Rumor: Suzuki to turn its Jimny mini-SUV into a truck to evade eco fines

The Suzuki Jimny may be highly popular in Europe, with customers in some countries waiting up to a year to get one, but its 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine doesn’t look good on the emission charts.

Now, a rumor emerged that claims that the Japanese company is planning to turn the Jimny into a pickup truck to avoid environmental fines. How does this make sense? Here is how.

Commercial transports in Europe are subject to much milder emission regulations than personal transports. Removing the rear seat row from the Jimny and reshaping its rear end to that of a small truck would likely enable Suzuki to pass it off as a commercial vehicle.

Other than that, reports say that Jimny is working on a turbocharged version of the Jimny SUV that would comply with the current regulations. If such a version is ready before next year, the carmaker may as well keep the SUV on the market without body style shenanigans.