The plug on Maruti Gypsy¡¯s production lines was pulled recently, as the company decided to discontinue selling the two-door off-roader in India. After traversing the Indian terrain successfully for 33 years, Maruti had announced back in March that it would take no more orders for the vehicle. This, however, was not the end of Gypsy.
New reports indicate that the preferred vehicle for many adventure seekers in India is now bound to make a comeback in the country. This time though, it will not be available for the general public to buy. Instead, the car will be exclusively made for the Indian Army.
Indian Army has been an avid user of the Gypsy since long but over time, it had started opting for the Tata Safari Storme instead, impacting the strongest source of sale of the off-roader vehicle. With this, Maruti had decided to stop selling the Gypsy altogether, since the car did not meet the updated emission norms and crash test standards and hence was unfit for sale to the general public.
(Representative Image: Reuters)
Also read: Industry Body SIAM To Ask Govt. To Reduce GST On Cars After Disappointing Sales In Past 6 Months
A new report by New Indian Express now hints at the comeback of the Gypsy, once again, thanks to the Indian Army. It says that the Indian Army wants the Gypsy back and has placed an order for 3,051 new gypsy units.
There are, however, no indication of any updates on the new models. As per the report, these models might not even be BS-VI compliant, the emission standards set to be in effect from April 1, 2020. The one modification that has been mentioned is a 4x4 drive system to match the requirements put across by the Indian Army. As for the other specifications, the Maruti Gypsy will come with a 1.3 liter BS4 petrol engine delivering 80 hp and 103 Nm torque. The car will come with a 5 speed manual transmission and a claimed mileage of 11 kmpl.
Indian Army has several reasons for opting for the Maruti Gypsy. The car has been specifically made for rough terrains, keeping in mind agility and ease of access that works in the favour of soldiers of Indian Army. So with the Indian Army backing the vehicle for its use, the once-thought-dead Gypsy shall come back to life yet again.