In February, the three-door Jimny – along with its Ignis, S-Cross, Vitara and Swift Sport – stopped being produced for Australia, as none of the models complied with Australian Design Rule 98/00, outlining specific performance requirements for autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems.
Though the three-door Jimny is equipped with AEB, its system didn’t meet the requirements of the new regulation. That’s despite its larger five-door Jimny XL sibling being compliant, owing to its more advanced dual-camera system, rather than the smaller model’s single camera.
According to Japanese publication Creative Trend, that disparity is soon set to end, with the three-door Jimny reportedly set to get upgrades from August, which includes the dual-camera system.
The outlet claims the arrival of the dual-camera system – for both automatic and manual variants – will come alongside auto-only upgrades, such as the addition of adaptive cruise control and reverse brake support.
At present, the only equipment differences between the Jimny and Jimny XL in Australia are the larger SUV gaining rear parking sensors and adaptive cruise control, though the smaller model gets high-beam assist.
It’s worth noting the three-door Jimny is produced for a majority of markets (including Australia) in Japan, while the Jimny XL is exclusively produced in India, explaining the difference in equipment across the two almost identical models.
While Suzuki Australia was able to stockpile the pre-upgrade three-door Jimny ahead of production coming to an indefinite end, Creative Trend reports the additional safety equipment will result in a price rise for the SUV, at least in Japan.
For context, in Australia the Jimny starts from $30,490 in Lite guise and $31,990 for the eponymous model, with both prices excluding on-road costs. The Jimny XL is priced from $34,990, with part of its higher price attributed to its larger size, as well as the added safety equipment. An automatic transmission adds $2500 to the purchase price.
Despite the Jimny long being a favourite of the off-road community, it faces increasing competition, with the Renault Duster expected to become its next major contender.
A turbocharged, all-wheel drive version of the Duster starts from $36,490 plus on-roads, $2500 more than the Jimny XL but with a more potent engine – producing 96kW and 230Nm, compared to the Suzuki’s 75kW/130Nm outputs – as well as a six-speed manual, rather than a five-speed.
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