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- The iconic Suzuki Jimny may never become an EV.
- The carmaker’s boss said electrifying the small off-roader would “ruin” it.
Suzuki hasn’t sold a new car in the United States since 2012, but it’s still alive and well in other parts of the world. That said, what is perhaps the Japanese automaker’s most recognizable model, the venerable Jimny, is no longer the shining star it used to be.
In Europe, Suzuki has been forced to sell the small off-roader exclusively as a commercial vehicle in a two-seater configuration, limiting the already shrinking market. As fun and quirky as the Jimny may be – and it excels in both categories – it’s still a slow, boxy off-roader that sits on an old-fashioned ladder chassis and uses solid axles front and rear. The fact that it’s powered by a relatively asthmatic 1.5-litre petrol engine doesn’t help either.
I would say that the Jimny – the successor to the Samurai – is the perfect candidate for electrification. A cheap, small and fun off-roader would be a great alternative to side-by-sides or open-top UTVs, but Suzuki boss Toshihiro Suzuki disagrees. Speaking at the launch of the all new eVitarathe automaker’s first EV, the automaker’s head honcho suggested a battery-powered Jimny is out of the question.
“If you are talking about the Jimny EV, I think it would ruin the best part of the Jimny,” said Suzuki, quoted by Coach. “I think the core strength of the Jimny is the right weight.” He added that the company plans to continue offering the Jimny to “professionals” (i.e. commercial customers) and that the use of e-fuel or biofuel would allow the off-roader to remain on sale for longer.
Let’s tackle that weight problem. The latest generation gas Jimny weighs an impressively low 2,414 pounds for the two-door version and 2,612 pounds for the four-door version. (Yes, there’s a four-door, too.) For comparison, the new eVitara, a unibody crossover, starts at 3,752 lbs for the standard two-wheel-drive variant and goes all the way up to 4,186 lbs for the long-range all-wheel-drive variant.
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That’s a big difference, but a fully electric Jimny could make do with a smaller battery. The eVitara is available with a 49 or 61 kilowatt-hour battery, but let’s not forget that the entry-level model Nissan Leaf comes with a 40 kWh pack, so why wouldn’t the Jimny cover the same route? Obviously range would take a hit, but there are plenty of people commuting in the 150-mile base Leaf. Add a little Jimny fun to the mix and a potentially winning formula comes into view.
In any case, the gas Jimny is not a highway cruiser, with a rather bumpy ride and a noisy interior. Making it electric will only make it better, but what do you think?