The Special Protection Group (SPG) responsible for the security of the Prime Minister and previous PMs and their immediate family members is going to buy four units of Toyota Land Cruiser 200, a high-end Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), for the PM’s cavalcade.
The SPGs, according to officials, currently uses vehicles of BMW 7 series, Mahindra Scorpios and Tata Safaris in its cavalcade.
The SPG has decided to buy the powerful Toyota Land Cruiser because of its ceiling height and other “obvious” features that are needed for a vehicle that is engaged for “protection and security purpose”.
The seven-seater Toyota 200 has a host of inbuilt security features like 10 airbags (front, curtain, side), downhill assist control, hill start assist control and vehicle stability control. The vehicle will see certain additional modifications as per the requirement of the SPG.
“The vehicle was chosen after careful deliberation on the basis of our present needs and demands. Technical specifications like the performance of suspensions on bumpy roads, turning radius, torque, its ability to perform on different and difficult terrains and the fact that it can reach the speed of 150 km/hr in less than 20 seconds was some of the factors that were taken into account while deciding on the vehicle,” an official said.
Prime Minister Modi is expected to be on the road for increasingly longer periods of time because of the Assembly elections in five states, including Uttar Pradesh where he will be required to address public rallies in rural areas where he will have to travel with his convoy.