Maruti to double down on Jimny's off-road prowess
Financial Express Mumbai|March 05, 2024
THE TAGLINE OF a popular television commercial of Maruti Suzuki's Jimny says, "There are places in the world only the Jimny can go."
SWARAJ BAGGONKAR
Maruti to double down on Jimny's off-road prowess

But nine months after its launch in the country, the Jimny, touted as a global off-roading sensation, finds itself at a crossroads in the country. At just 370 units, the average wholesale volume per month in the last couple of months is, in fact, one-sixth the sales target of 2,0002,500 units.

Shashank Srivastava, senior executive officer, marketing and sales, Maruti Suzuki India, doesn't mince words. "India is not a market which is ready (for Jimny kind of vehicle) and so we have to work on developing it. We erroneously made the assumption that the market is ripe and waiting for such vehicles. This game will be a little longer to establish." 

So on the anvil is a plan to bring in a 4X4 off-roading culture, which is missing in India. The company plans to resume outdoor drive events where the Jimny will be driven in varied terrains to display its off-road prowess and build its brand as an all-weather rugged SUV. Such campaigns are unusual for a product that is less than 10 months old, but then Maruti Suzuki has very few options left.

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