Want a Suzuki Jimny but can’t drive a manual? There’s good news… and bad news.
The automatic version of the cult Jimny off-roader is back on sale in Australia after a nine-month hiatus – but just 500 examples are being offered, and they’re offered on a “first-come, first-served basis”.
Orders open on Monday, September 18, at 12pm EST.
Suzuki says it’s been able to offer the automatic Jimny again after reducing the “massive back-order queue significantly” for the car. The little Jimny has been in short supply since its debut in 2019.
In July 2023, Suzuki Australia (which distributes the brand nationwide, with the exception of Queensland) confirmed wait times for the three-door manual Jimny were longer than six months.
Two-tone cars are the hardest to source due to limited production.
The range will be expanded with a more practical 5 Door model, with pricing, specification, and delivery timing of the new body style due in November 2023.
Suzuki Australia says it had already recorded around 200 orders back in January, just days after its global reveal.
At 3985mm long, the Jimny 5 Door is 340mm longer than the regular model, while the 2590mm wheelbase on the ladder frame grows by the same. Ground clearance is a claimed 210mm.
There are no changes to the drivetrain to handle the added bulk, with the current 1.5-litre petrol carrying over – mated to a part-time 4×4 system with low-range, and available with five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission choices.
It’s unclear what supply of the 5 Door will look like at the outset.
The 3 Door initially was more popular as a manual, though the sales split over time shifted to the automatic – hence orders of the auto have been paused in the face of rampant demand.
To the end of August, Suzuki has sold 3893 Jimnys – narrowly behind the Swift at 4615 sales. The more practical 5 Door is likely to push Jimny sales to even greater heights.
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