The Nihon Automotive Technology School (NATS) has entrusted its students with building a one-off Suzuki Jimny SUV with five doors, because the automaker will not.
The team had to saw the body and the frame apart to fit a 40cm (15.5-inch) midsection in. Special inserts were welded in right behind the b-pillars and rear side doors were installed there. The resulting vehicle is 3,950 mm (154.3 inches) long.
While they were at it, the students replaced the shock absorbers, the springs and the suspension arms to increase suspension travel and improve off-road performance. Further additions included a front stainless-steel bumper, fender flares, beadlock wheels and mud tires. Drivetrain details have not been revealed.
NATS hopes to be able to finish the project next month and showcase it at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2022.
In the meantime, Suzuki is working on a mass-market five-door Jimny model, which is already running its pre-production road tests and should debut in 2022. It will go on sale in Japan and India alongside the fourth-generation, three-door Jimny that has been around for three years now.