Welcome news for Suzuki Jimny fans: Suzuki Philippines (SPH) will again be selling Japanese versions of the pint-sized off-roader, over a year after it began sourcing the model from Maruti Suzuki in India.
Purists will be happy to find the Jimny sourced from Japan again
According to an unnamed SPH executive, the move takes effect this month, adding that cost was the primary consideration for the switch back to the Jimny’s home country. At its debut in 2018, the fourth generation Jimny proved so popular that Suzuki’s manufacturing facility in Kosai struggled to keep up with demand, resulting in a lengthy waiting time of up to six months.
This led SPH to start getting its Jimny stocks in 2021 from India, where Maruti Suzuki’s bigger production capacity can better cope with global orders. The factory in Gurgaon is also where several other Suzuki models such as the Ertiga, S-Presso, and Celerio are made for export markets.
Suzuki Philippines had to get its Jimny stocks from India due to production backlogs
However, assembly of the model in India meant that almost all its components needed to be shipped from Japan, entailing high costs. This was apart from sending the finished units to Suzuki’s international markets.
The pandemic was also a factor as global parts shortages meant that Maruti Suzuki’s production quotas were not being met. Thus, SPH decided to streamline the process and source the Jimny straight from Japan once again. While customers must still contend with a waiting list, the SPH source claims that it is now shorter than before.
There are currently less than 100 India-made Jimny units in the Philippines still waiting in dealer lots.
The Jimny is also sold as a Kei car in Japan
Maruti Suzuki was reported to have halted the production of the standard 3-door Jimny since October 2022, apparently to upgrade its facilities to accommodate the 5-door version which had its global premiere this month. The new Jimny variant will be assembled for both the Indian and export markets.
In Japan, the 3-door Jimny is available in two trim levels. One carries the code JB64 and is intended to comply with Japanese Kei car regulations, featuring tucked-in front and rear bumpers as well as omitting the fender extensions. The other, designated the JB74 or Jimny Sierra, is the export version, carrying the fender flares and bigger bumpers.
Keep up with the latest developments in the auto industry at Philkotse.com.