Maruti Suzuki Gypsy

Maruti Suzuki Gypsy was the first off-road vehicle launched in India. The four-wheel drive has been the favourite of adventurous drivers since its launch in 1985. The vehicle offers neither the ride quality nor interior comparable to a modern SUV.

Maruti Gypsy is an old fashioned all-wheel drive sport utility vehicle and one of the company’s toughest vehicles, which has the same masculine look pretty much ideal for police purposes and military force.

The exteriors of Gypsy are simple yet powerful, which behold the traditional appeal of an SUV. It is a box-like structure that is fitted with driver's side rear-view mirror, a spare wheel cover, front footstep assembly and a foldable front windscreen on the exterior.

The aggressive yet impressive fascia adds more expression to the appeal. Apart from the standard features, there are certain distinctive characteristics in three different variants of the Gypsy.
The Hard Top version of the car features fabric upholstery and a fibre-reinforced plastic top, while the Soft Top version has a foldable windscreen and a removable canvas top. The Ambulance version of the car is not for public use and is widely used in hospitals.

The interior of Maruti Suzuki Gypsy does not have much of amenities and is very basic but still enough to make off-road driving an enjoyable experience.

The standard features include reclining and sliding front seats, fabric upholstery in the hard top, adjustable head restraints, a front package tray, a lockable glove compartment, floor carpet, steering lock and an inside rear view mirror.

Under the hood, Gypsy is equipped with a 1.3-litre petrol engine that churns out 80 bhp of power output. The engine is mated to a 5-speed gearbox that ensures better highway mileage and allows high cruising speeds. The lighter engine results in a better power-to-weight ratio, which, in turn, ensures better control, more power and greater responsiveness.

It offers high cruising speeds and ensures better highway mileage. Furthermore, front and rear leaf spring suspension with double action damper helps improve handling and traction.

Gypsy is not known to be a fuel efficient car. It returns a mileage of 11 kmpl under normal driving conditions as against the company claim of 11.9 kmpl.

One key disadvantage of the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy is that it lacks important safety features, like airbags, anti-lock braking system, traction control and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution. Even then it boasts of being a safe and reliable SUV with a four-wheel-drive, which is fun to drive on all journeys.

Maruti Suzuki Gypsy is a perfect car on any terrain under any weather condition. When driving on the hills, higher ground clearance ensures better off-road capability and the diaphragm spring clutch helps reduce wearing off of parts. When driving in snowy conditions, the high thermal conductivity of the engine ensures that it is effectively ignited even in the midst of snow. Moreover, the lighter weight of engine enhances power output, traction and responsiveness. High thermal conductivity of the engine ensures that there is no overheating and the car drives smoothly even in the hot deserted areas. Gypsy also has a higher power-to-weight ratio that ensures faster and safer acceleration through streams and muddy terrain. The gypsy is a lighter vehicle weighing at 1020 kg (hard top) and 985 kg (soft top). Gypsy also has higher ground clearance of 210 mm to ensure better off-road handling.

When it was launched in 1985, Gypsy was one of its kind. It enjoyed the numero uno position for a very long period. Although it remains a good off-roading option, it no longer remains the preferred choice of the adventure-loving drivers. A diesel option may still work in its favour. Further, the limited number of vehicles available for civilians also goes against the popular car. The lack of safety features as compared to new SUVs, which come loaded with such features and more, goes against the ageing vehicle.

Maruti Suzuki Gypsy has some real tough competition out there. The new range of SUVs is miles ahead but where Gypsy scores is its off-roading capability. All these cars also have diesel variants available, which goes against the Japanese maker. Mahindra has an impressive line-up of SUVs in this range, and so have Ford and Renault.