Force Motors might start deliveries of Gurkha in India, in June

The Force Gurkha was launched in February, last year,at the SIAM International Bus and Utility Show. Force Motors had announced the price to be Rs 6.25 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and started accepting bookings of the SUV, but surprisingly, the car never hit the showroom. Now according to reports, Force Motors will start deliveries of the Gurkha by next month. 

During the launch, the Gurkha housed a Mercedes-Benz derived 2.6-litre turbocharged diesel engine under the hood, which produces 85bhp and 230Nm of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. 

This 2.6-litre engine is BS-III compliant and according to the report, Force Motors is planning to add an extra variant to the line-up which will be powered by a BS-IV compliant engine. This means that the sale of the Force Gurkha won’t be limited just to Tier-II and Tier-III cities and customers from metros will also be able to buy one. 

Inside, the Gurkha is equipped with power steering, air-conditioning and a new dashboard with dual-tone finish. The Gurkha will be available in three guises, two soft-top and a top-of-the-line hard-top version. In line with the off-road pedigree, the Gurkha gets locking differentials (front and rear), ladder frame chassis, transfer case, snorkel exhaust, fog lamps and a ground clearance of 210mm. 

The Force Gurkha is a new version of the original car, which was sold between 2008 and 2010 and has been revived on account of the increased demand for adventure and off-roading vehicles. Apart from Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, which is petrol-powered and is available only on order, the Mahindra Thar currently enjoys monopoly in this offbeat segment. The Gurkha with its extreme off-roading ability is sure to give tough competition to the Thar.