Tata Xenon to be supplied to Indian Armed Forces

Tata has confirmed that its Xenon pick-up truck is going to be used by the Indian armed forces. This news comes just a few weeks after the automaker announced it had received an order of nearly 3,200 models of the Safari Storme by the Indian Army. Both the Xenon and Safari will replace the Maruti Gypsy models being currently used by the defence personnel and pocket Tata about Rs. 400 Crore.

While the Gypsy has been the country’s armed forces’ favourite vehicle for years, it’s considered to be a bit underpowered and has become dated in terms of the features. Majority of the Xenons will go to the Border Security Forces (BSF) and it’s reported that the vehicle’s versatility and advanced safety features were the main reasons why it was picked.

Under the hood of the Xenon is currently a 2.2-litre diesel engine that produces 147 HP and 320 Nm. It is expected to get a facelift early next year, whereby the engine will be updated with more power and torque. The twin-cab variant, which will be going to the military, can easily house five people along with quite a lot of cargo.