Indian Army’s VFJ MPV 6×6 Truck Delivers 1.6 Kpl Mileage: Walkaround Video

Military vehicles belong to a different league altogether. These often come with extreme off-road capability and security levels. Many of these are even resistant to mine explosions! It is not every day that you get to see these in detail. In a video by Fuel Injected, the host gives us a detailed tour of the VFJ MPV 6×6 truck used by the Indian army. Interestingly, this mammoth of a vehicle returns a fuel efficiency of around 2.5 kpl on normal terrain. On hilly terrains, however, it drops further, to 1.6 kpl!

VFJ MPV 6×6: Quick Look At It

For starters, VFJ stands for ‘Vehicle Factory Jabalpur’- the Madhya Pradesh-based company that builds armoured military vehicles for the Indian army. MPV stands for ‘Mine Protected Vehicle’ and the vehicle gets a 6×6 drivetrain. It weighs 21.2 tons and can carry up to 1500 tons of payload. It gets heavy armouring and imported ballistic-proof glass.

This is essentially a troop carrier vehicle. It helps in the safe transportation of personnel through war fronts and through suspected minefields.

The vehicle comes with a lot of features like a public address system, searchlights, self-recovery winches, tow hooks, AUX lamps, multiple mirrors, roof-turrets and more. Interestingly, it even has an exposed steering rod and hub reduction axle. The ground clearance is a huge 335mm!

The MPV 6×6 is built on a monocoque chassis. The vehicle rides on chunky run-flat tyres. In addition to regular lights, this truck also gets Blackout lights. The doors and engine bay open hydraulically.

The cabin gets 10+2 seating. 10 passengers, driver and co-driver. All seats are mounted on the walls, instead of the floor. This is to minimize the impact in the event of a mine blast. These also come with a special shock absorption system. The cabin has a 3-ton air conditioner, reading lights, tube lights, and various other practical equipment and features.

The dashboard has a plethora of controls and gauges. The instrument cluster is a basic analogue unit. You can see Ashok Leyland logos on the instrument cluster and steering wheel. There is even a rearview camera with night vision on offer.

Another interesting thing to spot inside is the gun port. There are 14 of them onboard. When needed, these can be opened mechanically and guns can be put into the designated holes. Then the occupants will be able to open fire from within the vehicles.

The truck has a 7.9L inline six-cylinder diesel engine mated to a 9-speed (8+1 crawler) manual transmission. It produces 320 hp and 1100 Nm. Considering the output and vehicle weight, the mileage seems justifiable. The fuel tank has a capacity of 220 litres and this gives it a total range of around 500 km.

The video also shows the exhaust sound of the vehicle. It is quite crazy to listen to. The host further takes the MPV 6×6 for a spin. The view from the driver’s seat is truly intimidating and so is the truck’s road presence.

The steering seems to demand some manpower, but the host says the gear and clutch to be light and easy. Yes, it has a power steering! The mountain of torque on tap can be addictive and the influence of the same can be seen in the video. The braking also seems to be well-sorted. The vehicle is capable of doing extreme off-roading and tackling rough terrains with ease.