Force Motors relaunches Gurkha SUV, prices start at INR 6.25 Lakhs

Not to be left out in the booming demand for Sports Utility Vehicles and crossovers in the Indian market, Force Motors took the wraps off its Gurkha SUV yesterday. Unlike many other wanna-be SUVs that would huff and puff once you venture off-road, the new Gurkha, just like its predecessor that earned a niche for itself among the off-roading aficionados, is built for hard-core off-roading. In fact, Force Motors is so confident of its credentials that it has chosen to market the Gurkha as an Extreme Off-roader Vehicle with a 4x4x4 badge. What it conveys is a mystery though.

Three variants of Gurkha are available on sale - 2WD Soft Top, 4WD Soft Top and 4WD Hard Top, priced at INR 6.25 Lakhs, 8.35 Lakhs and 8.5 Lakhs respectively. What strikes us immediately on looking at the prices is the whopping 210,000 Rupees differential that the four-wheel drive system commands. All variants are powered by a 2.6-liter diesel engine that is good for 81 bhp of power at 3200 rpm and 23.45 kgm of torque at 1800 rpm. This engine is derived from the same OM616 engine that powers a lot of other Force vehicles, with the base design coming from Mercedes-Benz. With a huge 210 mm ground clearance and equipped with front and rear differential locks, the Gurkha will feel at total ease off-road.

Surprisingly, Force Motors has chosen to launch the Gurkha with BS-III compliance only, which means that prospective buyers in NCR and other metro cities would not be able to own one.

Regular readers of Anything On Wheels would be knowing the fact that Force Motors was planning to relaunch the Trax Gurkha SUV in the Indian market, as we caught a couple of test vehicles on the outskirts of Pune. But, what we didn't know then was the models spotted testing weren't the final Gurkha SUV, but a variant of the regular Trax model. How we wish they were!

While those 3-door models looked butch inspite of their dated design, we aren't big fans of the new Gurkha's altered front-end. The silver-colored grille, bumper and headlight surrounds are too loud and flashy for our tastes. But, we quite like the chrome-plated air intake snorkel, roof rails and alloy wheels. There are some improvements inside too, with air-conditioner, power steering, dual-tone interiors and front-facing, reclining seats available as standard across variants. Along with the regular Gurkha, a few customized versions were also unveiled, highlighting the tuning potential of the vehicle.

With Mahindra Thar and Maruti-Suzuki Gypsy being its only competitors, we expect the Gurkha to be popular among the off-roading enthusiasts in the country.