- The iconic Suzuki Jimny might never become an EV.
- The automaker’s boss said electrifying the pint-sized off-roader would “ruin” it.
Suzuki hasn’t sold a new car in the United States since 2012, but in other parts of the world, it’s still alive and kicking. That said, what is arguably the Japanese automaker’s most recognizable model, the venerable Jimny, isn’t the shining star it used to be.
In Europe, Suzuki has been forced to sell the pint-sized off-roader exclusively as a commercial vehicle in a two-seater configuration, which limits its already shrinking market. As fun and quirky as the Jimny may be–and it excels in both these categories–it’s still a slow, boxy off-roader that sits on an old-school ladder frame chassis and uses solid axles front and rear. The fact that it’s powered by a relatively asthmatic 1.5-liter gasoline engine doesn’t help either.
I’d argue that the Jimny–the Samurai’s successor–is the perfect candidate for electrification. A cheap, small and fun off-roader would be a great alternative to open-top side-by-sides or UTVs, but Suzuki boss Toshihiro Suzuki begs to differ. Speaking during the launch of the all-new eVitara, the automaker’s first EV, the automaker’s head honcho suggested that a battery-powered Jimny is out of the question.
“If you talk about the Jimny EV, I think it would ruin the best part of the Jimny,” Suzuki said, quoted by Autocar. “I think the core strength of the Jimny is the right weight.” He added that the company intends to continue offering the Jimny to “professionals” (i.e. commercial customers) and that using e-fuel or biofuel would enable the off-roader to stay on sale for longer.
Let’s address that weight problem, though. The latest-generation gas-powered Jimny tips the scales at 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.) By comparison, the new eVitara, which is a unibody crossover, starts at 3,752 lbs for the standard-range, two-wheel drive trim and goes all the way to 4,186 lbs for the long-range, four-wheel drive variant.
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That’s a big difference, but an all-electric Jimny could make do with a smaller battery. The eVitara can be had with either a 49- or a 61-kilowatt-hour battery, but let’s not forget that the entry-level Nissan Leaf comes with a 40-kWh pack, so why wouldn’t the Jimny go down the same route? Obviously, the range would take a hit, but there are plenty of people out there commuting in the 149-mile base Leaf. Add a bit of Jimny fun to the mix, and a potentially winning formula comes into view.
It’s not like the gas-powered Jimny is a highway cruiser anyway, with a rather bumpy ride and noisy interior. Making it electric would only make it better, but what do you think?