The folks at AutomagzPro are back with another Suzuki Jimny design study with zero chances of actually happening. They also claim that a 1.5-liter hybrid is due by 2025, a scenario that's best described as highly probable. Having confirmed an electric Jimny for Europe, the Japanese automaker may hybridize the 1.5er to create a more affordable alternative to the heavily anticipated Jimny BEV.
Imagined with two and four doors, the butch-looking sport utility vehicle penned by AutomagzPro is – obviously enough – a Ford Bronco with some Jimny design cues grafted onto it. As if the Ranger underpinnings weren't ridiculous enough, the off-road vehicle boasts a gaping hood scoop that's completely pointless if the current 1.5-liter NA I4 engine gets upgraded with a mild-hybrid setup.
Speaking of which, K15B is how Suzuki refers to said engine. A mild-hybrid version already exists, with said version being 17 percent more fuel efficient than the non-assisted powerplant. Dubbed SHVS, the mild-hybrid specification develops up to 105 horsepower and 102 pound-feet (138 Nm) of twist.
However, it remains to be seen whether it actually makes financial sense to sell two extremely different Jimny models concomitantly in the same market. As mentioned earlier, the Japanese automaker is currently working on a battery-electric version of the Jimny, a vehicle that has been confirmed by Suzuki's growth strategy presentation from January 2023.
Five all-electric models will be launched in Europe by fiscal year 2030, with the first to debut in FY2024. Unfortunately for prospective customers, Suzuki hasn't shared when the zero-emission Jimny is due to hit dealer showrooms in the Old Continent.
Photo: Suzuki
The Jimny BEV shouldn't be considered a tremendous departure from the combustion-engined Jimny, for it will be styled in a similar fashion to its dino juice-drinking sibling. Regarding the necessity of a battery-electric take on the Jimny, the automaker didn't really have a choice due to emission regulations and the 2035 ban on the sale of new combustion-engined cars running on fossil fuels.
The 2035 ban does have a bright side, that being an exemption for combustion-engined automobiles running on e-fuels. We're still a long way until synthetic fuels become a viable alternative to gasoline and diesel, but fingers crossed they will. Otherwise, the likes of Porsche and Ferrari will have to bid farewell to their glorious-sounding engines.
Due to the limited footprint of the Jimny Sierra (a.k.a. the large Jimny for global markets, different from the kei version for Japan), the zero-emission model is expected to feature a small high-voltage battery. This, in turn, would result in a lackluster driving range, therefore hindering the Jimny BEV's appeal.
On the other hand, let's look at the glass half full. With battery technology advancing year after year, solid-state batteries could enter the mainstream by decade's end. More compact and lighter than current lithium-ion packs, solid-state batteries could be introduced as early as 2027–2028 thanks to Toyota.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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