The Jonga served the Indian Army for a very long time. There after the Jonga fizzled out of the regular Janata's radar but not for the enthusiasts. We drive a brilliant example to find out what the fuss was all about. The Jonga was essentially the Nissan Patrol or the P60 to be precise. It was manufactured under license at the Vehicle Factory Jabalpur. The Jonga was also offered to civilians. Only 100 was sold

Many refer to Fords, Willys or even Land Rover as true blue SUVs. However there is one vehicle which is nothing short of being a legend. It is called the Jonga and till quite recently it was known to real aficionados. However the Jonga very recently has shot to fame thanks to our very own Mahendra Singh Dhoni who has got himself one. As soon as pics of Dhoni’s Jonga hit the social media, people instantly wanted to get one too. Unfortunately though, Jongas are rather rare sights and those who have them rarely sell them. In this part of our iconic SUVs of India series we tell you all about the Jonga.

The Jonga offered massive ground clearance and a silky smooth petrol engine with tons of power.

The Naming of The Jonga


The Jonga was essentially the Nissan Patrol P60. In the mid 60s Nissan licensed it to VFJ or Vehicle Factory Jabalpur to produce them in India. The vehicle was named JONGA or Jabalpur Ordinance and Gun-Carriage Assembly. See the name there? The Jonga them was in service of the nation under the Indian Army from1969 till production ceased in 1999. It served as one of the Indian Army's jeeps until it was phased out and replaced mostly by the Mahindra MM540 jeep. A civilian variant of the Jonga was also made in 1996. In 1999, the production of the Jonga stopped with 100 of them sold to civilians. Today getting a Jonga is extremely tough. Civilian versions are rarely seen but if you really want to get one, head out to the junkyards across the country where dealers buy Army Auction Vehicles. If you are lucky you might get a run down one for a frightful sum of money.

The Jonga’s Engine

Powering the Jonga was a 6-cylinder, 3956cc in-line, petrol engine developing 110bhp@3,200rpm. It had a 3-speed gearbox with 2-speed SOTF Transfer Case and a Power Take Off. With this mega sized engine, the Jonga soon got a reputation of being bullet proof and fast. Later on a diesel engine was offered which was sourced from Ashok Leyland.

The Jonga we were driving was still pressed into duty. Tourist duty to be precise. Hence the body was modified to accommodate more people.

The Jonga We Are Driving

As mentioned before, Jongas these days reside in personal collections and they rarely come on sale. The Jonga we have with us belongs to Kr Shiv Pratap Singh of Ravla Bhenswara in Rajasthan. The man has a brilliant collection of 4wds and why not he said! Rajasthan is a land of challenging terrain and these SUVs are perfectly suited. Much like his other jeeps, the Jonga too is pressed into service every time a tough location has to be reached. The Jonga looked fabulous to be honest. A high bonnet line, massive grille and the all metal boxy body was to die for. It looked a million dollars and as compared to the Jeeps, it also had doors. Since this Jonga is used for desert safaris, the owners have elongated the rear section of the body to accommodate more people and an additional spare. It was quite clear that these jeeps were used properly and not put up on a plinth. I literally ‘climbed’ into the cabin and from the driver’s seat the view ahead was best called commanding. A large steering wheel up front and a gear stick on the left. Instructions were clear “Do whatever you want!” That’s it! Being on dessert sand I let go of the clutch in a bid to climb the dune! The Jonga took off with incredible vigour. There’s so much power to play with that at one time I thought that I might take off at the top. There was no way I was trashing this beautiful SUV and let go right at the top. The Jonga instantly sunk in. In the rear view mirror I could see the Kunwar smirk. A few people gathered and cleared off the sand off the belly of the Jonga while we were invited for tea. The next round was more like it. This time round I kept it pinned and the Jonga defeated the dune with ease. No matter what terrain the Jonga can rarely be defeated. The petrol engine though silky smooth at lower revs morphs into a boomy and noisy creature when revved up in low ratio mode. Sure the steering is extremely heavy and I see no reason to go to the gym in case you drive one regularly in stock condition. The brakes felt wooden and the best way to slow down was to down shift along with braking. But the bottom line is that the petrol powered Jonga till date is one of the most capable SUVs India has ever had.

Quite simply driving the Jonga off the road is one of the big ticks on my bucket list. Do remember to look out for our review of the Jeep CJ2A and stay tuned for some rollicking rides in the days to come.