It was at the 2020 Auto Expo that we first got a glimpse of the new generation Force Gurkha will look like. It looked better, should have been better equipped and retained its legendary, other-worldly off-road capabilities. Our test location for the Force Gurkha Drive was located in the Sahyadri range close to Pune. The setting was beautiful and complemented the courageous, influential personality of the Gurkhas. We found a nice table top hill with a steep climb and absolutely stunning views of the valley, the lake and the village below! And soaking in the natural beauty, we even tested the new Gurkha!
Read also: 2021 Force Gurkha Revealed; Launch in late September 2021
design
(Yes, the Gurkha is still similar to the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon! And does a good job of copying)
Let us tell you about the design and features of the new Gurkha as soon as possible. Gurkha continues to get a boxy, straight stance like never before. The overall look isn’t too far off from what we saw at last year’s Auto Expo. The new Gurkha also gets a clamshell bonnet, circular LED headlights with integrated daytime running lights, a new single-slat grille up front and bumpers with bold ‘Gurkha’ lettering.
(Lots of plastic cladding on the sides. Our test car also had a number of accessories that looked good. You can also see the roof rack, snorkel, and a small ladder at the rear)
You also get to see a lot of plastic cladding on the side, square wheel arch, chunky tires and the spare wheel mounted on the tail-gate. The overall silhouette is very geometric and the Gurkha stands out as a focused, purposeful off-road and lifestyle-oriented vehicle. Needless to say, there has been a marked improvement in the exterior fit and finish. And of course, it cannot be denied that the Gurkha resembles the iconic Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, in fact you could call it a poor man’s G-wagon, and shall we say that with a deep sense of respect. with.
(The Gurkha gets a boxy, straight stance and we love it! Adding a lot of character to the design is the spare wheel mounted on the tail-gate)
Snorkel comes as standard on Gurkha and the water depth is around 700mm. Ground clearance of about 205 mm. The new model is now 22 mm wider and 20 mm longer than the old model. The length of the SUV gets increased by 124 mm, though it is more with the raising of the overhang to meet the new safety norms. The new Gurkha also gets a new ladder frame chassis with torsional stiffness and a new body shell, both of which Force Motors says, meet the latest safety norms.
Tech and Ergonomics
(Interior has seen significant updates! Dashboard still feels spartan, raw! All-black looks good)
On the inside, the new Gurkha gets an all-black cabin along with glossy black bezels with large air-con vents, a manual air conditioner, a three-spoke steering wheel, power windows, ABS, dual front airbags and forward- Facing rear is available. seats. However, the look and feel of the cabin is still spartan and the quality of the plastic could have been better with the materials used!
(There’s a 7-inch touchscreen system sourced from Kenwood. It gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto)
The cabin of the Gurkha is much better than the previous generation model. Of course the plastic isn’t quite right when you compare these to modern cars. But in terms of creature comforts, you get a Kenwood-sourced 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Also, right next to the right A-pillar is a small display, which is the tire pressure monitoring system. This sounds like an afterthought again because you’ll really want to have it on the instrument console.
(The Tire Pressure Monitoring System is an externally fitted unit. It looks a bit out of place and seems like an afterthought)
Speaking of ergonomics, they are a bit iffy! The gear-shifter is placed a little further, so you have to reach for it! Had it been placed a bit backwards, the access would have seemed more natural! Just behind the gear-shifter is the 4×4 gear knob. There are differential locks on either side of the tunnel in the middle.
(The seats are comfortable and the cabin is quite airy, thanks to the large glass surfaces. The rear occupants get separate seats with armrests and have good bootspace too)
The seats are bigger, offer better support, the rear captain seats are easier to get into and a lot more comfortable than before. The rear passengers also get armrests. The cabin is quite airy, with large glass surfaces, offering a good view of what’s happening outside.
