New Force Gurkha 4X4 review, test drive

We get a quick impression of Force Motors' new off-roader.

Published on Apr 11, 2013 07:54:00 PM

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And gearshifts are something you'll tire of in the Gurkha – apart from the incredibly long throws (which makes rocking a stuck vehicle back and forth almost impossible), the gearbox is rather vague and needs a lot of effort to operate.The same goes for the gearlever that operates the transfer case.

Nonetheless, the suspension seems pretty sorted. The Gurkha displayed a well-controlled ride over the Belgian pave track with little pitch from the front and just a bit of kick from the rear. As for the handling, the Gurkha uses a power-assisted, worm-and-roller steering mechanism that makes for a deliberately low-geared steering. That means plenty of turns lock to lock and slow responses. And, thanks to its two-metre height and relatively narrow width, it isn't particularly happy when going around corners fast. Which is fine – this is an off-roader, not a corner carver.

Speaking of which, as an off-roader, it is really impressive. Force Motors says it has an approach, ramp-over and departure angle of 37,29 and 34 degrees respectively, and ground clearance stands at 210mm. In 4x4 low mode, it can climb a 40-degree slope, and the engine's low speed idling has been calibrated to allow it to climb a 25-degree slope without any throttle inputs.

On Force Motor's specially constructed off-road track, the Gurkha simply felt unstoppable. We took it through deep holes, had two wheels in the air occasionally, made it climb a 40-degree slope, down a 35-degree slope and drove through water. If it ever got stuck, tugging the pull-type, manually engaged differential locks would get us going again. Still, we did notice that wheel articulation isn't great.