Confirmed: Suzuki Jimny and Swift Sport Won't Come To India

by Arun Shenoy
Aug 21, 2018
Views : 16278

As much as we'd love to have them puttering about on our roads, the numbers don't seem to make sense for Maruti Suzuki

Here's a bit of a bummer to start the day with. We've got word that the Jimny SUV and the Swift Sport hot hatchback won't be launched in India. On the sidelines of the media drive of the new Ciaz, CV Raman, R&D Chief at Maruti Suzuki India confirmed the same to ZigWheels. The reasoning for the two, though, are quite distinct.

Beginning with the Jimny, Maruti Suzuki is of the opinion that a small 3-door SUV won't drive as much demand as they'd like. The Jimny is a recreational vehicle, and isn't something that most would buy as their primary car. Add the paltry sales numbers of the segment leader, the Thar and the near negligible sales of the Force Gurkha into the mix, and Maruti Suzuki's hesitation seems to have substance.

The Swift Sport on the other hand, would end up being too expensive. The 1.4-litre Boosterjet turbo-petrol motor alone would drive costs up a whole lot. Maruti Suzuki India has already burnt its hands once with the S-Cross 1.6; and thus, it prefers to be safe than sorry. Again, much like the small personal off-roader segment, the hot hatch space too is relatively nascent. There are a handful of options in the market including the Punto Abarth, Baleno RS and the Polo GT - none of which are doing particularly well in terms of sales.

There you have it then. Two of the most desirable Suzuki cars of modern times shall remain wallpapers for you and me. We'd still like to latch on to any sliver of hope, though.