The roadmap unveiled in 2023 was already under way: by 2030, Suzuki was due to introduce five electric models in Europe, including a brand-new Jimny. Those plans have now been put on ice.
Suzuki revealed its first-ever electric model earlier this week - the e Vitara - but, speaking to journalists at the event, the Japanese brand’s president, Toshihiro Suzuki, ruled out an electric Jimny and said the company is reassessing its electrification strategy.
Saying goodbye before saying hello
There had been genuine anticipation around a future all-electric Jimny. When Suzuki launched the icon in 2018, demand outstripped supply across markets, to the point that in places such as Portugal deliveries arrived only in tiny batches.
CO₂ reduction targets then squeezed availability even further - the four-seat Jimny would be replaced by a two-seat commercial version to work around the rules. Now that the targets are set to tighten again in 2025, Suzuki has chosen to withdraw the Jimny from several European markets, including Portugal.
The prospect of a 100% electric Jimny had offered fresh hope that the model could return, but Toshihiro Suzuki has now explained why Suzuki will not proceed with an all-electric Jimny: “an electric Jimny would ruin the best part of this model. I think the Jimny’s biggest strength is having the right weight”.
As well as being very compact, the Jimny weighs less than 1,100 kg (without a driver). A fully electric Jimny, with a battery pack on board, would end up several hundred kilograms heavier.
Jimny is not the only cancelled electric
Even if the weight argument is the specific reason cited by Suzuki’s president for dropping the electric Jimny, the reality is that it will not be the only one of the five electric models originally planned for Europe to be cancelled.
And here, the reasoning he gives points to wider pressures on the market:
“Right now, we’re in a very difficult situation. With EV sales falling and the arrival of more affordable Chinese EVs, it seems to us a very difficult time to introduce new electric models.”
Toshihiro Suzuki, Suzuki president, speaking to Autocar
Even so, he did not rule out more electric launches. The e Vitara will be joined by another 100% electric Suzuki, which will be smaller than the new crossover.
When will it arrive? That will depend. Toshihiro Suzuki says Suzuki will closely track how the e Vitara sells, along with broader market trends. Only then will a launch date be set for this new electric model.
Is this the definitive end of the Jimny in Europe?
The European Union plans to cut CO₂ emissions from new cars by 100% in 2035. That would mean the end of new combustion-engined cars - and, by extension, the end of the Jimny.
There is, however, an exception: the use of carbon-neutral fuels, such as synthetic fuels. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed support for an exemption for combustion-engined cars that run on synthetic fuels, or e-fuels.
If that goes ahead, there may still be hope for the small Suzuki Jimny. According to the brand’s president, “if we want to continue offering the Jimny in the market, we have to think about alternatives like e-fuel or biofuel, using internal combustion technology”.
Source: Autocar
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