Text and photos by Kap Maceda Aguila
WITH the tantalizing unveiling of multiple units of a much-awaited mini 4×4 SUV badge, one could say that Suzuki Philippines (SPH) arguably annexed the 7th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) crown of popularity. Its scheduled opening program at the PIMS last week was an unmitigated hit — packed with people who attended the revelation that eventually climaxed with a rousing musical number of a popular rock star.
This SUV is the fourth-generation Jimny, a model born in 1970. According to Suzuki, 2.85 million units of the Jimny (and its various names) have been sold in 194 countries and regions as of March this year. Production of the latest iteration commenced in Japan last May, and after official images made it online last June, a lot of Filipino car aficionados and fans of the marque/nameplate had clamored for the model’s release here.
Suzuki Philippines (SPH) saw an opportunity in the PIMS to further whet (and perhaps, test) the local market’s appetite. Concurred SPH vice president and general manager for automobile Shuzo Hoshikura to BusinessWorld; “We were able to show our new Jimny last July 2018 in Japan, [and] once our mother company started [revealing] it to our media friends abroad, many people started asking about our Jimny in the Philippines. [Showing] the Jimny in this motor show was not part of our original plan, but we decided on it anyway because the PIMS is a big opportunity for us to bring several units into the Philippines.”
RETRO STYLING
The all-new Jimny is marked by fun, retro styling meant to match its adventurous capabilities. Its fascia features the return of familiar round headlamps — now equipped with washers as standard for its LED beams. The angled bumpers provide more wheel clearance in aid of climbing ability, while a drip rail prevents water from dripping off the sides of the roof and into the driver’s and passenger’s windows. Inside, the Jimny boasts significant updates as well.
As a proper 4×4 vehicle, the Jimny has a “robust ladder frame, three ample body angles, three-link rigid axle suspensions with coil springs and 4WD with a low-range transfer gear.” Approach, break-over, and departure angles are 37, 28, and 49 degrees, respectively, while ground clearance is 210 millimeters. Motivation is provided by a 1.5-liter engine delivering 100hp and 130Nm to move the 1,435-kilogram (gross weight) vehicle.
SPH has announced a tentative pricing of P1.1 million, but it is still unclear if the tag refers to the five-speed manual transmission variant or the four-speed automatic. The Jimny will be made available in the first half of 2019.
BEARISH
As for unit reservations, Mr. Hoshikura confirmed that Suzuki’s 71 dealerships and authorized outlets are accepting queuing customers. “We want to ask our customer to visit our showrooms to see the actual Jimny. Our dealer can accept reservations. Of course, we will be able to consolidate all information nationwide about these reservations, meaning we are able to know how many customers want to get the Jimny. By using this information, we will talk with our manufacturer that we have customers,” said the executive.
He observed that the local market “is not so aggressive… because of TRAIN [Tax Reform and Inclusion excise tax changes] and the fuel price hike,” and is conservative about sales expectations for next year. However, there is a bright spot in the generally bearish market. “[SPH] performance has been opposite; [the] industry is down but we are still growing, meaning our market in the Philippines may start thinking that, even with a small car, we can go anywhere.”
On the back of Suzuki’s small cars such as the Dzire and Swift, Mr. Hoshikura is counting on leveraging the impact of high fuel prices. “We hope our autos have a chance at improved sales in the Philippines even next year.”
By the way, the rock star mentioned at the outset is Bamboo, who sang, among other songs, his hit “Hallelujah,” — exactly what Jimny fans must have exclaimed at the reveal of the new 4×4.
