Suzuki Jimny scalping ‘not a huge problem’

Aussies cannot get enough of the Suzuki Jimny, which now has a cult-like following around the world but especially Down Under.

But as tremendous demand for the baby off-roader keeps outstripping supply, leading to long waiting lists, price gouging continues to plague the popular pint-size SUV.

However, unlike Toyota, which says it will get tough on ‘short-sellers’ who push up prices of popular models with long wait lists by buying and then quickly on-selling them for a tidy profit, Suzuki Automobiles Australia chief Michael Pachota says most Jimny customers are not speculative investors but “keep their Jimnys for the pleasure of having a Jimny”.

“So to us that’s not a huge problem. People’s circumstances change, so it’s not necessarily someone going out there doing price gouging.”

The manufacturer’s list price for the three-door Suzuki Jimny Lite is $26,990 and the GLX costs $28,490 (both before on-road costs), but some enterprising owners are asking more than $50,000 for their blinged-out second-hand Jimnys.

We last reported on the relentless rise of used Suzuki Jimny prices back in February and currently there are almost 120 pre-loved Jimny vehicles advertised at carsales for more than $40,000.

But the local Suzuki boss says that’s simply a matter of supply and demand, and that transaction prices are dictated by what buyers are prepared to pay in any given market environment.

“If the market demands – especially with a waiting list of six to eight months or in some cases even longer – ‘I want a car today’, the price is going to be dictated by the market, so I wouldn't suggest people out there price gouging,” said Pachota.

But it’s not only individual scalpers who are driving up the price of near-new Suzuki Jimny vehicles; some wholesalers are also getting in on the act.

“I mean you do get your one or two wholesalers trying to have a crack but we're clamping down on those. So that doesn't happen as often as you would assume by looking at carsales,” said the Suzuki Australia chief.

The Suzuki Jimny set a new Australian sales record in August, with 672 registrations eclipsing all of its small SUV rivals except the Toyota Yaris Cross and Kia Stonic.

But as Jimny customers stare down the barrel of a 12-month wait for the box-shaped micro-4x4, Suzuki is considering its options to meet the mountainous demand.

“We only take Jimny from Japan at the moment, but I would not have any issue increasing stock if I had the opportunity to take it from India,” said Pachota.

“When I say I wouldn't have an issue, the quality of the build from India is fantastic and when it comes to Jimny it’s CKD [completely knocked down], so that means they manufacture the parts in Japan and assemble it in India.

“But with that said at the moment our three-door variant only comes from Japan,” he reiterated.

At present Suzuki Maruti only builds left-hand drive three-door Jimny vehicles in India for export markets, but new spy pics of a right-hand drive five-door Jimny testing in India appeared this week.

That means it’s possible that Suzuki will start building RHD versions of the facelifted Jimny that’s set to debut at the 2023 Auto Expo outside New Delhi in both three-door and, for the first time, five-door form.

“I’ve seen the spy shots like you have but from a confirmation perspective, from an internal side of things, I haven't got any confirmations at all on the Jimny five-door,” Pachota told carsales.

“But would there be [sales] movement? Anything starting with Jimny, whether it’s a five-door, eight-door or 10-door Jimny, it’s going to sell. We know that.”

The Suzuki Australia boss said Jimny supplies were improving and that he expects to maintain the current level of sales volume into 2023.

But as the popularity of the cute little SUV shows no sign of abating, expect to see the crazy used car prices continue.

“We probably do still need more supply; we’re still going to have a back-order problem in 2023,” said Pachota.

“We’re constantly chasing our tail. Every single car on the road is literally just another advertisement for us.

“And we're just getting more and more inquiry, which means more and more sales – sales going up at the same rate as we're delivering them.”

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