The Indian armed forces are known to commission some of the toughest vehicles for their use as they need to handle some of the most treacherous terrains. So, these vehicles need to have solid built quality, powerful engines, simple to fix and strong 4x4 capability. Now, many love to buy these vehicles once they are decommissioned by the forces, however, not everyone can get hold of one. They are auctioned off in bulk, cost a bomb to buy, and are difficult to register for civilian use.
However, most of these vehicles are also built for civilian use and are or have been on sale in India. In fact, they are nearly as capable as their defence counterparts. Considering most of the SUVs that are currently commissioned by the Indian Defence Forces are no longer on sale in India, the best place to look for one would be the used car market. As this year we celebrate India's 75th Independence Day, here are 5 pre-owned SUVs you can buy which are also used by the Indian armed forces.
Depending on the model year and the condition of the vehicle, you can get a used Gypsy for Rs. 1.80 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh.
The Maruti Suzuki Gypsy is probably one of the most popular 4x4 SUVs used by the Indian armed forces. While the company stopped selling the SUV to civilians several years ago, it was being made for the Indian Army until 2019, when it was replaced by the Tata Safari Storme. However, you can still find the Gypsy in the used car market. Depending on the model year and the condition of the vehicle, you can get one for Rs. 1.80 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh, modified Gypsys can be slightly more expensive. The Gypsy came with a 1.3-litre petrol engine that made 80 bhp and 103 Nm of torque, while mated to a 5-speed gearbox and a 4x4 system.
You can find on in the used car market for around Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 7 lakh, depending on the model year and condition of the car.
The Tata Safari Storme is a very capable SUV, and it was the perfect replacement for the Gypsy for the Indian army. The SUV gets a four-cylinder 2.2-litre turbocharged mill dishing out 154 BHP and 400 Nm of maximum torque. Tata Motors stopped selling the SUV to civilians in 2018, however, it's still made for the Indian Army. However, if you are looking for the Safari Storme, you can find on in the used car market for around Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 7 lakh, depending on the model year and condition of the car.
Depending on the model year and condition of the car, you can get a pre-owned S-Cross from Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 11 lakh.
While the Thar itself is not used by the army, Mahindra has been supplying SUVs and speciality vehicles to the defence forces for decades, which include Thar's predecessors like - CJ3B 4x4, RCL 4x4, MM540 and MM550 among others. So yes, the roots are there. While the current-gen Thar is a lot more modern and features packed, if you are looking for that old-school experience, you can look for a used previous-gen Thar. Depending on the model year and condition of the car, you can get a pre-owned S-Cross from Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 11 lakh.
You can find a used Mahindra Scorpio for anywhere between Rs. 4 lakh to Rs. 6 lakh.
The previous-gen Mahindra Scorpio has also been used by India's armed forces, particularly the 4x4 versions, which were also sold to the civilians. In fact, even with the arrival of the new-gen Scorpio N, Mahindra will continue to sell the previous-gen model as the Scorpio Classic, however, it won't come with 4x4. So, if you are looking for a Mahindra Scorpio 4x4, you will find one in the used car market, for anywhere between Rs. 4 lakh to Rs. 6 lakh, depending on the model year and condition of the SUV.
You can get the old-gen Toyota Fortuner in the used car market for anywhere between Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 16 lakh.
The Toyota Fortuner 4x4's capabilities are legendary, and SUV is also used by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in India. The model used by the forces is the first-gen Fortuner, which was replaced in 2016 by the current-gen model. The model was powered by a 3.0-litre, 4-cylinder, diesel unit that made 169 bhp and came with a 4x4 system. You can get the old-gen Toyota Fortuner in the used car market for anywhere between Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 16 lakh.
