According to a media report, the iconic Jonga SUV might be brought back to life. The Jonga SUV has been popular in the Armed Forces.
Jonga stands for Jabalpur Ordnance and Gun Assembly. It was made under licence at the Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ). Now, the company is under Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL). AVNL holds the intellectual property rights for the Jonga.
The new Jonga will be undertaken by Sanjeev Bhola, Senior General Manager of VFJ. According to Bhola, the project is in an advanced stage already.
The new Jonga will be based on the VFJ tech. It will feature longer and wider dimensions along with a 148 BHP engine. In terms of category, the new Jonga will be under the 2,000 kg kerb weight class. It will come with a host of modern features meeting the current requirements.
It is rumoured that the new Jonga could be launched by the end of this year.
Jonga was first made under licence from Nissan. The first Jongas manufactured by the VFJ were made for military use in 1969. A civilian variant of the Jonga was also made. This lasted from 1996 to 1999 and just about 100 units were sold to civilians.
By 2013, it was reported that over 20,000 Jongas were still in service with the Armed Forces.
Toyota has become one of the carmakers to supply to the Army. This is the company’s maiden vehicle supply to the Indian Armed Forces. Other vehicles in the Army include Maruti’s Gypsy, Mahindra Scorpio, Tata GS800, Tata Xenon pick-up and more.
That said, it is not yet known if the Hilux would be delivered stock or Toyota will incorporate specific tweaks as per the customer requirements. According to a statement released by the Army, they acknowledged Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s efforts to complete the stringent tests of the Army. The vehicles will be used for its designated purposes.
Also Read – Toyota Hilux joins the Indian Army fleet.