Experience living with the Maruti Suzuki Jimny? Over the first 6,000 miles, we describe our Jimny life.The Maruti Suzuki Jimny has been a much-anticipated addition to the compact SUV market, garnering attention for its rugged charm and off-road capabilities. In this review, we'll dive into the ownership experience, highlighting its performance, comfort, practicality, and overall value for money.
Highlights
- Review of Maruti Suzuki Jimny 6,000 km
- The Jimny has been used for commuting, off-roading, and lengthy journeys.
- Maruti Suzuki Jimny: purchase it
The Jimny is well-known for its off-road capabilities, but we share our daily experience with it. Since buying the Maruti Suzuki Jimny Alpha MT (manual gearbox) in January 2025, I've driven it about 6,000 kilometers. The Jimny has been used for metropolitan commuting, long-distance mountain expeditions, and a cross-country journey from Delhi to North-East India. In my inaugural ownership review, I'll discuss the Jimny's fuel consumption, performance, pros, disadvantages, and who should buy one.
Performance
Start with the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine's performance. Many have criticized the Jimny's underpowered and “under-whelming” highway performance. Part of that is true, part is reference. The four-speed automatic transmission is slow, thus Jimny overtakes must be planned even with the 5-speed manual. When overtaking two or three slow-moving trucks on single-lane highways, the Jimny needs space to perform the maneuver.
The Jimny is slower than my Duster 1.3 turbo-petrol. Comparing Jimny performance to current tubo-petrol engines is unfair! For those in a rush to get somewhere and pass slower vehicles, the Jimny will impress. If that's your thing, the Jimny won't work. Its tractable engine and go-anywhere capacity will, if you drive that way.
It's not a weak performer. The Jimny can cruise at 100 kmph all day, even on expressways with 120 kmph speed limits. The gear ratios are well-spaced for short shifting, so you won't downshift much on the highway or in the city. Third gear is easy in most urban circumstances, and fifth gear pulls well from 45-50 kmph.
Only in the highlands and on single-lane highways will you need greater performance. It's not quick, but the 5-speed manual transmission helps on the hills. However, it's a body-on-frame construction and not suited for sporty driving. If you accept its performance restrictions, you'll be delighted. If you want punchier performance, find elsewhere. The Jimny excels at 90 km/h, with some room for overtakes. That speed is also when the Jimny is most fuel-efficient.
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The clutch/gear/throttle combo usually suffices on steep ascents and descents. Hill hold control, which prevents the automobile from rolling backward when beginning uphill or descending steeply, was rarely used. Anyone who has driven the Gypsy will find the Jimny's driving experience identical, more refined, somewhat more powerful, but with the same gearbox whining!
Fuel Economy
The Jimny has been driven on highways, off-road, and in the city in its first few months. Fuel efficiency is 11-12 kmpl in the city with the Jimny manual, but bumper-to-bumper use drops it to 10 kmpl. Manual gearbox Jimnys in mild traffic get 11-12 kmpl city fuel economy. Fuel efficiency on the MT Jimny is unlikely to reach single digits unless you drive hard and accelerate through the gears.
Despite extended trips on expressways with triple-digit speed restrictions, the Jimny consistently returned 14.5–16 kmpl fuel economy. Even with gradient and hill roads, it achieved an all-time high fuel economy of 17.3 kmpl on one outstation journey with a 90-kmph speed limit. Once in the highlands, fuel economy decreased to 8-9 kmpl on broken roads and dirt with two-wheel drive.
Ergonomics, cabin space
Despite its modest size, the front row of the interior has enough of headroom, legroom, and shoulder room for driver and passenger. The Jimny has decent shoulder space for drivers and passengers, making it feel larger. Even for multi-day cross-country travels, driver and front passenger cabin comfort is good. The Jimny's big front windshield provides great visibility and room.
Ride Quality & Comfort
Ride quality is decent on most roads. The Jimny is comfy and won't bounce despite being a body-on-frame construction. It can travel hundreds of kilometers between states. If highway dynamics are important, the Jimny is more pleasant and stable than the Thar, which is bouncy. Even at triple-digit speeds, the Jimny seems stable.
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