2024 New Force Gurkha 5-Door Road Test Review – Way before the Thar 5-Door comes
Force Motors has been a important part of the Indian automobile industry since ages, known for their commercial vehicles and also known to build engines for Mercedes-Benz India, BMW India and some components for Rolls Royce too. One other thing that they are known for is the Gurkha which is their full sized brute go anywhere SUV that has also been around since long. With the BS-6 Phase 2 norms in place Force Motors has not only got the Gurkha in the 5-door form along with the 3-door form both complaint to the latest norms with this update but also got a long list of updates to the go anywhere SUV. We head to Sunny and beautiful Goa to get you our first drive review of the 2024 Force Gurkha right here.
Food for Thought
Force Gurkha first went into production in 2008 while the second generation went into production in 2013 which was BS3 complaint as per its time. Then came the next version of the SUV from 2017 to 2021. The Gurkha has always been powered by the Mercedes-Benz OM 611 4-cylinder CRDI Diesel engine while the styling and looks have always also been based on the iconic Mercedes G-Wagon. The Gurkhas are in good heavy use in the Indian Army due to their rugged no nonsense capability.
Exterior
One look at the Gurkha and you realize this is the Desi version of the Mercedes G-Wagon. The flat body panels, the brute road presence, the dominating size everything instantly draws your attention to it. The 5-door Gurkha is a lot larger than the 3-door version in terms of length and wheelbase. Other dimensions remain the same.
In terms of looks you get the mesh design front grille with GURKHA branding in chrome on it in bold, round LED headlights with multi LED DRL around them, clamshell type bonnet lid along with unique G Wagon like side marker lights that are placed on the top of the fenders. The front bumpers come finished in black and get round fog lamps placed on them along with mesh type air dams in the middle. The ground clearance is now raised to 233mm which gives a massive clearance to the Gurkha, you can infact see the all metal skid plate in the front.
The sides of the Gurkha is mainly stylized with flat body panels, new upsized 18 inch wheels, massive wheel fenders left unpainted that extend out, unique opening door handles, heavy duty side step and a massive glass area which includes a fixed glass for the third row on the 5-door Gurkha.
You also get a factory fitted Snorkel air intake which helps keep the engine running when the Gurkha is doing water wading with water levels above the bonnet. There also is a metal windshield guard which is an accessory and a massive roof carrier with a tool kit too which makes the Gurkha look extremely brute and invincible. The fender gets the 2.6CR badge signifying the 2600cc CRDI heart and also a 4X4X4 badge above the rear wheel.
The rear profile key highlight is the full sized spare wheel with alloys mounted on the 5th door, step up ladder to go on to the roof, chunky tail lamps, large rear glass and a big bumper that gets a special step to enter in. rear windshield gets a wiper and a stop lamp too. Rear door opens side ways and gets a bold Gurkha branding on it.
Interiors
To get into the Gurkha you need to climb into it stepping on the step-board, once inside you will be welcomed into a massive cabin area that is basic but practical. Flat dashboard gets round adjustable AC vents and 10.25 inch touch screen AVN system that runs on android and is sourced from Nippon. The digital instrument screen is also a welcome addition which has all the needed read outs for the SUV’s vitals. What we missed on the screens was a digital compass & outside temperature indicator. The center dash gets the climate control unit with rotary knobs. The steering is a large 3 spoke unit with height adjusts. Leather wrap is sorely missed and also are the MFD buttons on here. Wing mirrors get electronic adjust but don’t fold electrically, never the less they are good large in size.
The center console gets the 5-speed shifter, all four power window control buttons and the new electronic shift 4×4 knob. You also have the front and rear differential lock manual shifters along with loads of storage space and cubby holes.  Seats get fabric upholstery with loads of space, comfort and support on the front seats. Extending the seat comfort are the two individual adjustable arm rests. Driver’s seat could have got height adjust which is sorely missed. Door pads get some storage space on them which can fit in small water bottles with some little effort.
Middle row seats get a foldable arm rest, two head rests and comes with good amount of space, what we missed was an adjust for the backrest angle which would add more comfort here. There is a roof mounted blower with adjustable fan speed which helps matter in summers largely.
Getting into the third row is via the boot, you get two captain seats, seating on these seats is slightly higher due to the rising floor area, good comfort but again missing on the adjust for backrest and reach is evident. The cabin area is huge and going with the DNA of the Gurkha the updates here are more then welcome, quality and fit finish are a step or two better than the out going model which is a good sign too.
Engine – Drive – 4X4 Off-Road
Powering the 2024 Force Gurkha is the same 2.6L Mercedes based CRDI Diesel engine. This 4-cylinder engine now makes 140PS of power and 320Nm of torque a lot more than its previous tune all this mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Needless to say this engine is now BS-VI Phase-II complaint so more power, more eco friendliness but how is it to drive?
Start the engine using the key starter and the mighty engine roars to life, there is a kind of meaty purr from the engine. This is a no nonsense hardcore off road SUV which you need to remember all the time when driving it and only then you will enjoy it to the fullest. The gear shifts are on the harder side but then that how the SUV enthusiasts like it, the steering is also tuned to the harder side offering stiff feedback again well suited for off roading, clutch action is pretty decent for a engine of this capacity.
We did some Off road driving on the track that was created for us and the Gurkha did the entire maneuver in extra ease. You get the 4×4 electronic shift which makes life extra easy when you want them, previously you had to shift using the stalk which was more tedious. The basic design of the Gurkha is such that it helps it glide over any difficult terrain easily coupled with heavy duty coil suspension on each wheel aided with the powerful engine and the 4×4 mechanism while the snorkel will help you conquer water wading of upto 700mm which is best in class. The Gurkha is so capable beast that we could climb the sharp inclines on the off road circuit in reverse gear too with ease in 4L mode.
On the tarmac in daily use the Gurkha drives well, power delivery is a tad bit slow but then once in the power band the Gurkha is unstoppable. Cabin noise could be better and the same with the body roll to but then the SUV is built for a cause and that cause is extreme off roading which it does more than handsomely.
Verdict
The Mahindra Thar is inspired from the Jeep Wrangler and the Force Gurkha is from the Mercedes G Wagon, both of them go head to head with the Gurkha getting the 5-door version which is awaited for the Thar. The Gurkha gets a long list of updates technical, features, comfort and looks. We think if you want a out and out SUV that is unstoppable and can go places where others will think twice then the New Gurkha is the perfect option for you right now and yes it is a real beast waiting to be tamed, your perfect getaway SUV.
Words – Ritesh Madhok
Photography, Video & Edits – Tarun Madhok
