Force Gurkha is the main rival to the Mahindra Thar. However, it has been missing from the Indian market for the past year. This is because it was discontinued because of the BS6 emission norms and then because of the COVID-19 pandemic the launch got postponed. Finally, Force has now officially released a teaser of the upcoming Gurkha.
The teaser is a short one. We can see the new Gurkha in the teaser and we also get a first look at its LED Daytime Running Lamps. They are the same ones that we saw at the Auto Expo 2020. The teaser also says “Coming Soon”. Force will be launching the Gurkha on 15th September.
Gurkha has been spotted testing on our Indian roads quite a few times. The Gurkha has been spied in Orange, Red, Forest Green, Black and White. So, there are a few exciting colours that Force will be offering with the Gurkha.
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We also know some of the specifications of the new Gurkha. It will be equipped with a 2.6-litre diesel engine that will produce 90 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 260 Nm. It will come mated to only a 5-speed manual gearbox. It will come with 4×4 and a low-range gearbox as standard. There will be a rear locking differential to enhance the off-road capability of the SUV. It will also get a snorkel that will increase the water wading capacity of the Gurkha. Suspension duties will be done by an independent suspension at the front and a rigid axle at the rear.
There will also be design updates to the SUV. It is now expected to come with LED headlamps that will give the SUV a more modern look. The body panels now also look a bit smoother when compared to the earlier generation. There will be changes to the interior also. It is expected to have an all-black theme. There will be a new touchscreen infotainment system. As of now, we do not know whether it will support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It will now also come with front-facing rear seats which are more comfortable than side-facing seats. However, the SUV will still have a three-door design. So, the rear occupants would have to climb into the rear seats.
It is expected that Force will also offer quite a few accessories with the SUV. You would be able to get it with off-road tyres, windshield protector, side steps, roof racks and a ladder. All of this is done will help in making the SUV more off-road friendly. You would also be able to get it with alloy wheels. However, people who do off-roading prefer steel wheels over alloy wheels.
The overall look of the Gurkha still resembles a lot with the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. Force is expected to price Gurkha more aggressively than the Thar. The older generation of Gurkha was priced from Rs 9.99 lakh to Rs 13.30 lakh. The new generation of Mahindra Thar starts at Rs. 12.78 lakhs ex-showroom.
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