Maruti Suzuki starts export of off-roader Jimny

New Delhi: The country's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India, on Wednesday said it has commenced export of its compact off-roader Jimny from India, as its parent Suzuki Motor Corporation looks to make the country a global production hub for the model.

The first shipment of 184 units left from Mundra port to Latin American countries such as Columbia and Peru, Maruti Suzuki India said in a statement. The three-door Suzuki Jimny will be exported to the Middle East and African markets as well from India, it added.

"With India as a production base for Jimny, Suzuki aims to leverage Maruti Suzuki's global production stature. As there is a large customer demand worldwide well beyond Suzuki Japan capacity for this model, Indian manufacturing will supplement capacity to meet this global demand," the company said.

Commenting on the development, Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director & CEO Kenichi Ayukawa said, "Jimny manufactured at Maruti Suzuki's Gurugram plant shares the same specification as the export models produced at the Suzuki Motor Corporation's Kosai plant in Japan. We are confident with Jimny we will be able to enhance our overall exports."

Jimny has been in the global market for over 50 years. The current generation of the vehicle was launched in 2018 by SMC in Japan and has emerged as a popular choice globally. It was showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo at Greater Noida.

The vehicle is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine and comes with 5-speed manual transmission and 4-speed automatic transmission options.