The Suzuki Jimny could make a return to the UK in passenger-car form with five doors and an electrified powertrain.
The compact 4x4 was pulled from sales in Europe in 2020, due to the adverse effect it was having on Suzuki’s fleet-average CO2 emissions, although it remained on sale in other markets.
It was brought back a year later in limited-run, two-seat commercial form, due to the less stringent emission rules governing trade vehicles.
Now though, the Jimny has been spotted testing in Europe once again, with a substantially longer wheelbase, hinting at a new five-door bodyshell.
It was reportedly seen running with its engine off, suggesting some sort of hybrid powertrain is under the bonnet.
Suzuki no longer offers non-electrified engines in Europe, so a hybrid powertrain could be the Jimny’s ticket back to dealerships in the region.
It's expected that a Jimny hybrid would use a powertrain similar to that offered in the Suzuki Vitara. Options include a 127bhp 1.4-litre turbo petrol mild hybrid and a 113bhp 1.5-litre full hybrid.
Before it was taken off sale, the Jimny was powered by a 100bhp naturally aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which officially emitted 154g/km of CO2 while getting 35.8mpg.
Aside from being made more compliant with a cleaner powertrain, the Jimny could also be made more competitive in adopting a pair or rear doors.
The added practicality would strengthen its use case in light of larger rivals like the Dacia Duster and even more lifestyle-oriented crossovers, such as the Ford Fiesta Active and Toyota Yaris Cross.
It's expected to have a wheelbase 300mm longer than the standard 2550mm, while width and height are expected to be unchanged.
The passenger Jimny cost from £15,879 at launch in 2019 and the commercial variant currently costs £19,999 (after VAT), so any larger and electrified variant is expected to nudge past the £20,000 barrier.
