A few days ago, Force Motors revealed the five-door Gurkha and its prices have now been announced. Costing Rs. 18 lakh, it is accompanied by its returning three-door sibling for a price tag of Rs. 16.75 lakh (both prices, ex-showroom) which is Rs. 1.7 lakh more expensive than the base Mahindra Thar 4WD diesel. The lifestyle off-road SUV competes with the Maruti Suzuki Jimny and it will get a new rival in the form of five-door Mahindra Thar in August 2024.
The bookings for the five-door and three-door Force Gurkhas have commenced in India for an initial token of Rs. 25,000 while despatches will begin soon ahead of the test drives and deliveries by the middle of this month. The key update is the 2.6L four-cylinder Mercedes-Benz sourced diesel mill tuned to produce more power and torque while being OBD2 compliant.
It now kicks out a maximum power output of 140 hp and 320 Nm of peak torque. The updated engine shows a significant boost in performance, now exceeding that of the three-door Mahindra Thar with its diesel powertrain. It pairs exclusively with a five-speed manual gearbox, and the addition of an automatic start/stop feature is expected to improve fuel efficiency. While the diesel variants of both models appear the same, the five-door version has a longer wheelbase.
The five-door variant is 425 mm longer, 15 mm taller, and has a wheelbase that’s also 425 mm longer than its three-door counterpart. The turning radius for the larger 4×4 is 6.3 meters, compared to 5.5 meters for the smaller version. Both SUVs have a water-wading capacity of 700 mm, and they share a departure angle of 37 degrees, a ramp angle of 29 degrees, and a gradability of 35 degrees.
Inside, the SUV now features a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system, replacing the previous seven-inch display. This new system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The interior also includes a new digital gauge cluster, a reverse parking camera, traction control, hill hold assist, three-point seatbelts for all passengers, dual front airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system, powered side mirrors, a new shift-on-the-fly 4WD knob, and manual front and rear differential lock levers.
The 2024 Force Gurkha features new 18-inch alloy wheels, which are larger than those on the previous model. While it retains the upright design elements, tall pillars, and tailgate-mounted spare wheel, it continues to sport the round LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights (DRLs), as well as vertically oriented tail lamps, now with LED treatment.
