The Force Gurkha has finally returned to Indian shores after a hiatus of over a year. Now available in two body styles, 3-door and 5-door, the Force Gurkha is equipped with a more powerful diesel engine that adheres to the stricter BS6 Phase II emission norms. Though it uses the same Mercedes-Benz-sourced 2.6-litre four-cylinder diesel unit as before, the SUV develops 138bhp of maximum power, which is an increase of 48bhp over the outgoing version. Besides, the torque figure now stands at 320Nm. For transmission, it gets a 5-speed manual unit as standard.
In terms of design, the new Force Gurkha 5-door looks quite identical to its updated 3-door counterpart. At the front, both versions feature a two-slat grille with Gurkha lettering, round LED headlamps with daytime running lights (DRLs), fog lights with cornering function, fender-mounted turn indicators, and a snorkel. When viewed from the side, the 5-door seems to retain the boxy silhouette and body lines of the Gurkha 3-door but has a 425mm longer wheelbase and two additional rear doors. Furthermore, the Gurkha gets blacked-out door handles, chunky wheel arches, and 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels.
At the rear, the Gurkha sports vertically stacked LED taillamps, a tailgate-mounted spare wheel, and a roof rack. Both versions can be had in four exterior colours – Red, Green, White, and Black.
Force Gurkha 5-door, 3-door: Dimensions
In terms of dimensions, the Gurkha 5-door measures 4,390mm in length and 2,095mm (without roof carrier) in height, making it 425mm longer and 15mm taller than the 3-door model. Also, it features a longer wheelbase (2,825mm versus the 3-door's 2,400mm). All other dimensions, including the width, however, remain the same as the 3-door.
Force Gurkha 5-door, 3-door: Features
The dashboard of the Force Gurkha now features a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, along with a 7.0-inch digital driver's display. The SUV also gets tilt and telescopic adjustable steering, powered OVRMs, a second-row bench seat (5-door), an auto start-stop system, and an electronically controlled shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive selector.
Safety-wise, the SUV gets a tyre pressure monitoring system, traction control, hill-hold assist, dual airbags, three-point seatbelts for all, an anti-lock braking system (ABS), and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD).
Also Read: Mahindra Thar Rivaling Force Gurkha 5-door to Launch This Year: 5 Things to Expect
Force Gurkha 5-door, 3-door: Availability, Market Competition
The price announcement of the Force Gurkha is scheduled to take place in early May 2024, which will be soon followed by customer deliveries. Interested customers can make their reservations at a token amount of Rs 25,000.
Though Force Motors offers no details on its pricing, we expect the Gurkha 5-door to command a premium of Rs 1 lakh+ over its 3-door sibling. In terms of market competition, the new Force Gurkha 5-door will take on the upcoming Mahindra Thar 5-door (Armada) and act as a bigger alternative to the Maruti Suzuki Jimny. Meanwhile, the four-seat Gurkha will continue its rivalry with the Mahindra Thar (3-door).
Write your Comment