Suzuki Doesn't Want To Share The Jimny With Toyota
Speaking with Autocar India, a source said that Suzuki isn’t allowing Toyota to rebadge the Jimny and bring it to more markets. That’s not great news for fans of the tiny but rugged SUV in the US and Canada. “It’s like asking Toyota to let us badge engineer the Land Cruiser. Models that are at the heart of our brand are not meant for sharing and both companies respect that,” said the source.
There are plenty of other instances of badge engineering between the two brands in other countries. For example, the RAV4, arguably a huge part of Toyota’s image today, is sold as the Suzuki Across. It's certainly the most notable example, but there are others as well. Toyota wants to work on its own versions of more than just the Jimny too. Allegedly, Suzuki doesn’t want to share the Swift either. Suzuki may yet change its tune, as Jimny sales have tapered off after lots of initial interest both in its home markets and abroad.
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Chase is an automotive journalist with years of experience in the industry. He writes for outlets like Edmunds and AutoGuide, among many others. When not writing, Chase is in front of the camera over at The Overrun, his YouTube channel run alongside his friend and co-host Jobe Teehan. If he's not writing reviews of the latest in cars or producing industry coverage, Chase is at home in the driver's seat of his own (usually German) sports cars.
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