Maruti Suzuki launches Jimny with price starting at Rs 12.74 lakh

New Delhi: The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Wednesday launched Jimny priced between Rs 12.74 lakh and Rs 15.05 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), as it eyes the top slot in the robustly growing sports utility vehicle segment in the country.

The manual trims of the four-wheel drive model are priced between Rs 12.74 lakh and Rs 13.85 lakh, while the 4-speed automatic trims are tagged between Rs 13.94 lakh and Rs 15.05 lakh.

The five-door model, which features a 1.5-litre petrol motor, will come in two trims -- Zeta and Alpha, and will be sold through Nexa dealerships.

"The launch of Jimny (5-door) marks an exhilarating milestone in our SUV portfolio and will play an important role in our goal of becoming the country's largest SUV maker," MSI Managing Director & CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said in a statement.

India holds a significant position for Suzuki Motor Corporation not only as a domestic market but also as a global export base, he added.

"It gives me immense pleasure to announce that India will proudly serve as the mother plant for the Jimny (5-door) and will be the first market for its launch. This truly reaffirms our commitment to Make-In-India for the world," Takeuchi noted.

The Jimny comes with the ALLGRIP PRO (4WD) with low-range transfer gear (4L mode) offering extreme off-road ability. The model comes with a ground clearance of 210 mm.

MSI said the automatic trims of the model offer fuel-efficiency of 16.94 km per litre and the five-speed manual variants come with 16.39 km per litre fuel economy.

The model can also be owned through Maruti Suzuki Subscribe at an all-inclusive monthly subscription fee starting from Rs 33,550, the company said.

MSI expects Jimny to play a role along with other models like Brezza, Fronx and Grand Vitara to take the top position in the SUV segment.

The country's largest carmaker is aiming for the leadership position in the overall SUV segment this fiscal year with a market share of 25 per cent.

Suzuki has sold more than 32 lakh units of Jimny worldwide, in 199 countries and regions since 1970.

Globally, the automaker sells the model with three-door configuration. It is for the first time a five-door version has been developed with an investment of around Rs 960 crore.