After taking the SUV off the shelves for more than a year, Force Motors has finally revealed the heavily updated Gurkha and it's now available in two body styles – 3-door and 5-door. Besides the introduction of the Gurkha 5-door, the company has also taken the opprtunity to refresh the design, add quite a few new features and, most importantly, plonk a more powerful engine that meets emission norms.
One of the major reasons for the Gurkha's haitus was that the 2.6-litre diesel engine did not meet the more stringent BS6 2.0 norms that came into effect last year on April 1. Naturally, the Mercedes-sourced engine now meets the new emission norms, thanks to the usage of AdBlue.
- Gurkha now powered by 140hp, 320Nm engine with auto start-stop
- Gurkha 5-door has a 425mm longer wheelbase than 3-door
- Both get new 18-inch wheels, 9-inch touchscreen, digital instrument cluster
Force Gurkha now 50 percent more powerful
Powering both the Gurkha 3-door and 5-door is the same Mercedes-sourced 2.6-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine, however, with a 50 percent increase in power output. This engine now puts out 140hp; 49hp more than the outgoing model, while peak torque output has gone up to 320Nm. This makes the Gurkha more powerful than the Mahindra Thar, which has a 132hp, 300Nm, 2.2-litre diesel engine.
However, unlike the Thar, which gets an automatic gearbox option, the Gurkha's engine continues to be mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard. There is an auto start-stop system that should improve the new Gurkha’s fuel efficiency figures.
Force Gurkha 5-door, 3-door design near-idential
The overall boxy design language of the Gurkha remains unchanged. Both the 3-door and 5-door versions get circular LED headlamps (with cornering and follow-me-home functions) and DRLs, along with a two-slat grille up front with the Gurkha nameplate. Moving to the sides, the 5-door version has a 2,825mm long wheelbase; 425mm longer than the 3-door, helping it incorporate the additional rear doors. The Gurkha 5-door is also 425mm longer overall, 15mm taller, and has a 6.3m turning radius, compared to the 3-door's 5.5m. On every other metric – from the 750mm and 815mm front and rear overhangs to the 700mm water wading ability (thanks to the standard snorkle intake), 37-degree departure angle, 29-degree rampover angle and 35-degree gradability – the 5-door and 3-door are the same.
The updated Gurkha gets new 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels (shod in 255/65 R18 tyres) as opposed to the 16-inch wheels that were previously on offer. The rear fascia of the Gurkha 3-door and 5-door is also identical with vertical tail-lamps (now with LEDs), a tailgate mounted spare wheel and a ladder to access the roof rack. Both models will be offered with four exterior colour options – green, red, white and black.
Force Gurkha interior now more upmarket, feature-rich
The dashboard layout is quite similar to the outgoing model, but there’s a new, larger 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system that replaces the 7.0-inch unit, and gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. In addition, the Gurkha now gets a digital instrument cluster, powered ORVMs, tilt and telescopic sterring adjust, and a rear camera, along with a tyre pressure monitoring system, which shows the pressure of even the spare tyre mounted on the tailgate, traction control and hill-hold assist. Dual front airbags and three-point seat belts for all passengers are also included.
There’s also a new shift-on-the-fly 4WD knob positioned next to the driver’s seat on the centre console replacing the manually operated transfer case seen on its predecessor. The Gurkha retains its front and rear manual diff lock levers. While the 3-door version continues to be a four-seater, the Gurkha 5-door gets a seven-seat layout with a bench-type seat in the middle row and two captain seats in the third row.
Force Gurkha rivals other lifestyle SUVs
The Gurkha 3-door continues to go up against the Mahindra Thar, while the 5-door version will soon be joined by the upcoming Mahindra Thar Armada (Thar 5-door) in the segment. The Gurkha also faces competition from the Maruti Suzuki Jimny.
Force Motors is offering a 3-year/1.5 lakh km warranty with the Gurkha, which includes four free services and 1-year free roadside assistance.
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