Maruti Jimny

The Maruti Jimny is the only off-roader in Maruti Suzuki’s India portfolio. It is more than capable, so much so that it is considered the chief rival of the legendary Mahindra Thar, despite being priced significantly lower. But while the latter can’t be considered as a comfortable city commuter, the Jimny might just have a few tricks up its sleeve, thanks to certain characteristics. What are those characteristics and how does it go about delivering them is what we’re going to see in this review.

• The Maruti Jimny has an undeniable charm in its styling with boxy squared-off lines, a flat nose, old school round headlights, flared body cladding, and bumper integrated taillights.

• While it might not look like a conventionally rugged off-roader, it does pack a lot of muscle, just in a small package.

• The upright nose houses a 5-slat grille between the circular LED headlights, while the chunky bumper houses the fog lights.

• The flat bonnet, flat roofline, and flat body creases are all very evident in the profile, along with its heavily cladded wheel arches, which look really rugged.

• The Jimny sits on 15-inch alloy wheels, which can be upgraded to a bigger size to fill that massive gap between the tyre and wheel arch.

• The base variant of the Jimny gets simple 15-inch steel wheels.

• There’s not much going on in terms of design at the rear. It gets a flat tailgate with the spare wheel mounted on it, while the tail lights have been integrated horizontally on the edges of the bumper.

• The Maruti Jimny is available in five monotone and two dualtone exterior shades.

• The single tone shades include Nexa Blue, Sizzling Red, Granite Grey, Bluish Black and Pearl Arctic White.

• I like the bright Kinetic Yellow colour, which looks unique and attracts a lot of attention.

• Overall, the Jimny doesn’t have the same presence or rugged feeling like its contemporaries, primarily because of its size, but it still does look seriously cool.

Design and quality

• By modern standards, the Jimny’s interiors are properly old-school with a focus on purpose and function.

• Despite being old school, the styling doesn’t look boring at all.

• The theme is all black, contrasted only by a few chrome and silver touches here and there.

• Quality wise, you only get soft touch material on the grab handle, but all the plastics have a nice texture to them, and don’t at all feel cheap. 

• I like the design of the analogue cluster and its housing, which is heavily inspired from the Gypsy.

Driving position

• New drivers will appreciate the high seating position and commanding view out the windscreen.

• While average sized people won’t have an issue, height-adjustable seats and telescopic steering wheel would’ve made it easier for tall people to find their preferred driving position.

• The seats have soft cushioning and side bolsters. But additional underthigh support and firmer side supports would’ve made it more comfortable for long journeys.

Passenger comfort

• There’s only enough space for two passengers in the backseat of the Jimny.

• Space in all parameters is enough for people of an average height and built. Only the underthigh support is less, which will be an issue on long distance roadtrips.

• The backrest even gets 2 recline steps for additional comfort. 

• I like the fact that the front seat can be reclined fully after removing the headrests to open up a lounge-like seat.

Storage spaces

• The Maruti Jimny isn’t the best when it comes to in-cabin storage spaces.

• There are no bottle holders in the rather thin door pockets of the Jimny. You only get 2 cup holders in the middle, which are shared with the rear passengers.

• You get a small space in front of the gearbox (smaller in the manual), a decent sized glovebox and pockets behind the front seats.

• There’s two 12V sockets - one at the front and one in the boot. Front passengers can also use the USB port for charging purposes.

Features

• For a focussed off-roader, the Maruti Jimny packs a respectable amount of features, and doesn’t necessarily miss out on any must-have equipment.

• The 9-inch infotainment is shared with other Maruti models. It has a crisp resolution with easy-to-understand graphics, quick response times and lag-free operation.

• Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are easy to connect and use.

• The driver only gets a small black and white MID display, which relays basic information like trip details and fuel efficiency. 

• The four speaker sound system is average at best.

• Other features in the 2025 Jimny include auto headlights, auto AC, manual IRVM, keyless entry with push button start/stop and cruise control.

• Six airbags, ABS with EBD, hill hold control, rear view camera with sensors, ISOFIX mounts and 3-point seat belts with reminders are all standard features.

• While there is no 360-degree camera in the Jimny, even the execution of the rear-view camera could’ve been better in terms of both the quality and angle.

