Jonga Returns? Vehicle Factory Jabalpur Eyes Revival Of Iconic Military SUV

The Jonga, an iconic military SUV that served the Indian army for the better part of three decades, could make a return in the coming years. As per a report by the Times of India, new Vehicle Factory Jabalpur General Manager Sanjeev Bhola has said that the old workhorse could make a return in an all-new avatar while retaining the shape and styling of the original.

The Jonga – an acronym for Jabalpur Ordinance And Gun Assembly, the plant where the SUV was made, started life as a post-war Nissan SUV for multiple applications – including military - in Japan. VFJ acquired the rights to the model in the 1960s and rolled out units for the Indian army at the Jabalpur Ordinance And Gun Assembly plant initially before moving to a dedicated VFJ facility in the 1970s.

Moving back to the all-new SUV, Bhola has reportedly said that the new SUV will retain the profile of the original though unlike the original will be developed completely in-house by VFJ. The project is also said to be in an advanced stage with a prototype likely to be ready as soon as end-2023.

Going by the report, the new Jonga will be larger than its predecessor being both longer and wider and weighing in at around two tonnes. The SUV will be targeted at both civilian and military applications and come with a 150 bhp engine though it doesn’t specify what fuel it will use. The original Jonga was equipped with a six-cylinder petrol engine for the military while the limited-run civilian version in the 1990s was offered with a diesel engine.

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