Rumours are circulating that a Wrangler-challenging five-door Suzuki Jimny is in the works.

Indian publication Autocar India recently published an article claiming that a five-door model is currently in development and will eventually be sold in India.

The report claimed the longer five-door model would employ the three-door’s ladder-frame chassis, 4WD system and 1.5-litre petrol engine.

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We previously touched on this very subject, when 4X4 Australia editor Matt Raudonikis explained how a LWB Jimny would spark interest from a new breed of Suzuki enthusiasts.

“Imagine a LWB Jimny with four doors to make it more applicable to family use,” he wrote. “A whole family of new Jimnys would reinvigorate the nameplate by appealing to a much wider buying audience.

“This would spark a new breed of Suzuki enthusiasts modifying them to suit their needs, in-turn fuelling the aftermarket industry to produce products for them. It would be a win-win situation for buyers, the industry and the manufacturer.”

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WhichCar spoke to Suzuki Australia last year at the launch of the three-door Jimny about the prospects of Australia getting a five-door version of the iconic nameplate, with Suzuki Australia general manager Michael Pachota saying it was clearly a desirable product.

“If the name starts with ‘Jimny’, we’ll sell it,” Pachota said. “A five-door would broaden the range of customers beyond just the thrill seekers, the adventure seekers and the young drivers who just want the cutest 4×4 on the block. It would really broaden our demographic.”

“The five-door would be great as an added bonus, but once you develop a long-wheelbase platform, you’ve got both ends covered – it’s just about the shell,” he said.

With the steep price of the new LWB JL Wrangler affecting sales in Australia (starting at $53,450 for the four-door Sport S), a five-door Jimny would be a considerably more affordable way into the 4×4 wagon segment.

The AutoCar India report claimed the manufacture of the three-door Jimny is slated to begin “around June 2020” at Maruti Suzuki’s Hansalpur plant, with production of the five-door version “to commence six months later”.