Indian Army Has Its Eyes Set On The Maruti Suzuki Jimny As A Replacement For The Gypsy

• The Indian Army could choose the Jimny as its official vehicle. 
• Company is still studying specs required for the Army. 
• Jimny expected to be launched by early June. 
• Could be priced from around Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom). 

The Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, for long, served as the Indian Army’s official vehicle. It was a barebones, no-nonsense machine, and in case of a breakdown, could be repaired easily without the need for a full-fledged workshop. Now, the Gypsy is no more, but its successor, the upcoming Jimny, might just become the official vehicle for the Indian Army. 

In an interview, Shashank Srivastava, executive director, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “Actually, they (Indian Army) have shown interest in the product. We are still studying their requirements in terms of specs. We haven’t started the sales yet, but once we have started, it’s on the horizon.”

The Jimny’s tough ladder-on-frame build and its off-road capabilities with four-wheel drive hardware would definitely make it a perfect fit for our Army personnel. Also, with Maruti’s widespread service network, the Army personnel wouldn’t have to worry when it comes to aftersales. In fact, here’s our opinion piece on why the Jimny would be the perfect fit for the defence personnel. 

Moving on, Maruti Suzuki is expected to announce the prices of its much-anticipated off-roader by early June. And pre-launch bookings for the model have been underway since its debut at the Auto Expo 2023. It will be offered in two variants and you can read about it in detail, including all the features offered with it in this report. 

We suspect the prices of the Jimny 5-door to start from around Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom). And it will lock horns with the Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha, both of which are three-door models. Soon though, both its rivals will be offered with a five-door layout.

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