Nissan Launched Its First Car In India - the Jonga - 57 Years Ago: Blast From The Past
Nissan just started a new chapter in India with the launch of Gravite. Details related to Gravite, including features, variants, and prices, are available on the internet. While the latest Nissan product was launched in 2026, did you know when the first Nissan was launched in the Indian market? It was in 1969, and the first Nissan to be launched in our market was the Nissan Jonga.
This is a name that many car enthusiasts, especially those who love SUVs, would have heard many times. However, do you know the story behind the Jonga? How and why did it come to India? The Nissan Jonga is actually an SUV based on the second-generation Patrol SUV, which was sold internationally.
It wouldn’t be wrong to call the Nissan Jonga the G-Wagen or Humvee of India. Just like these two SUVs, the Nissan Jonga was initially introduced in the Indian market to be used exclusively by the Indian Army. The Jonga that we got in India was not the international version; it was a made-in-India version of the Patrol, specifically built by Vehicle Factory Jabalpur.
The “Jonga” in Nissan Jonga stands for Jabalpur Ordnance and Guncarriage Assembly. These vehicles were produced under an exclusive license granted to the Indian Army back in 1965. While we got the license in 1965, the actual production only started in 1969, and it remained in production until 1999.
The Indian Army showed interest in the Nissan Patrol after the 1962 Sino-Indian War. Production of the Jonga started in 1969, and by the time production stopped, around 20,000 Jongas were still in service.
As mentioned above, the Jonga was designed for the Indian Army, but a civilian version was also offered in the market in 1996. In 1999, just before being discontinued, 100 units of the Jonga were sold to civilians.
As mentioned above, the Jonga was manufactured under an exclusive agreement, and the first 3,500 units of the SUV were directly imported from Japan. The SUV had a very basic, boxy design that looked extremely utilitarian.
The models imported from Japan had three-slot air vents on the windshield, while the version manufactured in Jabalpur had only two air vents. The Jonga was an extremely capable SUV with over 760 mm water-wading capacity and both petrol and diesel engine options. The SUV also came with 222 mm of ground clearance and was designed to seat six people. The original six-seat configuration was later modified to accommodate eight people. The SUV was offered with a 4.0-litre petrol and diesel engine. The civilian version was offered with a 3.0-litre diesel engine.
The Jonga was available in the Army as a general-purpose vehicle, ambulance, gun carrier for recoilless rifles, reconnaissance, and patrol vehicle.
The Nissan Jonga was discontinued in 1999, and the possible reasons behind this were high fuel consumption, maintenance issues, and a shift in requirements. When compared to other vehicles, the Jonga had started to feel outdated. New entrants like the Mahindra MM540 and Maruti Gypsy were much more efficient and lightweight. All these factors probably led the Indian Army to replace the Jonga.
Many people often get confused and call the Nissan 1-ton pickup trucks the Jonga. That is not correct. The 1-ton pickup is also from Nissan, but it is based on the 4W73, which was also called the Nissan Carrier in the 1960s. The second-generation Patrol is called the Jonga, and the 4W73 is the 1-ton truck, which is owned by many celebrities, including former Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni and Suryakumar Yadav.
There are many collectors and garages in India that are still working on both the Jonga and the 1-ton truck, where they retain the exterior and completely restore it and customize the engine and interiors as per the customer’s choice. You will find most of them in Punjab where they actually love SUVs.