Touted to be one of the toughest SUVs in India that could take almost anything an accomplished off road driver could throw at it, the Force Gurkha, based on the legendary Mercedes Benz G-Wagen’s genes, was somewhat of a legend until Force Motors mysteriously decided to simply discontinue the product even as hopes of the new OM611 CRDI Diesel engine were running high. Now, the Indian off road enthusiasts have something to cheer about as Force Motors will relaunch the Force Gurkha in the next six months with a refresh.
Buying the previous generation Force Gurkha was an experience in itself. Force Motors, which practically didn’t have any personal vehicle dealership, meant that the Gurkha buyer had to order the Gurkha through one of Force Motors’ Commercial Vehicle dealers. Apart from the poor dealership experience, the Gurkha also came saddled with a six month waiting period, if Force Motors accepted your order in the first place that is. While the SUV’s mechanicals were pretty much bomb proof, it’s fit and finish on the interiors left much to be desired.
Confoundingly, Force Motors drivers used to drive the Gurkha all the way from the Force Motors’ factory at Pithampur to the customer’s city for customer deliveries. Now, a brand new SUV being at the mercy of the drivers for a couple of thousand kilometers isn’t exactly how you’d want your SUV to be delivered. At a price tag of almost INR 8 Lakhs, a Force Gurkha customer obviously expected a better deal on the interiors, which never materialized until the Gurkha was pulled off production. In the meantime, rumors abounded about the Force Gurkha getting the OM611 CRDI Diesel engine, which was first launched on the Force Traveler Passenger Carrier.
Even as enthusiasts fervently waited for the brand new engine, which brought in more refinement, performance and fuel economy aboard, to be offered on the Gurkha, the Gurkha was pulled off the production line quite abruptly, leaving many an off road enthusiast high and dry. Things seem to be moving in the right direction at Force Motors under Prasan Firodia’s leadership with him announcing that the gurkha would be relaunched soon.
We anticipate the OM611 CRDI Diesel engine to finally be available on the Force Gurkha along with improvement to the overall fit and finish levels. Also, the buying experience will undergo a massive improvement as Force now has a brand new passenger vehicles sales and service division with well trained staff who will ensure that buying a Gurkha would be a much more pleasant experience than ever before. So, if you’re in the market for a go-anywhere SUV that can actually be much more practical than the Mahindra Thar, time to start saving up.
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