The much-awaited real offroader is here. The legendary Force Gurkha in its 2021 iteration has been revealed and is surely a much-advanced upgrade from the previous generation. Earlier, it was a strict off-roader with very limited lifestyle abilities. But, Force has made sure that this iteration is able to compete with its rivals. Without further ado, let’s take a look at what all the all-new legendary off-roader has to offer.
Looks and design | The All-New Force Gurkha
With the all-new ladder-on-chassis frame, Gurkha gets a lot going in terms of design. You get an all-new front fascia with sunken LED jewel headlamps and the indicators are mounted on the bonnet.
From the side, you see the major change as this generation of the Force Gurkha gets a single glass panel at the rear with a wider visible area for the rear passengers. You will also see the well-integrated footboard and wheel arc cladding. You get to see the snorkel that comes as a standard with Gurkha which allows it to have excellent water wading capacity, we’ll get to it later. This Gurkha is wider (22mm) and taller (20mm) than its previous generation. The 124mm extra length is to meet the pedestrian safety guidelines.
As you reach the rear end, you see the all-new taillamps mounted on the body rather than on the bumper as seen in the previous generation. You will also see a newly designed bumper. Overall, it does look really appealing, especially when compared to the previous generation.
What are you going to get in the interior of the new Gurkha?
Although you might not find the interior very modern, it is surely a major upgrade from what it was in the previous generation. You get a new dashboard that goes all the way to the floor.
In the driver seat, you will have the tilt and telescopic steering wheel, but without any steering mounted controls. You get a digital tachometer in the instrument cluster and not in the central console as seen on the previous one. You are also going to get a tire pressure monitoring system on the right side of the instrument cluster. It feels aftermarket, but it gets the job done.
Coming to the central console, you get a new 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This also feels a bit aftermarket-ish. Other than that, you get the basic knobs, charging ports, basic round air-con vents and that’s it. On the floor, you get a basic gear lever, transfer case lever, and some storage spaces.
Next up, the seats. Both, the front row and the second row have captain seats. The seats are pretty good and ergonomic. Do note that you will have to enter from the rear door in order to get to the rear seats. The windows at the rear offer a great view but do not open. You also don’t get any air conditioning vents at the rear but the AC does the job right and keeps the cabin cool. You get a really good boot space but you will have to spend a lot of force getting heavy luggage up to that height.
Overall, if you are looking for something modern in terms of interior, you are going to get disappointed. Force Gurkha 2021 does get a major upgrade from the previous one, but it still is not as modern as you would want your SUV to be.
What powers the all-new Force Gurkha?
Under the hood, Gurkha gets a 2.6-liter diesel engine which can churn out 91hp of power @3,200rpm and 250Nm of torque @1,400-2,400rpm. Though the figures are decent at best, the low-end torque is really great and really helpful on the roads less traveled. You only get a 5-speed manual transmission. There is no automatic transmission on offer with the new Force Gurkha. You will get a manual differential lock on both axles which can come in handy in hardcore offroading.
Force Gurkha gets an ultimate water wading capacity of 700mm which is 500mm more than the Mahindra Thar. It also gets a gradeability of 35 degrees.
Overall, in terms of performance, the BS6 engine is more silent and has enough torque for offroading. An automatic transmission would have added to ease of use, but for old-school lovers, the manual is bliss. The differential locks and the transfer case really take the offroading to next level.
Verdict | Should you go for the all-new Force Gurkha?
Well, the all-new Gurkha is an upgrade from the previous one for sure. It’s not just an ultimate off-roader now but you do get, not a lot, but enough features to introduce it to your daily lifestyle. If you are looking for some serious offroading and are not bothered by the not-so-good interior and list of features, you should surely go for the Gurkha. Gurkha is still dependant largely on the driver rather than being dependant on sensors and a series of systems like the Mahindra Thar. We can expect the Gurkha to be priced between ₹11lakhs to ₹13lakhs (Ex-showroom).
Thar on the other hand has a better-planted stance, an automatic transmission, more powerful engines with a petrol engine too, and more features and comfort.
It really comes down to what you want. I expect that the Gurkha will have a much lesser waiting period when compared to Thar and those who are looking for some serious offroading fun can opt for Gurkha. Gurkha might not be the best bet if you want it as your daily car too.
