No More Gypsy! Maruti Suzuki discontinues its 33-year-old famous car

Maruti Suzuki has pulled off the production of its famous SUV car - Gypsy in India. The SUV is famous for its looks, strong engine and 4x4 drive. The 33-year-old Gypsy was Maruti's third car which entered the market after Maruti 800 and Omni. Gypsy production started in late 1985 and the company has now released an official notification about the discontinuation of the model. Maruti Suzuki has also mandated SUV dealers to stop accepting bookings of the car.

The reasons for its discontinuation by Maruti could be upcoming safety and crash norms. The new mandatory norms for all cars will be rolled in April 2019. As Maruti had not made any changes to the car's design and structure, It would have failed the new safety and crash test, as per reports.

The Maruti Gypsy, since its launch, has sported a single petrol engine option with a 1.0-litre four-cylinder and a four-speed transmission. 

Gypsy was popular for its no-frills, basic, old yet muscular design. It was also upgraded to a better 1.3-litre engine variant later with a five-speed manual gearbox.

The Gypsy was also the go-to SUV for the defence forces for quite a while, with the last order coming in 2015. It was also quite popular in the 4x4 off-road community for its modified versions. 

The Gypsy was not just sold in India but also a popular choice internationally. It was known as Samurai or SJ410 in foreign markets. It will remain visible on the roads as armed forces and police are still driving Gypsy in various states.