Feb 10, 2004 10:53 AM
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(Updated Feb 10, 2004 10:53 AM)
The Maruti Gypsy is a vehicle I?ve been dying to get my hands on. Finally I had the opportunity to drive one and what can I say. It?s not your everyday kind of motoring experience. The pleasure of stepping into a vehicle like this is it?s first plus point. You don?t need to stoop down or climb up; you just slide into the driver?s seat.
The car has a unique status of a soft top that just beckons you to pull it off and drive with the wind in your hair. If you?re really one for the outdoors and if you love the feeling of being one with your surroundings, you could even drop the front windshield.
The Gypsy is what I would call the ultimate SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle), well at least in India. It has a really sporty look, soft removable top and the back has side bench seats, which when folded make ample room for loading any kind of goods that you want. The Gypsy is devoid of any kind of frills and really takes a hands on approach to roughing it out on the road.
Lets start with the dashboard, if you?re looking for space there, well there?s a glove compartment on the front passengers side which holds just about the registration papers & tool kit, below which though a package tray makes up with ample space. There are louvers for ventilation, which just throw out air from the fan as the Gypsy doesn?t come with Air-conditioning as standard fitment.
Apart from that instrumentation on the Dashboard is very basic with a speedometer, RPM and the basic indicator lights. The driving position is one of the most comfortable that that I?ve experienced so far with a much higher seat than all saloons today. Add to that the design of the gear-shift lever which just reaches out into your hand, it?s as comfortable driving design as one could desire. But sans power steering and a very ordinary steering wheel it really doesn?t capture the imagination of a discerning urban consumer, especially when you have as wide a turning radius as this vehicle. Add to this non-ELR seatbelts, the car is not something you can pitch to any saloon buyer.
I was disappointed with the 80 bhp power that the 1298 cc MPFI engine churns out. Maybe my expectations were aimed a bit too high, particularly with the car being a favourite with Rally Drivers. But then I guess they have their engines spruced up for that level of performance.
Other wise the Gypsy is quite quick off the block and I just loved the droning sound of the Engine. The car has a top speed calibration of 140km/hr, though I did push the car to about 115Km/hr on the highway. The car handles like a dream on rough roads and that?s what it was designed for. The Leaf spring suspension is what makes all the difference.
Though I had my apprehensions about the mileage of the vehicle, I was quite satisfied by its performance in this area. The Gypsy easily gives 10-11 Km/Litre in city and 12-13 Km/Litre on the Highway. Of course in 4x4 mode the situation changes drastically, dropping below 7 Km/litre. But then 4x4 is not something one puts the car into, unless it?s a dire necessity and that too for very short intervals to get you out of a tight spot.
Otherwise the vehicle has enough power to pull you out of most difficult road conditions on 2-wheel drive. Going down memory lane, this vehicle created quite a furore in the mid eighties when it was launched with the then Maruti 1000 cc engine which in the nineties was upgraded to the 1300 cc power train. Cosmetic changes to this new variant the Gypsy King (MG410W) included a wider body with moulding above the wheels.
The car was then made Euro 2 complaint, which made it uncompetitive in the market place with price hitting the near Rs. 5 Lac mark. Now institution sales mainly to Military, Paramilitary, police and Govt. Deptts. is what garners any kind of numbers for this vehicle.
The Gypsy is commonplace at election rallies too. To recapture the imagination of consumers Maruti needs to rejuvenate the Gypsy. My conclusion is if you have the spirit of adventure and the lure of the outdoor, whether it be winding Himalayan roads or dusty mud tracks in some remote interior of Rajasthan and have Rs. 5 Lac to invest, this is the vehicle that will take you there with pleasure.
