Force Motors Gurkha
Force Motors Gurkha Review
The Force Motors Gurkha was launched at the 2013 SIAM International Bus and Utility Show in Greater Noida back in February 2013. Promoted as an '4x4x4 Extreme Off-roader Vehicle', this car is an updated version of the original Gurkha which was sold between 2008 and 2010 and has been revived on account of the increased demand for adventure and off-roading vehicles. The Gurkha is manufactured at the company’s Pithampur plant, near Indore and is available in both soft top and hard top versions.
Exterior
The Gurkha’s styling has been heavily influenced by the iconic Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon and it has no qualms about its roots. The car features a massive bold grille in the front and plastic claddings on the door and over the wheel arches which add to the car's rugged appeal. Floor boards are provided on the side for ease of ingress and egress. Five-spoke alloy wheels in 4WD versions add a bit of class to the Gurkha.
The Gurkha gets extra safeguard for the fuel tank, under belly and propeller shafts in the form of a protective shield to prevent damage to these critical components during extreme off-roading. The short overhangs at both ends help it achieve steep approach and departure angle. The snorkel intake not only adds to the cosmetic appeal, but also prevents water from entering the engine, giving the Gurkha a wading capability of upto 550mm.
Interior
The interior of the Force Gurkha gets a basic and functional design and lacks many creature comforts. Air-conditioning is standard only in the hard top versions, for obvious reasons. The driver can select 4x2 High, 4x4 High, 4x4 Low with the help of two levers besides the gear knob, connected to the advanced transfer case. Power steering is standard across all variants. Instrument cluster displays only the bare essential information like speed, temperature and fuel level. Tachometer is placed very unconventionally in the center console under the air-conditioning vents. The hard top variants of the Gurkha get five forward facing seats in the conventional arrangement, while the soft top has longitudinal seats in the rear like the ones in the Thar, and can seat six people.
Engine
Force Motors employs a 2.6-litre engine in the Gurkha which has been derived from the Mercedes-Benz OM616 engine. The turbocharged and intercooled unit churns out 80.5bhp and 230Nm of torque, which is ample to traverse the toughest terrains. The G1-18 five-speed manual gearbox has also been sourced from Mercedes-Benz. The Gurkha is available in both two-wheel-drive (2WD) and a four-wheel-drive (4WD) version with the latter getting differential locks on both axles. The Gurkha gets a ladder frame chassis with independent suspension and solid torsion bar at the front and leaf springs with hydraulic telescopic shocks at the rear. Braking power is provided by twin-pot 4 piston caliper disc brakes at the front and drums at the rear.
Competition
Apart from the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, which is petrol-powered and available only on order, the Mahindra Thar is the only other contender in this offbeat segment. The Force Gurkha is available in three paint schemes - copper green, dragon red and matte black. It is available in three versions - hard top 4WD, soft top 4WD and soft top 2WD.
- All Versions
| Force Motors Gurkha Soft Top 4X2
2596cc Diesel, Manual
|
6.42L Ex-Showroom, Salem
| |
| Force Motors Gurkha Soft Top 4X4
2596cc Diesel, Manual
|
8.56L Ex-Showroom, Salem
| |
| Force Motors Gurkha Hard Top 4X4
2596cc Diesel, Manual
|
8.71L Ex-Showroom, Salem
|
No comments: