Suzuki launches stripped-out Jimny Lite for Australia

The uber-popular Suzuki Jimny has been given a second variant for the Australian market as the Japanese brand officially revealed the Lite today.

Off the back of the Jimny's introduction in 2019, where it chalked up a waiting list more than 12 months long, Suzuki has been struggling to meet demand for its small off-roader, increasing the price in some instances to try and capitalise on the affection for it.

Now it has delivered a back-to-basics, stripped out variant, sacrificing the mod-cons from the normal Jimny with only a five-speed manual gearbox on offer, still being powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine making 75kW/130Nm.

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The Jimny Lite will ship with 15-inch steel wheels rather than the existing alloys, as well as halogen projector headlights and no front fog lights, deleting the LED units normally found on the model.

Inside the cabin the same principle has been applied with the Apple CarPlay/Android Auto infotainment set-up removed in favour of a simpler in-dash radio/CD player, still featuring Bluetooth connectivity for music streaming and calls.

Thankfully those who enjoy summer trips to Cape York will still be able to do so without losing their body weight in sweat, as air conditioning is retained as a standard fitment.

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Suzuki's General Manager, Michael Pachota, said the firm expects a continuation of demand for the Jimny Lite and will distribute it in the same manner as the current Jimny.

"We're giving people what they want – more Jimnys!" said Pachota.

"With demand continuously increasing for this model we are so pleased to be able to add another variant in the line-up and continue to grow our Jimny community with this incremental supply opportunity.

"We will also maintain the fair allocation process based on customer orders with a queue system as we have done with the current Jimny in 2021, making sure the next order in the queue gets the next car to hit Australian soil, every time."

Pricing of the Jimny Lite will be released on August 1, 2021, the same day the model goes on sale. Suzuki will also launch a dedicated page for the car on its Australian website from July 1.

The 2021 Jimny manual is currently available from $28,490 plus on-road costs.

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The current Jimny's exterior

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