Maruti Suzuki finally debuted the 5-door Jimny at Auto Expo 2023 after many years of anticipation. The 5-door Jimny is more practical than the 3-door version because to its extra doors and longer wheelbase. However, the Jimny’s primary function as an off-road vehicle is something Maruti is unwilling to compromise in favour of more usefulness.
Maruti Suzuki India’s CTO, CV Raman, told Autocar India in an interview at Auto Expo 2023 that the 5-door Jimny’s off-road potential is not diminished in comparison to the 3-door variant. “Obviously, the wheelbase needs to be extended when going from a 3-door to a 5-door. On the other hand, we optimised it so that it retains its off-road nature, he said.
How is off-road performance impacted by a longer wheelbase?
Consider an off-road vehicle that has the same ground clearance in both its short and long wheelbase models. Due in large part to the improved breakover angle that the shorter wheelbase provides, the short-wheelbase version will perform better off-road in general. The maximum angle at which you may drive over anything without having the bottom of the vehicle contact the ground is known as a breakover angle. Your car is better able to go over larger obstacles the greater the angle. The breakover angle decreases as wheelbase increases.
Regarding the Jimny SUV, as shown in the table, despite the 340mm difference in wheelbase between the 5-door and 3-door models, the angles at which a ramp breaks over, departs, and approaches are only marginally different.
The ramp breakover angle in the 3-door Jimny is 28 degrees, whereas in the 5-door it is 24 degrees. As a result, the longer wheelbase Jimny has a lower breakover angle than the 3-door vehicle. The 3-door Jimny has a departure angle of 49 degrees, whereas the 5-door variant has a departure angle of 50 degrees. The 3-door model has a 37-degree approach angle, whereas the 5-door variant has a 36-degree approach angle.
It’s worth mentioning that the 5-door Jimny weighs over 100kg more than the 3-door. The lighter the car, the more agile it is and the less likely it is to become stuck on slick surfaces.
Maruti Suzuki 5-door vs. Maruti Suzuki 3-door: off-road equipment, ground clearance
When it comes to off-road gear, there isn’t much to distinguish the two. Suzuki’s AllGrip Pro technology is standard on both the 3-door and 5-door Jimny SUVs. It has a low gear ratio, which multiplies engine torque while limiting speed.
Both the 5-door and 3-door Jimny SUVs have off-road technology such as hill-hold assist, hill descent control, and brake controlled slip differential. Furthermore, they feature the same 210mm ground clearance.
Maruti Suzuki Jimny 5-door: Price and Release Date
The Jimny 5-door is slated to go on sale in May 2023, with a price tag of roughly Rs 12 lakh. The SUV will be offered through Maruti Suzuki’s Nexa network and will have no options at launch.
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