SPY PICS: Suzuki iM-4 spotted

It's not scheduled to be released until 2018, but the Suzuki iM-4 is already out testing – albeit heavily disguised.

The higher-riding light hatch – or severely truncated SUV, you choose, since it's shorter than the Swift – is not scheduled to be released until 2018.

Revealed in concept-guise at this year's Geneva Motor Show, the iM-4 in series-production  form isn't expected to differ much from the show car's styling, and that's echoed in these spy photos.

The iM-4 is expected to arrive in Europe sometime in 2018, with a starting price of approximately 15,000 Euros, which equates to just under $24,000 AUD. We're anticipating the iM-4 will come in well below that mark, given the starting price for the significantly larger, well-equipped Vitara RT-S is $21,990.

Suzuki's dinky crossover will join the new Celerio city car at the bottom of the carmaker's range, being pitched as an A-segment crossover with its only real competition overseas coming from Fiat's Panda, which was recently withdrawn from Fiat's local line-up.

Despite speculation, the iM-4 will not be the replacement for the ageing Jimny, which has been on sale since 1998. The current Jimny will soldier on until at least 2018, before being replaced by a new car sporting a new look but keeping the core values of the current car, a no-nonsense, mud-plugging combination of ladder chassis and four-wheel-drive.

Powering the mini-crossover will be Suzuki's efficient 1.2-litre Dualjet petrol engine that was recently revealed in the larger Swift, as well as a brand new 1.0-litre turbocharged 'Boosterjet' petrol engine, with the added possibility of hybrid power.

Suzuki Australia is yet to advise whether both engines will be offered locally, but the importer is very keen to get its mitts on the production iM-4.