Force Motors has finally revealed the Updated Force Gurkha after the SUV was pulled from the market for more than a year. The SUV now makes a comeback with a comprehensive list of updates and can now be bought in two body styles – 3-door and 5-door. Besides the debut of the new Gurkha 5-door, the company has also revised the design, added quite some new features and most importantly added a more powerful engine that meets the emission norm.
Updated Force Gurkha – More power, New 5-door and New Features
Speaking of which, it is due to the strict BS6 2.0 emission norms, the Force Gurkha was absent from the market for so long because the 2.6-litre diesel engine could not meet the regulations. Courtesy of AdBlue, the Mercedes-sourced now finally meets the new emission norms.
Before I start blabbering on the design and features of the SUV, let us look at the power upgrade the updated rugged SUV gets in the form of the new Mercedes-sourced 2.6-litre 4-cylinder diesel engine that generates 140 hp (49 hp more than the outgoing model) and 320 Nm of Peak Torque. Simply speaking, the Gurkha gets roughly a 50% increase in the power output which makes it more powerful than the Mahindra Thar (2.2-litre diesel unit with 132 hp and 300 Nm).
However, while Pretty Boy Thar gets an automatic gearbox, the Gurkha’s motor still continues to be paired with a 5-speed manual as standard, which kind of makes sense since the Thar is more of a lifestyle and Urban SUV while the Gurkha is meant to be more rugged. But the new Force Gurkha does get an auto start-stop feature that will improve its fuel efficiency.
Speaking of features, the updated Force Gurkha gets a new larger 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment screen that says bye-bye to the 7.0-inch unit and gets Android Auto & AppleCarplay compatibility. Along with that, the new update also includes a new digital driver’s display, tilt and telescopic steering adjust, powered ORVMs, a rear camera, a tyre pressure monitoring system that shows the pressure of even the spare tyre mounted on the tailgate, hill-hold assist and traction control. As for safety, dual front airbags and 3-point seat belts for all passengers have been added.
There’s also a new shift-on-the-fly 4WD knob next to the driver’s seat on the centre console. While the 3-door variant retains its 4-seater layout, the new 5-seater Gurkha get a 7-seat layout with a bench-like seat in the middle row and two captain seats in the 3rd row.
While the updated Force Gurkha continues with its boxy design, both 3 and 5-door variants now get circular LED headlamps with cornering and follow-me-home functions and DRLs along with a two-slat grille up front with the “Gurkha” branding. Coming to the side, the 5-door version has a wheelbase of 2,825 mm in length making it 425 mm longer than the 3-door. Additionally, the 5-door Gurkha is also 15 mm taller and has a 6.3m turning radius while the 3-door has only 5.5m. Other metrics like the water wading ability, and overhangs remain the same on both the 5-door and 3-door SUV.
The updated Gurkha also gets new 18-inch diamond-cut alloys, unlike the 16-inch ones that were previously on offer. The rear remains similar with its vertical tail lamps which are now LEDs, a tailgate-mounted spare wheel and a ladder to access the roof rack. Both models will be offered in 4 colour schemes – red, green, white and black.
The Force Gurkha 3-door variant will continue to rival the Mahindra Thar while the new 5-door version will lock horns with the upcoming Mahindra Thar Armada and the Maruti Suzuki Jimny. Force Motors is further offering a 3-year/1.5 lakh km warranty with the Gurkha which includes a 1-year free roadside assistance and 4 free services. Booking of the Updated Gurkha Models is now open at Force Motors outlets.
