Force Motors has unleashed the 2024 version of this 4x4 powerhouse, now available, for the first time in both a three-door and a five-door variant.
We got the chance to test drive the much awaited 5-door Force Gurkha and discover how it operates outside its comfort zone and in rigours urban jungle.
Force Motors has made some minor tweaks to the composition, including a new honeycomb nose grille, the front bumper remains stocky and features an air intake vent along with fog lamps that double up as cornering lights.
Its side profile remains unchanged and comes standard with a snorkel and footboard.
The SUV also features intimidating side cladding and stubby square wheel arches. Both the 3-door and 5-door versions have new 18-inch alloy wheels
The Gurkha is a class-leading 4x4 SUV because of its best-in-segment features, including a 37-degree departure angle, 28-degree ramp over angle, 35-degree gradeability angle, and a 700mm water wading capacity.
The quality of the cabin in the Gurkha continues to still looks quite basic and appears to be something from a commercial vehicle.
The Gurkha now has a 9-inch touchscreen from Nippon. It does offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but it feels like an aftermarket device.
The air conditioning controls are quite basic, but according to Force Motors, they have improved the AC’s effectiveness.
Few ergonomic mistakes made by Gurkha this time includes its oversized steering wheel that hits the knee and to make the matter worse the driver’s seat doesn’t have height adjustment.
The Force Gurkha is the ultimate off-road vehicle with a convenient knob-controlled 4WD system. In other words, its an automobile that can handle tough terrains.
The Gurkha has undergone significant modifications, resulting in an updated 2.6-litre diesel engine that now delivers 138 bhp and 320 Nm, up from the previous 90bhp and 250Nm.
The Force Gurkha gets a comfort and tech upgrade, but some aspects like interior quality and brakes need improvement. Still, it's a more versatile off-roader now with new features and a better engine.
The previous Gurkha model was priced around Rs 15.10 lakh, and the 5-door version is expected to cost around Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh more.