreme Court with a civil suit.
Susan Porter received the citation after passing a political rally in 2017 and honking her horn. The sheriff’s deputy who issued it did not show up in traffic court, leading to its dismissal, but Porter filed the civil suit against the state in 2018 in hopes of changing the law.
A district court ruled against her in 2021, but she appealed in 2022.
During the appeal, California Highway Patrol Sgt. William Beck, a state witness, said that excessive honking could create dangerous situations by distracting other drivers. However, Beck couldn’t provide an example of such a case where a car’s horn caused an accident, according to the Monterey Herald.