Engine Specifications
(The Gurkha gets the same 2.6-litre diesel engine as before)
Under that bonnet, the Gurkha gets the same Mercedes-sourced 2.6-litre diesel engine that makes around 90 bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque. There is also a 5-speed manual gearbox, but no automatic, not even as an option. And not even a petrol motor!
performance and mobility
(There’s grunt on offer at the bottom! The slow speed ride is quite comfortable too)
Now I clearly remember driving the old Gurkha and it looked rustic, it looked raw! The new generation model, it is a bit more refined, no doubt, but the rustic, raw charm that the Gurkha had, is in the new model as well. Now, I would say it is a feature of the vehicle and the engine, because if you refine the Gurkha as well then the charm is lost. The good news is that the low-speed ride quality is actually superb, thanks to the suspension.
(There is a bit of play in the steering, but that’s to be expected. The Gurkha can handle your average urban commute with ease)
And even if you increase the speed, the Gurkha doesn’t care. Be it big bumps, potholes, bumps, it slips on everything you throw at it. So that’s a good thing! There’s a lot of play in the steering but then again, recreational vehicles, SUVs like the Thar and Gurkha should have some amount of play and it helps when you’re going off-road. But, someone who is going to buy a Gurkha or Mahindra Thar for that matter is not really going to look at the driving dynamics of the car! Well, not frankly!
(We think the gearbox of the new Gurkha could have been better)
It is a pleasant car for sure and as far as driving dynamics are concerned, there is a fair amount of body-roll when you try and push hard. But this is expected when it comes with a ladder-on-frame chassis as well as a raised suspension.
(Broken roads are a sentinel! A ground clearance of 205mm is enough to tackle the toughest conditions)
Now the engine specifications might seem overwhelming, especially if you compare it with the Thar! But rest assured, it is not so. The main attraction here is that the bottom end has lots and lots of pulling power. One can ride a wave of torque up to 2,800 rpm, which should be enough to plow through urban jungle, on highways and even on traffic. The engine loses steam after 3,200 rpm. The 5-speed gearbox, however, looks a decade old and could have been better calibrated to give smoother shifts.
off-road capability
(No area seems too difficult for the Force Gurkha!)
The new Gurkha gets independent double-wishbone suspension at the front and 5-link rigid axle units at the rear, with coil springs and anti-sway bars on all four wheels. Four-wheel drive and front and rear locking differentials with reduced ratios are also standard. Force Motors says there will be a bunch of customization options to choose from such as the ladder, roof-rail, jerry cane and all-terrain tires you see on our test car.
(Works very well on Gurkhas 4×4. We didn’t encounter terrain that would require the use of a locking differential)
We are happy to share that the new Gurkha has retained its off-roading prowess! We subjected the car to really tough terrain, steep slopes, rocky patches and the Gurkha soaked it up extremely easily and dared us to take it a notch further! We wish we had more time and rough terrain to test the Gurkha, despite our novice off-road abilities!
Decision
(Force offers interesting color options for the Gurkha. These are four colors other than white, which was also the color of our test car)
With the new Force Gurkha, the aim was to create a model SUV that would offer better appeal than the old Gurkha. Well, did the Force succeed in that? let’s watch! Is it more attractive now? Yes absolutely! more features? Yes, definitely! The Gurkha now features a lot more in terms of safety and creature comforts, so it’s a definite yes, again! Does it retain its great off-road capability? Yes absolutely! Now the biggest question! Is it still worth the money and is it still practical? The value for money part, we will be able to tell you only after the prices are over, which is at the end of September.
(We expect the 2021 Force Gurkha to cost around ₹ 12.5 Lakh to ₹ 13 Lakh. Its biggest rival will definitely be Mahindra Thar)
0 notes
In terms of practicality, the model has certainly evolved! And it offers a very wide appeal in terms of target audience! So yes, if you are looking for a lifestyle vehicle that is truly capable of going off-road, then the new Force Gurkha fits the bill! And is it better than Mahindra Thar? Well wait for it! We’ll be doing the Mahindra Thar vs Force Gurkha comparison for you very soon!
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