Wrangler

Make
Jeep
Segment
SUV

When it comes to forbidden fruit in the automotive space, there are numerous products that America misses out on. The Toyota GR Yaris springs to mind immediately, but there are less sporty cars we wish we could sample for ourselves too. Among them is the Suzuki Jimny, a cute little off-roader that takes obvious styling inspiration from the Jeep Wrangler.

This three-door crossover is set to morph into a more practical five-door machine, and our spy photographers have been out and about capturing development mules undergoing testing alongside a regular Jimny. Now we know it's cruel to show you a car we don't have access to, but with a bigger Jimny on the way, perhaps it's time for Suzuki to return to the US.

According to our sources, this new variant is undergoing final testing before a reveal sometime this year or, at the latest, early 2023. The five-door Jimny was originally slated to hit the market earlier this year, but the three-door Jimny was in such high demand that Suzuki could not take a break from production. Couple that with supply chain issues, and it makes sense to delay this new variant, which we are told could be called the Jimny Long.

The regular Jimny measures 137 inches in length with a wheelbase of 88.58 inches. This longer variant is predicted to measure 151.57 inches in length with its wheelbase at 100.39 inches. Height and width are unlikely to change, so this will still look compact and diminutive.

The real news is what's new under the hood, though, as our photographers were told that the naturally aspirated 1.5-liter four-pot with its 101 horsepower has been kicked out in favor of a turbocharged motor with a mild-hybrid system. We suspect that this decision was made to improve fuel economy, compensate for the added weight of the longer body, and as a way of beginning a foray into electrified products for the mainstream market. As for performance figures, we'll have to wait and see, but don't get too excited - despite our strong desire to see it make a comeback, we doubt Suzuki is ready to return to America.