2022 Suzuki Jimny Lite confirmed, arriving in August

Suzuki will introduce the new, entry level Jimny Lite to Australia in August, in an attempt to keep up with overwhelming demand for the pint-sized off-roader.

Since the Jimny launched in 2019, it has proven extremely popular for outdoorsy types looking for an affordable but genuinely capable four-wheel-drive.

It has seen waiting periods balloon out to 6-8 months and has seen Suzuki raise prices by almost $5000 since launch, with the manual version of the single GLX variant now costing $28,490 plus on roads and the auto asking an extra $1500.

However, we’ve heard of far higher prices being asked — and paid — in order for buyers to get their hands on a vehicle without the wait.

The Jimny Lite will look to address this by offering, as its name suggests, a stripped down version for those happy to do without some modern conveniences.

It will be available with a manual transmission only, paired to the same 75kW/130Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.

It will ride on 15-inch steel wheels instead of 16-inch alloys, while the other notable exterior differences to the current Jimny are plastic textured side mirror covers and halogen projector headlights without standard fog lamps.

It will also go back a few years in regards to infotainment, with the Jimny Lite offering an in-dash radio/CD player — but Bluetooth connectivity will remain.

So too will air-conditioning, with manually operated climate controls.

Pricing won’t be revealed until August 1, however we’d guess it would be close the manual Jimny’s $23,999 launch price.

It’s also unknown how many Jimny Lites will come to Australia, what its waiting time will be or the effect it will have on the current Jimny’s wait times.

It will be built in Japan, however, despite India also producing Jimnys.

Suzuki Australia automotive general manager Michael Pachota said they had listened to customers.

“We're giving people what they want: more Jimnys,” he said.

“With demand continuously increasing for this model we are so pleased to be able to add another variant in the line-up and continue to grow our Jimny community with this incremental supply opportunity.”

Pachota also said it was important the delivery process remained as it currently is.

“We will maintain the fair allocation process based on customer orders with a queue system as we have done with the current Jimny in 2021, making sure the next order in the queue gets the next car to hit Australian soil, every time.”

A dedicated page on Suzuki’s website will launch with more information on the Jimny Lite on July 1.