Is the 5-door Suzuki Jimny Long a good idea?  

If it weren’t for the fact that it has such a long wait list, the Suzuki Jimny could be as ubiquitous on our roads right now as a certain MPV from another Japanese automaker. But then again, this hard-to-get status is probably part of the current model’s appeal, even as Suzuki has already tapped its Gurgaon facility in India to keep up with demand.

An overwhelming majority of readers expressed their wish to give the Jimny two more doors 

Speaking of India, the company’s Maruti Suzuki subsidiary is already retooling its production lines to introduce a 5-door version of the mini SUV called the Jimny Long. As for Filipino Suzuki fans, a Philkotse poll gathered 86 percent of responses favoring a long-wheelbase iteration, which reflects the typical Pinoy penchant for vehicles with the loading space to match.

On the surface, it might seem like the Jimny Long would be an ideal complement to the standard Jimny, with increased dimensions that allow the former to haul more stuff. A reported 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine is expected to compensate for the added mass, along with mild-hybrid capability. 

We'll likely be getting the Jimny Long from Maruti Suzuki in India [Image: MOTA] 

But a longer Jimny might not be all it’s cracked up to be. For much of its run, the Jimny was engineered with a specific purpose in mind: as a light and nimble off-roader. In all likelihood, extending the length of the body will compromise its famed agility and nimbleness on the trails, apart from making its proportions look downright odd. Of course, a longer wheelbase ideally translates to better ride quality and comfort, but if those are what you’re after, there are better options than a ladder-frame chassis with live axles, even if they were buoyed by coil springs.

The current Jimny is already the right size for its intended purpose

Adding a few hundred millimeters to the Jimny’s profile gets you more interior space, but it’s largely pointless if there’s no corresponding increase in passenger capacity. The Vitara compact crossover would probably be a better choice if you don’t plan on being more than a party of five at a time, with a price that’s already Php 57,000 cheaper across the board.  

There's no point in messing with a time-honored formula that has always worked    

The charm of the Jimny lies in its established image as a straightforward, utilitarian machine. Short of calling it an outright betrayal, the Jimny Long defeats the very essence of that heritage, being nothing more than a sellout to more mundane needs. And the Suzuki Jimny is anything but mundane.    

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