The current-generation Jimny could have a 20-year lifespan, but Suzuki will need to find ways to make it viable with tightening emissions regulations.
Suzuki is currently investigating options to continue keeping its Jimny SUV on the market as tightening emissions regulations threaten an early demise of the popular model.
With European Jimny models already forced to switch to two-seat commercial form to side-step emissions rules, and the introduction of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) in Australia this year, the clock is ticking on the iconic Suzuki off-roader.
When asked by Drive at the 2025 Tokyo motor show if electrification was on the table to keep the Jimny going, Suzuki Motor Corporation Chief Engineer Takamitsu Sasaki said there is a plan in place to keep the 4WD alive, but would not be drawn on exactly what they are.
“We are considering how we can preserve this model, but as for the product plans, we don’t have a concrete plan yet,” Sasaki-san said.
“It’s top secret, we cannot disclose any product plans at this point.
“We’re still thinking about it [a hybrid or battery electric option].”
Back in early 2023, Suzuki revealed a roadmap that would see the Jimny be electrified by the end of the decade to keep it on the right side of emissions rules.
But nearly three years after the announcement, nothing has materialised.
A battery electric vehicle (BEV) option looks unlikely, given Suzuki Global President Toshihiro Suzuki shot down the idea late last year.
"If you talk about the Jimny EV, I think it would ruin the best part of the Jimny," Suzuki-san reported Autocar.
However, e-fuels or carbon capture technology could be used to keep the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine found under the bonnet of Australian and European Jimnys alive for longer.
When asked how much life is left in the current fourth-generation Jimny, which was introduced in 2018, Sasaki-san pointed towards the previous-gen version that ran for 20 years as the target.
However, without a new powertrain option soon, Suzuki might be forced to shelve the diminutive off-roader – or drastically raise prices – as current emissions outputs mean the model would attract a fine of up to $3500 under NVES.
Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
