Re: Which Indian Expedition Vehicle? Very interesting topic, even I was planning to start a thread about the same. Before anyone think about a vehicle, doesn’t it make sense to first think about requirement and then decide which vehicle is closest to match requirements.
I am also planning an expedition vehicle (though I am not going for any trans continent exploration trip in near future, but definitely want to cover remotest places across India).
So, what are my requirements?
i. Seating space for 4 adults and 1-2 child/ren
ii. AC and heater, power steering, power windows and central locking
iii. Short enough to squeeze in through narrow trails, gullies, village roads and long enough to accommodate 4 adults, luggage (2 big suitcases, 2 big rucksacks, 2 small bags), spares, tools, camping equipments and supplies
iv. Vehicle has to be Indian make, should share common platform and technology with most sold products with widest reach
v. It has to be non-ECM controlled engine with basic electricals. Engine should have 100 BHP of power and oodles of torque at low RPM
vi. 4x4 is mandatory but electric shifter is no-no, I can’t even think of getting stuck in deep jungle with malfunctioned electric shifter. Manual shifter may look crude but its far more reliable than electric shiifter
viii. It has to be Full hardtop vehicle, which can house internal or external roll cage, roof rack, extra spare tyre on bonnet or roof
ix. Openable roof (doesn’t matter to me whether its sun roof or cut on roof with metal cover) which should have enough space for at least two adults to pop out and look around
x. Should be able to cruise @ 115 Kmph (maximum speed which I think is safe for Indian roads) throughout the day (16-18 hrs continuously is maximum I drove till date at one go and maximum I would drive in future in one go)
xi. Should have space to accommodate below accessories
a. Single burner gas stove with cylinder
b. Car fridge
c. Inverter 12volts DC to 220 volts AC
d. Small generator
e. Tent for 4
f. Should have arrangements to install side yawning
g. 20 liters water dispenser
h. 4 foldable chairs with one foldable table and shade
i. Food supplies and utensils
j. Small briefcase of comprehensive first aid kit
k. One medium size bag of camping accessories (torches, lanterns, anchors, knives, fishing rod, lighter
l. Two spare tyres
m. Front and rear winch
n. 2 big tow ropes, 2 small tow ropes, snatch block, 2 big, 2 small shackles
o. Twin battery set-up ( I heard its good to have but don’t know intricacies)
p. Two jerry cans of 20 liters, one for diesel and one for water
q. High lift jack
r. Sand ladder
s. Snorkel
t. One bag full of essential spares
u. One suitcase full of tools, and jump cable, puncture repair kit, small air compressor
v. Rear pintle hook (don’t want tow hitches which are commonly seen in modern vehicles
Based on above requirements, which Indian manufactured vehicles should I go for? Remember, I am not considering big vehicles like (407, tempo traveler, Swaraj Mazda, Stallion etc) as I want vehicle to be agile and light enough to enter deep inside jungle, narrow trails, limited space for reverse/turns etc. I have also excluded vehicles above Scorpio and Safari because very limited service and spares support available for then (Pajero, SantaFe, Endeavor, Montero etc). Thar, Gypsy, MM550/540, CL550/500 have been excluded because of their size
1. MM Scorpio 4x4: a. Pros:
i. Powerful engine
ii. Reliable vehicle
iii. Easy availability of parts
iv. Easy availability of mechanics b.Cons
i. ECM controlled engine with electrical shifter
ii. Bumpy ride
iii. Limited space
2. Tata Safari 4x4 a. Pros:
i. Powerful engine
ii. Rear LSD
iii. Spacious and comfortable
iv. Mile cruncher b.Cons
i. ECM controlled engine with electrical shifter
ii. Unreliable and high maintenance
iii. Cant be repaired by any road side mechanic
3. Force Gurkha HT 4x4 a.Pros:
i. Bulletproof engine
ii. Company fitted snorkel
iii. Company fitted front and rear manual diff locks
iv. Has better articulation than Thar b.Cons
i. ECM controlled engine ( I can live with it)
ii. Non existent support network
iii. Cant be repaired by any road side mechanic
iv. Scarcity of spares
v. Bumpy (as compared to Scorpio and Safari)
c. Tata Xenon 4x4 i.Pros:
1. Powerful engine
2. Rear LSD
3. Spacious and comfortable
4. Mile cruncher ii.Cons
1. ECM controlled engine with electrical shifter
2. Unreliable and high maintenance
3. Cant be repaired by any road side mechanic
4. Long overhangs
5. Open loading bay
d. MM Getaway 4x4 i.Pros:
1. Powerful engine
2. Reliable vehicle
3. Easy availability of parts
4. Easy availability of mechanics ii.Cons
1. ECM controlled engine with electrical shifter
2. Bumpy ride
3. Long overhangs
4. Open loading bay
e. MM Bolero/Armada Grand 4x4 i.Pros:
1. Reliable vehicle (for me it’s an improvised Jeep)
2. Easy availability of parts, spares are cheap
3. Easy availability of mechanics
4. Bare basic structure, no nonsense electronics/electrical
5. Non-IFS vehicle = better offroader ii.Cons
1. Underpowered engine (XD3P/ DiTurbo), which can be addressed by plonking better engine (first generation Scorpio engine, Isuzu 4FG2 Turbo etc)
2. Bumpy ride, which can be addressed by putting Fiber springs, better shock absorbers etc. but yes, it would never be in the league of Safari, Xenon, Scorpio
3. Basic interior, interior can be spruced up based on my requirement. In fact, for me it’s a benefit as I can customize interiors on need basis
4. No creature comfort features (roof mounted AC, rear viper/defogger, comfortable seats with hand rests etc). these all can be added in vehicle later on as well. Rear viper/defogger can be borrowed from Bolero Storm
If I analyse each vehicle with their pros and cons, then it would Bolero with manual shifter anyday for me.
I can keep on writing or getting into finer details of each vehicle, but I leave it on viewers to contribute and debate.
Shubhendra Singh |