gypsy

Introduced in December 1985, the Gypsy was the epitome of the off-roading vehicle in the country until the arrival of new vehicles in the early 2000s.

Maruti Suzuki has pulled off the production of its famous SUV car - Gypsy in India. The two-door off-roader was introduced in the country in 1985 and has remained one of the longest-running models in production. In an official communication to its dealers, the automaker has asked showrooms to stop accepting bookings for the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, reported CarAndBike team. The SUV was already available on a made-to-order basis and has remained largely the same over the past three decades.

Towards the end of the lifecycle, almost 90 per cent of the Gypsy units were sold go to either government services, military or police forces. However, there are some buyers who have fond memories with the Gypsy.

The 33-year-old Gypsy was Maruti's third car which entered the market after Maruti 800 and Omni. The SUV is famous for its looks, strong engine and 4x4 drive. The Maruti Suzuki Gypsy arrived in India in its second generation and has been sold in the same avatar ever since. "Internationally, the SUV moved up to the third-gen model in 1998 while the fourth generation version arrived last year globally. The original design that dates back to the 1980s wouldn't meet the updated crash test norms as well as the upcoming emission regulations that require vehicles to meet the BS6 norms. This means it's the end of the road for the iconic model that has not only been sold to civilians but also served in the armed forces," reported CarAndBike team.

The Maruti Gypsy, since its launch, has sported a single petrol engine option with a 1.0-litre four-cylinder and a four-speed transmission. Gypsy was popular for its no-frills, basic, old yet muscular design. It was also upgraded to a better 1.3-litre engine variant later with a five-speed manual gearbox.

The Maruti Suzuki Gypsy has been appreciated for its strong off-roading capability, thanks to the ladder-on-frame chassis and rear-wheel drive layout. The SUV comes with AWD as well, while the compact dimensions with a high ground clearance of 210 mm make it extremely potent across various terrains. The Gypsy also remains one of the more popular models to be modified for improved off-roading prowess. In fact, the SUV has had a strong run in the Indian rally scene and still remains a popular sight despite new competition coming in.

The Maruti Gypsy was originally launched with a 970 cc F10A four-cylinder petrol engine but was later upgraded to 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol. The motor powers the model even today with the 16-valve unit tuned to produce 80 bhp at 6000 rpm and 103 Nm of peak torque available at 4500 rpm. The motor comes paired with a 5-speed gearbox. The off-roader lacked a diesel engine but never received one through its run in India. The lack of modern comfort features has also made it a restricted choice for buyers, and a low-selling product. Prices for the Gypsy start at ? 6.22 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and is available in both soft top and hard top versions.

The Gypsy was not just sold in India but also a popular choice internationally. It was known as Samurai or SJ410 in foreign markets. It will remain visible on the roads as armed forces and police are still driving Gypsy in various states.