• The 5-door Jimny hasn’t been crash tested, but the 3-door Jimny had scored 3.5 stars under the Euro NCAP crash test.

• The 208-litres of boot space in the Jimny is enough for one large suitcase or 2-3 small bags.

• 50:50 split folding rear seats help liberate more space, but they don’t fold flush with the boot floor.

• I find opening the tailgate of the Jimny to be a time consuming process due to the hydraulic struts, which prevent you from opening the boot gate quickly.

• The Jimny gets the option of a sole 1.5-litre, four cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine.

• Transmission options include a 5-speed MT or a 4-speed torque converter automatic.

• There is no CNG option with the Maruti Jimny.

Jimny Petrol

• Driving the Jimny feels really easy as you sit high with a good overall view and the car isn’t as wide as you think it might be, so finding gaps in traffic becomes super easy.

• The Jimny isn’t a powerful off-roader, but it is super light. As a result, it has enough usable performance for all city commutes and relaxed highway stints.

• It keeps up pace with slow moving traffic without any sudden jerks, and it picks up speed in a smooth and linear manner.

• City overtakes won’t stress you out, but highway overtakes will need planning, especially if you have a full load in the vehicle.

• The Jimny’s manual isn’t as easy to use as other Maruti vehicles with a slightly heavy clutch and rough gearshifts.

• In comparison to the manual, the automatic is super smooth and even shifts down a gear without any real delays.

• The Jimny gets a proper four-wheel drivetrain, with an on-the-fly 4x4 shift and a low-range gearbox.

• The Jimny is more capable than you might think, and if you want to tackle some adventurous terrains, all you need to do is put it in 4x4 mode with the gearbox on low range and the car will do everything for you.

• In terms of fuel efficiency, you can expect around 12kmpl in the city and a slightly higher figure of around 14-16kmpl on the highway.

• Despite being a proper off-roader and having a ladder-frame chassis, the Jimny is a rather comfortable car.

• It’s not as plush as a regular car like the Fronx or Grand Vitara, but it still soaks up bumps and road imperfections really well.

• You do experience slight side-to-side movement on broken roads, but that’s acceptable for such a tall and off-road focused vehicle.

• There are no complaints from the Jimny’s high speed highway manners too.

• The best part is, you don’t have to slow down for rough roads or bumps or speedbreakers, and you can easily carry faster speeds than you would in a normal vehicle.

• Maruti offers the Jimny in only two variants: Zeta and Alpha.

• Both variants of the Jimny get the option of an automatic transmission.

Jimny Zeta

• Base variant misses out on LED headlamps, body coloured door handles and alloys. 

• Covers basics like power windows, manual AC, electrically adjustable outside mirrors, steering mounted controls, and adjustable headrests (front and rear).

• Gets a 7-inch infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay paired with a 4-speaker sound system.

• Packs all the safety features that the Jimny has to offer, including 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, hill hold assist, rear view camera and ISOFIX mounts.

Jimny Alpha

• Adds LED headlamps, body coloured door handles and alloys to the exterior along with dual tone paint options.

• Top feature additions include auto headlights, cruise control, push button start/stop, and auto AC.

• Better entertainment package with a 9-inch information system with an Arkamys-tuned sound system.

CarDekho Recommends:

• While the Zeta is a good base variant, the price difference between the Zeta and Alpha is acceptable for the additional features that the latter offers. So our recommendation is the Jimny’s top variant only.

The Maruti Jimny is a great off-roader, capable of clearing the toughest of challenges. But what makes it an even greater package is how well the car has been tuned for the city. Seating people in the back doesn’t require acrobatic stunts, and it has enough space for four people to sit in relative comfort. The ride quality is one of the best when it comes to off-roaders, and it gets all the right equipment in terms of features and standard safety kit – all of which make it more than just a lifestyle vehicle. And with the recent price cuts, the Jimny’s deal is sweeter than it has ever been.

Other cars to consider instead of the Maruti Jimny

Mahindra Thar 3-door

Reasons to consider

• More butch looks

• Option of a diesel engine

• More powerful petrol engine

• Option of a rear-wheel drivetrain

Reasons to ignore

• Not as comfortable

• Top variants are significantly more expensive