Indian Army places order for 1,850 Scorpio Classics to replace Gypsy

The Indian Army has ordered 1,850 units of Mahindra Scorpio Classic SUV, Autocar India (ACI) has reported. This is the second lot of Scorpio Classic SUVs that the army has ordered. Before this, the army had placed an order of 1,470 units of the Classic in January this year.

This takes Indian Army to a total of 3,320 units of Scorpio SUVs. The SUVs will be given a unique paint shade and will come with a 4WD set-up as standard. The vehicles will be powered by Mahindra's 2.2-litre diesel engines mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

How is it different from a normal Scorpio Classic?

The first lot delivered to the Army had the older Mahindra logo and had 4WD as standard. The second lot is expected to have the same specifications but is expected to sport the new Mahindra logo and the Scorpio Classic nameplate.

The incoming Scorpios are expected to replace Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, which has served the forces for around two decades now, the ACI report said.

Previously, the Indian Army has also acquired a fleet of Tata Xenon pick-ups along with specially manufactured Tata Safari Storme, along with Maruti's Gypsy.

Apart from this, the armed forces are also planning to introduce more electric vehicles to their fleet of vehicles. The Indian Air Force recently bought 12 Tata Nexon EVs, the report added.

The new batch of Scorpio Classic SUVs being sold to the Indian Army are painted in a shade of green and come fitted with five-spoke silver alloy wheels, fog lamps, side steps, and roof rails, the ACI report said.

While there is no confirmation about the powertrain of the Scorpio, it is likely to be powered by the older 2.2-litre diesel engine that returns 140hp. The Scorpio classic sold in the market comes with a new 130hp 2.2-litre diesel engine.