2023 Suzuki Jimny: 3-door sales paused; 5-door orders have been building with dealers for 18 months

Suzuki dealers have been taking orders on the Jimny five-door for 18 months, despite the model only having just been confirmed for Australia, Wheels understands.

The ‘JB74’ Suzuki Jimny off-roader continues to drive demand for the brand in Australia thanks to cute looks and compact size that belie the off-road capability of this ladder-framed, 75kW beast.

The current three-door is already experiencing extended wait lists, and has done for some time – and, indeed, sales of the three-door model have now been paused.

Likewise, many have been waiting for the arrival of the five-door.

The 505mm-longer Jimny will be built in India, rather than Japan where the three-door is built for our market. Pricing, specifications, level of equipment and arrival time are still not confirmed for the Australian market.

And yet, dealers have known it's coming for a long time, with one source telling 4X4 Australia they’ve been taking orders for the last 18 months.

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The same source noted that some customers who were waiting in the queue for a three-door Jimny have now swapped to the more practical five-door.

While dealers may have been taking names on wait lists previously, these expressions of interest are now being passed up to Suzuki Australia as orders, so you’ll need to get in quick to secure one.

"Now that we've confirmed it for Australia, we're taking orders. First in, best dressed”, is what Suzuki Australia General Manager, Michael Pachota told 4X4 Australia.

The long Jimny will also be built exclusively in India. Reports suggest that there will be capacity to manufacture between 5000-6000 five-door Jimnys monthly at Maruti/Suzuki’s Gurugram facility. How that measures up to likely strong Indian market demand will become clear soon.

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How much will the Suzuki Jimny five-door cost?

Measuring 505mm longer overall and riding on a 340mm longer wheelbase, the five-door Jimny is significantly larger than its relative.

Yet being produced in India, where wage costs are lower than Japan, may mean the stretched off-roader is priced at parity with the current models, or only a whisker more expensive.

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The Jimny Lite starts at $28,490 before on-road costs, while the regular Jimny commands a little more, at $29,990 for the five-speed manual with a $1500 up-charge to get a four-speed automatic.

Suzuki Australia and dealers alike are yet to discuss how much the five-door will cost. It seems unlikely that an affordable Jimny Lite will kick off the five-door range, so we anticipate a starting price $30,000-35,000 before on-road costs.