For the longest time, the Suzuki Jimny has long been available only as a 3-door mini 4x4 SUV. Fortunately, Suzuki had the bright idea of putting extra doors on the tiny SUV and calling it the Jimny 5-Door.

It's been available in the Philippines since last year and despite its exuberant price, the Jimny 5-Door is quite popular among 4x4 enthusiasts and those who want a small but capable SUV as a daily, albeit more practical.

Over in Japan, the Jimny 5-Door was just recently launched and it quickly became a fan favorite. Why? In just 4 days, Suzuki received around 50,000 orders for the Jimny 5-Door (called the Jimny Nomade in Japan). Since the Jimny 5-Door comes from India and production output for the Japanese market is capped at 1,200 units per month, buyers will have to wait for about three and a half years before the vehicle arrives.

Customer demand is so huge for the mini SUV that Suzuki had to cancel all exhibition events involving the Jimny 5-Door. There was no exact reason given but it's more than likely that the demo units were turned into customer units for sale. The automaker has since released a statement regarding the suspension of orders.

“We apologize to customers considering the purchase of the Jimny Nomad due to the suspension of orders. Thank you very much for your interest in our products. The Jimny Nomad has been very well received, and we have received orders that far exceed our production capacity. As a result, we will be temporarily suspending orders. We will provide updates on when orders will reopen, considering the future production situation. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding,”

But why did the 5-Door version suddenly become more popular than the locally built 3-Door? Aside from the fact it gains two extra doors for easier ingress/egress for the rear passengers, it also has a longer wheelbase and more cargo space in the back. It also kept its short overhangs and only measures 3,890mm long which still makes it one of the most compact 4x4s yet.

With Japanese customers lining up to get a Jimny 5-Door of their own, we're wondering how Suzuki will solve the 3.5-year backlog.