Maruti Suzuki Gypsy To Retire From Indian Army: New 4X4s Will Soon Join The Fleet

Thanks to a combination of impeccable off-road ability and simple hardware, the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy soon replaced the ageing 4X4s in the Indian armed forces such as the Nissan Jongas and Mahindra MM540s.

Though Maruti Suzuki Gypsy was discontinued long back in the civilian market, the Indo-Japanese manufacturer continued the production of the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy to meet the requirements of the Indian armed forces.

Now, after a long service in the Indian Army, the time has come for the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy to retire and give way for more advanced 4X4s that meet newer requirements of the Indian Army.

As part of this process, all 35,000 units of Maruti Suzuki Gypsy in the Indian Army will be sold and replaced by a new 4X4. However, this will be done in a phased manner as the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has cleared the Indian Army's proposal to acquire Light Vehicles GS 4X4.

As per the latest requirements, the Indian Army has reportedly received clearance for the purchase of 4,964 new 4X4s.

Since this is a government requirement, a Request For Proposal (RFP) will be issued and following that, a trial will be conducted to assess 4X4s from different vendors.

According to the latest requirements, the DAC has raised the minimum kerb weight from 500kg to 800kg and the Indian Army is looking for a soft-top 4X4 that could be used in a wide variety of terrains.

One of the advantages of opting for a soft-top 4X4 is its low kerb weight and easy movement of soldiers during an emergency.

At present, Tata Safari Storme also serves the Indian Army despite the SUV having been discontinued from production for civilians. In addition to that, the Indian Army has also signed a contract with Tata Motors in 2017 to supply more than 3,000 Tata Safari Storme SUVs.

In addition to this, Tata Motors has also showcased a 3-door soft-top version of the Tata Safari Storme at the 2018 Defence Expo held in Chennai.

While there chance of this model replacing the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, 4X4s from Mahindra and Force Motors could also participate in the assessment and bidding process.

Thoughts About The Maruti Suzuki Gypsy

The Maruti Suzuki Gypsy has a very strong cult following in India and apart from that, the 4X4 has been very crucial for the Indian Army for the transport of their soldiers. To replace the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy is no easy task, but with heavier more powerful weapons in the arsenal, we believe it is the right time to replace the Gypsy with a more modern and sophisticated 4X4.

Source: ThePrint