Force Motors has released a first teaser of the upcoming Gurkha 5-door SUV. The brand has been testing the Gurkha 5-door for a long time, with test mules having been spotted across the country in different pre-production stages. Autocar India can now confirm that the Force Gurkha 5-door will finally launch in India by mid-2024.
- Force Gurkha 5-door in the works since 2022
- To feature some cosmetic changes over Gurkha 3-door
Force Gurkha 5-door: design changes
Test mules have revealed that the Force Gurkha 5-door will feature some new design elements over the Gurkha 3-door, including new square headlamps that replace the circular units. However, the two-slat grille will be carried over. The lifestyle SUV will now be equipped with 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels as opposed to the 16-inch wheels seen on the 3-door version. Front and rear bumpers might also be revised.
Apart from that, and two additional rear doors, no other major exterior changes are expected.
Force Gurkha 5-door: new 4WD gear, 7-seat layout
While the overall cabin layout is expected to remain unchanged, a previous test mule revealed that the Gurkha 5-door will be equipped with a shift-on-the-fly 4WD knob positioned next to the driver’s seat on the centre console. In contrast, the Gurkha 3-door came equipped with separate front and rear diff-lock levers, along with a manually operated transfer case positioned behind the gear lever.
Force could offer the Gurkha 5-door with multiple seating layouts: a 5-seater two-row version, a 6-seater three-row version as well as a 7-seater three-row iteration with two individual captain's chairs for the third row and a bench seat for the second row. The 5-door iteration will have a 2,825mm long wheelbase, which is 425mm longer than the 3-door version.
The Gurkha 5-door is expected to carry over the Mercedes-sourced 2.6-litre diesel engine that has been on offer with the Gurkha 3-door with a 5-speed manual transmission.
Force Gurkha 5-door: launch timeline, price, rivals
According to our sources, the Force Gurkha 5-door will be launched in India in the first quarter of the next financial year. The SUV will have no direct rivals in the market upon arrival, but will face some competition from the Maruti Suzuki Jimny. The segment will soon be joined by the highly anticipated Mahindra Thar 5-door that's also set to be launched by mid-2024.
The Force Gurkha 3-door's last known price was Rs 15.10 lakh (ex-showroom), however, the lifestyle SUV hasn't been available since the BS6 Phase II emissions norms came into effect on April 1 last year. The Gurkha 5-door could carry a premium of Rs 1 lakh-1.5 lakh over the 3-door version of the SUV.
Also see:
Citroen Basalt coupe SUV global debut on March 27
Force Motors testing at least 4 different Gurkha-based SUVs