Rumours are doing the rounds that Maruti Suzuki will be killing the Gypsy brand by the end of this year. The production of this iconic 4×4 off-roader is soon going to end, and the only place you’ll be able to buy a Gypsy then will be in the used market. While the production of the Gypsy will continue till the end of this fiscal year, the bookings will be closed by end of 2018.
After having lost the tender for supplying cars to the Indian Armed Forces, the Gypsy is finding it hard to attract buyers. There are only a handful of passenger car enthusiasts who want to opt for a Gypsy. Primary reason being the Gypsy is a very rudimentary product and comes with only a petrol engine which is not really efficient.
The Gypsy was first launched in 1985 and came in a MG410W variant in 1993. The 1996 model update brought in an all-aluminum petrol engine and the car was then called the Gypsy King.
The Gypsy also for the price offers no safety features. It might not even qualify as a car good enough to be sold complying with the upcoming crash test norms. That is also another reason why the Gypsy is nearing the end of its lifecycle.
BUT! Things could get interesting should Maruti Suzuki decide to revive this nameplate. And we know that there is a Jimny compact-SUV which goes on sale in global markets, and that could surely spice things up if it comes to India as a new-age Gypsy.