Wild Heart

As the legendary Gypsy makes a comeback, albeit with a different name, we take it for a spin on and off-road to figure out if it can live up to its monumental legacy.

- ISHAN RAGHAVA

If you are someone who has been following the Indian automotive sector, chances are that you would be well aware of the significance that the Gypsy had in the country. Enthusiasts, rally drivers, the police, and even the armed forces, everyone swore by the Gypsy. It was officially the first OG car that we had in India. And I would know, for I coerced my father into buying one as his first car all the way back in 1992. I learnt to drive it way back in 1995 and fell in love with it – something which continued until I started driving better, faster cars and then lost interest in it.

With its ladder frame and leaf spring suspension, the Gypsy was, let’s just say, not the most comfortable car in the world, but with its legendary off-road ability, it remained the lifestyle vehicle of choice – well, to be honest, in those days, it was not like we had any other option – and was highly desirable. So, when Maruti Suzuki decided to bring the Jimny into India, I naturally felt a bit nostalgic – after all, it was my father’s first car and also the one in which I learnt to drive. However, memories of my later impression of the Gypsy made me a bit wary of the Jimny. Would it be bouncy and uncomfortable like its predecessor, or had Maruti Suzuki engineers figured out a way to improve it? Well, we drove it both on and off-road to find out exactly that.

DAINTY LITTLE THING