Recently, the armed forces of India decided to replace the ageing Maruti Suzuki Gypsy with more capable and newer 4X4 vehicles. However, the importance of the iconic Maruti Suzuki Gypsy in the armed forces is undeniably irreplaceable. The Maruti Suzuki Gypsy is one of the lightest 4X4 vehicles and over decades of usage, the armed forces know every single bit and part of the vehicle. Here is a video that shows the BSF personnel dismantling and then reassembling a Maruti Suzuki Gypsy in under 2 minutes!
The video was recorded at a practice drill. The video shows the Gypsy with the ‘Chetak’ nameplate. The battalions give names to their war vehicles and this one gets the name of the brave warhorse of the Maharana Pratap of the Mewar dynasty in Rajasthan.
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The video shows a group of army personnel driving the vehicle and then stopping mid-way to dismantle the vehicle completely. They first stripped the vehicle of body panels including the bonnet, doors and the body mounted on the frame. They also remove the steering, engine and transmission unit. In the end, they remove the front and rear axles with the tyres mounted on them.
It all looks like a Formula 1 pitstop. The sync between the personnel is impeccable.
Maruti Suzuki Gypsy is discontinued
Maruti Suzuki Gypsy has been officially discontinued by the manufacturer last year. The SUV could not meet the new safety standards laid out by the government. However, it remains one of the most sought-after vehicles, especially by the off-roading community in India. The Gypsy is a lightweight, petrol-powered 4X4 SUV, which is why it is so capable. The SUV can go through any kind of terrain and can be easily modified too. This is why the Gypsy is one of the most common vehicles used by the paramilitary forces of the country.
Maruti Suzuki is yet to launch a replacement for the Gypsy in India, however, we may get to see the all-new Jimny in the Indian market by next year. The all-new Jimny is a similar lightweight, petrol-powered off-roading vehicle and even it can go through extreme challenges.
Why Gypsy is so popular?
Among the armed forces, the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy is extremely popular due to various reasons. The lightweight of the Gypsy makes it a very capable off-roader. Gypsy is also very compact and can be dropped from the air using parachutes.
One of the problems that the armed forces faced while using the Gypsy is the use of petrol fuel. While all other equipments of the forces run on diesel, the Gypsy is the only vehicle in the army fleet that uses petrol. Carrying separate fuel becomes a logistical issue.
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