Will there be an electric Suzuki Jimny? A hybrid car version of the the popular off-roader might be a more logical step

The Suzuki Jimny is tiny, cute and remarkably capable off-road. And we can't be the only ones who think a fully electric Jimny would be great, too, especially for urban adventurers?

The Jimny has been a massive success for Suzuki Australia since the new-generation model arrived in 2019. The response has been so overwhelming that the company sells every single one that it brings into the country and even then people are still lining up for the little off-roader.

That's despite it being so small and only having three doors and hardly a boot to speak of. That lack of space was addressed in late 2023 with the arrival of the four-door Jimny and at its launch CarsGuide asked Suzuki Australian boss Michael Pachota if we could expect an EV version soon?

"If I was to be a realist in regards to the platform - the ladder frame and the way the vehicle has been built - I would rule out an EV introduction to the vehicles as it currently stands," Pachota said.

"That's based on the fact that most EV car batteries are in the floor of the car and they can take up a lot of room in terms of that design."

It makes sense - the ladder-frame chassis is one of the traditional and essential ingredients of off-road vehicles, providing rigidity, strength and also flexibility. But that's a weakness for an electric car.

The Jimny has been a massive success for Suzuki Australia since the new-generation model arrived in 2019.

Nearly all electric vehicles have a monocoque-style chassis design with the batteries occupying the length of the wheelbase. A ladder-frame chassis uses crossmembers that take up valuable space where a battery could be housed.

"I would suggest that if it was going to be an EV vehicle in the future then it would have to be completely redesigned in terms of the base of the car. But in saying I'm not ruling it out - because I don't know."

Pachota did offer a ray of light though, suggesting that the Jimny might get a hybrid system.

It makes sense - the ladder-frame chassis is one of the traditional and essential ingredients of off-road vehicles, providing rigidity, strength and also flexibility. But that's a weakness for an electric car.

"With that said from a hybrid perspective, we are moving along in that direction aggressively as of next year from our total model range, so I think there's an opportunity for the future, but nothing has been confirmed to us."

If that comes to pass, it will be one of few genuine off-roaders available with a hybrid powertrain. The other one being the GWM Tank 300.