In my latest test drive, I had the opportunity to drive the Force Gurkha Xplorer. Force Motors calls this vehicle an extreme off-road vehicle. We put the vehicle in all extreme phases to find out how extreme can this Gurkha get. First thing first, let’s talk about how does it look.
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Force Gurkha is a serious off-roader inspired by the legendary G-Wagen. It is an old school 4X4 with simple and better looking front face. The factory-fitted snorkel and beefier tires further make its intentions clear. The three-door set up along with the flared wheel arches and wide stance talks about its personality. Beneath the Gurkha is a ladder-frame chassis. All these flavours together make the Gurkha look a little less sophisticated and more rugged.
Interiors are disappointing!!! It is just a big pile of poorly made, flimsy plastic. However interior talks a lot about functionality, the front seats are comfortable and there is even a small tachometer in the middle of the dashboard. In one word, interior looks like something built by bus-body manufacturers. Basic amenities are fulfilled like pre-tensioned front seat belts, heating and air-conditioning, and a 12V port to charge your devices. The driving position was quite awkward with the slightly upward facing steering which makes you feel that your in a truck.
Force Gurkha is powered by a 2.6-litre turbo-diesel motor which is BS 4 compliant and a lot more refined than expected. Surprisingly smooth with barely any vibrations creeping into the cabin. The throttle is very sensitive with good low-end torque. The 85 hp/230Nm engine may feel a bit underpowered on paper. However for the off-road bashing its a lot more satisfying if you can forgive that fact that you really have to work the gearbox to keep some pace on the highway.
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The wow factor of the Gurkha is its manually lockable differentials on both front and rear axles. Engaging and disengaging the diff locks is a bit of a pain. But once you manage to find your gears you get an incredible low-speed off-road ability. The Gurkha crawls its way out of any steep embankments effortlessly like a mountain goat.
On the highway, its sweet spot lies at the 80-100kph range however after 3200 rpm the vehicle feels numb. The Gurkha does the traffic-crawl very well. The clutch pedal is not too heavy nor too light. The steering is light. The turning radius is tight, and the upright, straight design makes all-around visibility wonderful. The Gurkha does behave rather well on the road and as promised, it delivers best-in-class ride quality.
The Gurkha is a hardcore and very focused off-road machine that has nothing to do with comfort and value. Priced at Rs 12.5 lakh (on-road, Bangalore), the Gurkha is not a value for money package . In fact, it is pricier than the Thar which is something of a similar genre. But if you are looking for an extreme off-roader within six-figure price range Force Gurkha could be a perfect match .
Specs
- Engine: 2596cc, 4-cyl turbo diesel
- Power: 84bhp at 3200rom
- Torque: 230Nm at 1400-2400rpm
- Transmission: 5M, 4WD
- Weight: 2510kgs
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