150311 Suzuki Jimni 01
150311 Suzuki Jimni 02
150806 Suzuki Grand Vitara 01
150806 Suzuki Grand Vitara 02
150811 Suzuki Grand Vitara 06
Matt Robinson6 Dec 2016
NEWS

New Suzuki Grand Vitara and Jimny coming

Suzuki to refresh Grand Vitara and Jimny models in continued SUV offensive

Hot on the heels of the new Vitara and facelifted S-Cross, Suzuki’s striking new Ignis compact crossover heralds a new wave of SUVs from the company between now and 2020.

Next on Suzuki’s list for updating are the evergreen Jimny, which has been around since the late 1990s in its current form, and the Grand Vitara, Suzuki’s current SUV flagship.

Suzuki chiefs on the international Ignis launch in Europe were tight-lipped on specific future developments but were happy to admit that the Jimny will not sit on the same new generation platform as the Ignis and the Baleno.

150311 Suzuki Jimni 02

Nor will the new Jimny get the Ignis’ fairly simple Allgrip Auto all-wheel drive system, instead getting a more advanced Allgrip Pro set-up as befits the Jimny’s role as more of a tough, workhorse vehicle.

As for the new Grand Vitara, it will take its styling cues from the highly successful Vitara launched in 2015, possibly offering a seven-seat version at a more affordable price than the likes of the Nissan X-TRAIL.

150811 Suzuki Grand Vitara 06

Suzuki wouldn’t be drawn on the possibility of a more powerful version of the Ignis in the near future, although as it shares so much with the Baleno it’s impossible not to imagine an Ignis Sport utilising an uprated version of the excellent 1.0-litre three-cylinder BoosterJet turbo-petrol engine found in the Suzuki hatchback.

It might even be able to take the 1.4-litre BoosterJet found in the Vitara S-Turbo, which develops healthy numbers of 103kW/220Nm. In a car weighing significantly less than 900kg, that would make for rudely healthy performance for the Ignis, which arrives Down Under in January.

Share this article
Written byMatt Robinson
See all articles
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Download the carsales app
    AppStoreDownloadGooglePlayDownload
    App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
    © CAR Group Ltd 1999-2024
    In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.