A new base-model Jimny is coming later this year, according to Suzuki. It’s called the Jimny Lite, and it will debut in Australia — as if OZ didn’t already get all the goods — later this year.
It’s not clear yet whether the Jimny Lite will see a wider rollout for export markets where the Jimny is available now, but if the Jimny’s popularity is of any indication, it’s likely that the Lite would be succesful outside of Australia. It’s going to cost less than the Jimny, Autocar India reports, and I think the Lite could actually outsell the “upscale” model for this reason alone.
The Jimny Lite retains the Jimny’s equipment and mechanical setup, at least where it matters. It will have the same 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and the same transfer case. The Jimny Lite loses some of the Jimny’s fancier exterior trim and the option for an automatic transmission, as Suzuki details:
The vehicle performance and engine specifications remain unchanged to the current Jimny – however the Jimny Lite will be available in Manual Transmission only.
The Jimny Lite will ride on standard 15” steel wheels, continuing to provide high levels of stability with low rolling resistance. Plastic textured side mirror covers, Halogen projector headlights without standard fog lamps are the only other notable exterior differences to the Jimny already on our roads.
As opposed to the Jimny’s standard fitment Infotainment system, the Jimny Lite will be released with an in-dash Radio / CD player, including standard Bluetooth connectivity, allowing calls and music to be streamed effortlessly. Air conditioning remains as a standard fitment with manually operated climate control.
The Jimny Lite also loses the LED headlights and factory fogs, but those are easy fixes if drivers decide they can’t do without either later on.
The Lite makes up for the trim “downgrade” with its steel wheels, if you ask me. I’m not partial to dark wheels, but those steelies look great on the Jimny. They’re about as basic as you can get, but they match the Jimny’s looks.
The differences are also obvious inside the cabin. The Jimny Lite has a basic double-din stereo instead of the touchscreen system from the Jimny, and the HVAC controls are simpler.
Here is an image of the regular Jimny’s interior for reference:
I’ll just come out and say it: The Jimny Lite looks to have the better dashboard. David Tracy had a hell of a time futzing with the infotainment in the first place, so the touchscreen probably won’t be missed.
It looks like the Jimny Lite brings a simple, functional model to the line-up. It gets rid of things that weren’t really necessary to begin with, and keeps the best parts of the Jimny intact.
The only thing that remains to be seen is how much money the Jimny Lite will actually save drivers. Suzuki says the Lite’s price will be announced on the official release date for this new base-model, August 1, 2021.