This is the new concept vehicle-not production.  Look like Suzuki will be making a 3-door and a 4-door version.  Looks considerably longer than the old Samurai as they are no longer trying to stay within the Kei car confines. 

I think they stopped making the current Jimny with an open top.  I wonder if this will have one.  Without an open top it's just another SUV.

Keith,
I agree.  That is why I like my Samurais so much-being able to take the top off, remove the doors, fold down the windshield.  The tintops, which I also own, do not have the same feel.  However, most of the car buying public now wants a lot of refinement and creature comforts.  Everything that the softop Samurai is not.

Here is an actual picture from the car show.  Doesn't look bad at all.  I guess the first picture was an "Artist's rendering" based on leaked styling elements. It is supposedly based on the Gypsy frame-LWB Samurai.  If that is the case, I wonder if it still has a straight front axle?  I'm sure it has a multilink in the back.

The latest information I read was that the XA Alpha is on the Swift chassis. It is a crossover that'll likely have a part-time AWD system (ala SX4?).

FYI, here's a link to an Indian automotive forum with a bunch of pics of the XA Alpha.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/auto-expo-2012/113692-maruti-xa-alpha-compact-suv-auto-expo-2012-a.html

Apparenlty this is NOT the replacement for the Jimny. I could, however, see it replace the Grand Vitara in the U.S. at some point. I think Suzuki could use a crossover here. I do hope Suzuki still offers some vehicle in the U.S. with a true low-range t-case and some off-road ability, though.

Now that I've seen the XA Alpha, it makes me wonder: If this isn't the next-gen Jimny, what will it be? (And PLEASE bring it to the U.S., Suzuki!)

- Andy

- Andy

Yep, just read that it is not the Jimny replacement.
http://www.bsmotoring.com/news/2012-auto-expo-maruti-xa-alpha-concept-unveiled/4404/1

Primarily front wheel drive and unibody construction.  Sounds like the new Vitara aka Sidekick.

I'm still thinking that the X-head () concept will be the new Jimny, the Jimny is 13 years old now so it due for replacement. I believe that the soft-top Jimny was only made in Spain at the now defunct Santana plant, it was withdrawn because it couldn't meet the latest Euro crash regulations.

Not sure about the Conv Jimny only being built at the Santana factory.  At least it wasn't being built there when I lived in Germany around 2000.  From what the German dealer told me, the Santana factory only built the Samurai and, from what I've read later, had lots of quality issues, so Suzuki pulled their support/product from that factory.  I'm sure there were some political and economic factors as well.

AFAIK, the convertable Jimny has died off due to lack of consumer demand.  People want more refinement, quieter rides (so they can talk on the phones/hands free systems, cool in the summer/hot in the winter (better than what a single ply top can provide).

As far as the X-Head, I don't think a cab over would pass most safety (crash) tests.  VW recently tried to bring back the microbus and they couldn't get it to pass safety tests, even with the front bulging out a bit, so they killed that project.  I still think an updated LWB Samurai with a larger 4-cylinder, coil suspension, safety items, would be a hit.  Think of a 3/4 size Land Rover Defender.

Ok, I just read this on wikipedia concerning the convertable models:
In 2009 Santana Motor of Spain stopped the agreement with Suzuki to make the Canvas Top version, which since then is no longer available. In 2011 Santana Motor went bankrupt. The Souza Ramos Group of Brasil, who used to make Mitsubishi cars under license, will start manufacturing the Suzuki Jimny in 2012 in Brasil to compensate the lost of production capacity from Santana Motor. It is not known yet if the Canvas Top version will be manufactured also in Brasil. Since 2009, in some countries like Spain, Suzuki no longer support the cars that were manufactured by Santana Motor, arguing that they are not Suzuki cars but Santana's cars (although they were sold by Suzuki and they only have the Suzuki brand on them). Therefore, the Canvas Top version of the Jimny is no longer supported by Suzuki and with the disappearance of Santana they are no longer supported by any company in Spain.

So it sounds like when the Samurai ended production at the end of 2001, the convertable Jimny tooling was brought over to the Santana factory.  It was the only factory producing that model.

I'm still thinking that the X-head () concept will be the new Jimny, the Jimny is 13 years old now so it due for replacement. I believe that the soft-top Jimny was only made in Spain at the now defunct Santana plant, it was withdrawn because it couldn't meet the latest Euro crash regulations.

Suzuki did mention a possible compact pickup truck based on the Jimny for the U.S. One of the people I knew that worked the Kizashi Kicks show said people loved the X-Head. I'd rock one.

This article was from July.
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/26/suzuki-considering-another-small-pickup-for-u-s/

- Andy

Not sure about the Conv Jimny only being built at the Santana factory.  At least it wasn't being built there when I lived in Germany around 2000.  From what the German dealer told me, the Santana factory only built the Samurai and, from what I've read later, had lots of quality issues, so Suzuki pulled their support/product from that factory.  I'm sure there were some political and economic factors as well.

Both my Jimny (2003) and my Vitara (2000) were built by Santana and the Jimny was certainly being built there in 2000, they were produced in Spain from 1998.
Incidently the first SJs produced by Santana had LandRover on the VIN plate - Santana were previously called Santana LandRover after a previous agreement to build LandRovers. The agreement fell through but they kept the name.

I was just going off what the German dealer told me back around 2000.  We had a conversation about where all the different Suzukis in the German market came from.  I believe he stated all the Suzuki cars came from Hungary, the Vitaras came from Canada, the Samurai came from Spain, and the Grand Vitara as well as the Jimny came from Japan.  When I spoke to him again in 2001 the dealer stated that the Samurai was discontinued due to quality issues that were perceived to originate from the Santana factory.

Are you sure your Vitara was built in Spain?  Maybe if it was the first generation model which they started tooling up there at some point, but I don't think the 2nd Generation.  In Germany all the 2nd generation Vitaras were coming from the Cami plant in Canada.  I even saw the Cami VIN/Production plate on the 2nd Gen ones myself. 

Are you sure your Vitara was built in Spain?  Maybe if it was the first generation model which they started tooling up there at some point, but I don't think the 2nd Generation.  In Germany all the 2nd generation Vitaras were coming from the Cami plant in Canada.  I even saw the Cami VIN/Production plate on the 2nd Gen ones myself. 

Yes its a first gen, they were sold in Europe as Suzukis through to 2001 with petrol engines and through to 2004 with diesel engines, they were withdrawn when the EOBD regs came in. They made the Vit from very early on, I think going back to the first models in 1989 - there were still import quotas in the EU back in those days. Even after 2004 they continued to make them but they were badged as Santanas.
I think the Swift and WagonR are made in Hungary.