The fourth generation of the Suzuki Jimny has been around since 2018 and is ready to receive a facelift next year, but the previous third-gen model was still available in Brazil alongside its successor as a cheaper alternative. Now, the Brazilian production of the model has finally stopped, which marks the end of the road for the old Jimny.
The third generation of the Suzuki Jimny was originally introduced in 1997. In most parts of the world, the ladder-frame off-roader remained in production until 2018 thanks to minor facelifts and updates. In Brazil, however, Suzuki kept assembling the aging model – first in the Anápolis plant and then in the Catalao plant – until this year.
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The reason for the end of local production is the new regulations which would require costly upgrades on the ancient 1.3-liter engine and the addition of modern electronic systems. Such an investment wouldn’t make sense for a low-volume vehicle based on a 25-year-old design, so Suzuki decided to drop the old Jimny from its Brazilian lineup. This leaves the new Jimny Sierra as the only member of the local range, until new imported models arrive in 2023.
Those who are interested in acquiring a brand-new example of the old Jimny must act quickly if they want to secure one of the last remaining units currently sitting in Brazilian dealerships. According to the official website, pricing for the outgoing model starts from R$111,990 ($21,908) for the entry-level Jimny 4Work, and goes up to R$137,990 ($26,995) for the top-of-the-range Jimny Forest which comes fitted with plenty of off-road goodies including a cool-looking bodykit. Interestingly, the flagship variant of the old Jimny is still significantly cheaper than the newer Suzuki Jimny Sierra which starts from R$156,990 ($30,712) in Brazil.
H/T to Motor1 Brazil