Suzuki has announced the long 5-door Jimny Nomade in Japan (sales will start on April 3). The price including tax is 2,651,000 yen for the 5-speed MT and 2,750,000 yen for the 4-speed AT. The monthly sales target in Japan is 1,200 units.
While the Jimny and Sierra were developed for professional use, the third model in the series, Nomade is targeted at users who need the performance of the Jimny in their daily lives.
The wheelbase is 340 mm longer than that of the 3dr Sierra currently on sale, and the extra 340 mm was used to increase rear seat comfort and luggage space. Specifically, the rear seat hip point has been moved 50 mm to the rear to increase leg space (while at the same time raising the leg space upward by 20 mm), and the luggage depth for four occupants is 590 mm, 350 mm greater than the Sierra, with a marked capacity of 211 liters.
The exterior features a graymetal grille exclusive to the Nomade, and is available in two-tone red and black colors.
To enhance the comfort of the rear seats, the cushions and seatbacks are designed to be thicker than those of the Sierra. Therefore, unlike the Sierra, when the seats are folded forward, there is a 10cm gap between the seats and the luggage floor. To solve this problem, a box that raises the floor level is available as a dealer-installed option (29,700 yen).
The ladder-structured platform has been extended exclusively for the Nomade, and a center crossmember has been added to match. The powertrain is the same as that of the Sierra, with a 1.5L straight-4 (102ps/13.3kg-m) and part-time 4WD. It is also equipped with a brake LSD that brakes the spinning wheel when stuck and transfers driving force to the ground wheel, hill descent control, and hill start assist. The approach angle (36 degrees), departure angle (47 degrees), and minimum ground clearance (210 mm) are the same as those of the Sierra, but the ramp breakover angle is 25 degrees and the minimum turning radius is 5.7 meters.
The Jimny was created 55 years ago, and a total of 3.5 million units have been sold in 199 countries and regions. The Long 5dr, which made its debut this year, is produced in India and exported to 100 countries in Latin America, the Middle East, and other regions, with Japan being the 101st country to introduce the model.
At the press conference held in Tokyo, President Toshihiro Suzuki mentioned that today is the birthday of the late Osamu Suzuki and said, “(Osamu) is the creator of the Jimny. He believed in the Jimny as a car that is closely related to people’s lives.
In fact, President Suzuki revealed that he was opposed to introducing the Nomade while there was a back order for the Sierra. However, the introduction of the Nomade was realized after the two parties agreed that they could handle the switchover without inconveniencing the buyers. Yoshitake Tamakoshi, General Manager of the Japan Sales Division, explained, “We will carefully respond to purchasers who wish to switch to Nomade by switching their orders.
Regarding Indian products, Mr. Tamakoshi said, “We conduct quality checks in Japan (after landing). We have received almost no negative comments about FRONX.” Mr. Takamitsu Sasaki, the development manager, said, “During the trial production, our technical team from Japan, as well as production, inspection, and sales teams, went to India to check and ensure the quality of the product. When we shipped the product, we achieved the same quality as those produced in Japan,” commented each of them.
Incidentally, Nomade is a sub-name for the long 5dr set in the first generation Escudo, and many people must feel nostalgic about it. It was President Suzuki who proposed the re-use of the same name, which is given only to the domestic version, saying, “We used it to make people aware of (the existence of) the long 5dr in the Jimmy series”.
Until the model goes on sale in April, preliminary display events will be held at 47 locations nationwide, including shopping malls, so check the official website below for more details.
https://www.suzuki.co.jp/car/jimny_nomade_jimny_sierra/
