[Sawyer]

Not anymore, I am pretty sure. It is the old Esteem engine.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Not anymore, I am pretty sure. It is the old Esteem engine.

Originally Posted by aim120

The engine powered the esteem,versa and the Swift (until 2010)

Interesting. Not sure why MSIL is not plonking one of the new breed of its engines into the Gypsy.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

Finally the ad for my Gypsy is online - please see it here. Do pass the word around

Guys - the deal is closed and I will be booking my new Gypsy today

[Vikram Arya]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

Guys,

Does the 1.3 lit engine fitted in the Gypsy power any other Maruti Suzuki car as well?

Cheers...

G13BB that is employed in Gypsy King currently has been in production since 1995. It also did duty in Esteem till 2007 and was employed in Gypsy King only in the year 2000. Versa had a 1.2 ltr G12 engine & Swift was launched with 1.3 ltr M13-A engine in 2005 & later on had a K Series (K-12M, K-12B, K-14B) engine.

Even when it was employed in Esteem it was mapped differently & was rated at 85 BHP. I believe it has been slightly detuned for Gypsy. The reason other engines have not been employed is probably because other petrol engine in Maruti’s stable are very peaky in nature and therefore not suited to an SUV application. This engine has a flatter torque curve that is more suited an off road application and lower compression ratio at 9:1 therefore less susceptible to knocking and can tolerate poor quality of fuel as compared to let’s say a K series engine that has a much higher compression ratio at 11:1.

Most of Maruti’s current engines also have additional complexities such as variable valve timing that tends to push up the cost of manufacturing & can prove expansive from maintenance standpoint.

Please note that most of these Gypsys end up in Forest/Police/ Army/ Para Military forces & operate in remote areas where the quality of fuel is questionable at best and their maintenance practices are not suited to complex engines. It is probably a demand from these agencies to keep this engine in production especially for Gypsy to make their jobs simpler (Imagine if a VVT 16 valve DOHC engine needs to opened up in the middle of a desert/forest).

Off course then there are individual buyers such you, me & few other Gypsy fans out there who will go to any length to get one no matter what engine it employs.

My best wishes & congratulations once again!!

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by Vikram Arya

G13BB that is employed in Gypsy King currently has been in production since 1995
....

My best wishes & congratulations once again!!

Thanks for the information, Vikram. I am glad that Maruti has chosen to keep the Gypsy as simple as possible, which I am sure, is what draws us to it Its biggest strength is probably its simplicity!

And thanks for your wishes. I booked my "Dolphin Blue" Gypsy King ST (met) yesterday - tentative delivery period is 3 months. So the wait begins...

[Viju]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

I booked my "Dolphin Blue" Gypsy King ST (met) yesterday - tentative delivery period is 3 months. So the wait begins...

Congrats man! Can't wait to see your spanking new Gypsy!
I am so jealous of you already!

[cool_dube]

Just heard from the dealer that Dolphin Blue is available in non-metallic only. Apparently they spoke to someone in Maruti sales and the color options available are:

• Silky Silver (metallic only)
• Superior White (non-metallic only)
• Airforce Blue (non-metallic only)
• Dolphin Blue (non-metallic only)
• Harvest Green (non-metallic only)

Note that Ruby Red is gone. So now we have 3 versions of color options available for the Gypsy - website, brochure, and what I was told by the dealer I am okay with non-metallic (in fact, it will save me 3.5K ) but what appalls me is the disconnect across MSIL and dealers on this subject.

On a related note, does anyone have a clue as to how Airforce Blue looks like? I asked the dealer for a sample and as expected, he expressed his apologies!!

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by Vikram Arya

Versa had a 1.2 ltr G12 engine

AFAIK, Versa had a 1.3. Eeco the 1.2.

Regards
Sutripta

[Sawyer]

I think that Airforce blue is a sky blue. This, from photos of Air Force Gypsies.

In your place, I would select white and move on. This way, you will have the pleasure that you got the colour you chose when you get a white car!

I like white for a couple of reasons - more visible on highways, and makes a small car look a little bigger. And when it is dirty, it doesn't look as dirty as you might expect.

[Vikram Arya]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

AFAIK, Versa had a 1.3. Eeco the 1.2.

Regards
Sutripta

I stand corrected Sutripta; my apologies.

As far as colour is concerned I would agree wholeheartedly with Sawyer that white is far easier to maintain as compared to a relatively dark colour (having owned 4 different dark coloured vehicles in the past I can vouch for that) in addition to white being more visible at night.

At the end of the day however colour is a very personal choice again more driven by heart than head. Choose the colour that pleases you. Remember that's why you're buying the car in the first place. I think I'm preaching to the choir here as you've already owned a dark blue Gypsy .

My two cents.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

I think that Airforce blue is a sky blue. This, from photos of Air Force Gypsies.

This sounds tempting Let me push the dealer to get me a sample of Air Force blue and see how it looks.

Originally Posted by Sawyer

In your place, I would select white and move on.

Originally Posted by Vikram Arya

As far as colour is concerned I would agree wholeheartedly with Sawyer that white is far easier to maintain

Thanks Vikram/Sawyer but somehow, white does not cut it for me. I have never had a white car and probably will never have one, as long as the manufacturer gives me an option. No offence to people who love white cars but for me, my car has to have a color (personally I do not consider white as a color ) since it is by far the color of a car that imparts character to it. My sincere apologies again, if my comments have offended people who love / own white cars - this is only my point of view. As Vikram said, color is strictly a matter of personal choice. Most importantly, I highly appreciate your advice and comments. Thanks for taking out some time for the same.

[cool_dube]

Guys - need help! Does anyone have any contacts in Maruti Suzuki sales? I need to get a few queries answered, which the dealer is not able to help me with. Please PM me with details - highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance...

[shyamkrish]

Hi Cool_dube,

Here is the email of the territory Sales manager who helped me with my queries. Please send an email to him and he will respond. He might give you the number of another person since he manages Southern TN. Nevertheless they will help as they belong to Maruti

Vinoth.Kannan@maruti.co.in

Thanks
Shyam

[cool_dube]

Latest update - Air force Blue is not available as an option for civilian buyers :( It is reserved for Air Force only. So Dolphin Blue it is! The wait continues!

[Sawyer]

Another little tip that I discovered - in the early days, fortunately. The grille between the bonnet and the front windshield is only useful to trap fallen leaves, dirt, and then rainwater entry makes a further mess of things there that are close to impossible to clean, leaving a possible rust trap in place. I solved this little headache by applying wide Scotch tape the entire length when the car was new, and every few months I apply it again as a simple and fast renewal, with more lengths applied before every monsoon season starts. It looks a little messy now, but that doesn't matter much on a Gypsy; more importantly, it is very effective.