The Suzuki Jimny three-door 4WD has encountered a regulatory hurdle in Australia, forcing a temporary halt to its sales. The popular off-roader has fallen short of compliance with new Australian Design Rule (ADR) 98/00 regulations, which mandate specific crash-avoidance safety technology, particularly autonomous emergency braking (AEB). While the three-door Jimny is equipped with AEB, its current system does not meet the precise operational parameters outlined in the updated rules, which came into effect for all newly registered vehicles of its type from March 1, 2025.
Suzuki Australia has acknowledged the issue and stated that they are actively working to rectify the situation. The company has assured customers that they currently possess sufficient stock to continue selling the three-door Jimny for the time being. However, they have yet to provide a definitive timeline for the three-door model's full return to the market. The five-door Jimny XL variant is unaffected by this issue, as it is understood to be equipped with a more advanced AEB system that already complies with the updated regulations. The Jimny XL was also launched after March 1, 2023, meaning it was already subject to the new standards for newly introduced vehicles.
Michael Pachota, the head of Suzuki Australia, issued a written statement confirming the situation. He stated that the company has sufficient inventory to continue sales in 2025. He clarified that the Jimny XL is not affected by the regulation changes, while the three-door Jimny currently does not meet the newly introduced ADR requirements. He also indicated that investigations into resolving this issue are underway and the company’s position on the three-door Jimny remains to be confirmed. He added that sales will continue in 2025 and that further information will be released when available.
The three-door Jimny is manufactured in Japan, while the five-door XL is produced in India. Suzuki Australia hopes to upgrade the three-door model with the necessary AEB technology later this year. The updated ADR 98/00 regulations have impacted several other models in the Australian market, including three Mitsubishi vehicles (the ASX, Pajero Sport, and Eclipse Cross) and the Mazda 6 sedan and wagon. Suzuki's own Ignis city hatch, which lacks AEB altogether, is also facing discontinuation, along with the current S-Cross, Vitara, and Swift Sport, all of which offer AEB but do not meet the updated requirements.
Suzuki is planning to release updated versions of the Vitara and S-Cross later this year, equipped with AEB technology compliant with the new regulations. However, the future of the Swift Sport, based on the latest Swift model, remains uncertain. The discontinuation of the three-door Jimny would create a significant gap in Suzuki's sales figures in Australia. Last year, nearly 10,000 Jimny units were sold, encompassing both three- and five-door variants. These sales represented almost half of Suzuki's total new-vehicle deliveries of 21,278 units, highlighting the Jimny's importance to the brand's Australian presence.