Ever since the five-door Suzuki Jimny made its world premiere in January 2023, we’ve all been asking the same thing: “When will it be launched in the Philippines?”
As much as we wish we had the answer for that, it’s still unknown if it will make it to the country. So far, the only markets that have it are India and South Africa, with Australia following suit before the end of the year.
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But now, there is a glimmer of hope for the Southeast Asian market. That’s because it was allegedly spotted in Indonesia, one of the biggest markets in the region. It could be said that Indonesia is also a good indicator of what could land in the Philippines.
Photos of the five-door Jimny in Southeast Asia can be seen on the instagram page @jimny.ind. While it doesn’t show much details, one can clearly see that it has an extra pair of doors. That said, we’d like to see more confirmation if the mini-SUV was, indeed, photographed in Indonesia.
If was was shot in Indonesia, does this mean it’s finally coming to the Philippines? Well, not quite. If you’ve noticed, the markets that have (or will soon) have the five-door Jimny are right-hand drive. So, far there have been no reports of a left-hand drive country getting this model.
It’s also worth pointing out that the extended Jimny is made in India. That means the fate of the left-hand drive five-door model lies in that facility’s production capacity and allocation. Remember, just because they can, it doesn’t mean they will. It could be said it will all depend on projected sales to see if it’s worth building.
Still, we’re keeping our fingers crossed. Given how much of a smash hit the Suzuki Jimny has been in the country, we’re pretty sure that the five-door will have its fair share of new customers here.
