Monday, May 13, 2013
By Anil Jangid
Tata Safari, Mahindra Scorpio to be part of Army fleet soon
It seems Maruti Gypsy is loosing its appeal, finally, after having served the defense forces for more than a decade. As per the latest updates, the defense forces are soon to induct Tata Safari and Mahindra Scorpio. Though the process of phase out of Gypsy will start from 2017 but it is a big blow to Maruti as the army is one of the biggest clients of this Indian car maker. Notably, it seems that the defense forces are also on a cost cutting spree as it may be targeting to lower fuel costs with the purchase of Safari and Scorpio as these are diesel cars compared to Gypsy which is available in only petrol version.
It is widely known fact that this Maruti SUV has been the heartthrob of SUV lovers and those who believe in real off roading. In defense forces as well this car has proved to be the most reliable vehicle when it comes to exploring the interiors where there is tough terrain. But its gradual disappearance from the fleet of army vehicles will certainly leave a vacuum as there is no other SUV as compact as this one. Both Scorpio and Safari are big SUVs with more power and more offroading capabilities for sure and these are also cost effective in terms of fuel consumption as these run on diesel.
As per the information over Rs 3k crore will be spent on purchasing these two SUVs. Prior to the purchase, the army will be testing specially made Safari and Scorpio cars soon and after the tests, the purchase will be finalized. It is said that the army will be testing it thoroughly in both cold and hot conditions. As per the updates over 30,000 new SUV vehicles will be purchased and the purchases will be made in a phased manner.
