Force Gurkha Review: A ‘Force’ To Reckon With?

Guess who's back with a makeover? The Force Gurkha struts onto the scene, masquerading as the desi cousin of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. It has a souped-up engine, beefed-up torque, tinkered with the suspension, sprinkled on some premium touches, and boom! The good old folks at Force are now talking big, suggesting the Gurkha's got enough oomph to make rivals bolt. But let's not take their word for it. Time for a reality check!

Force Gurkha: Exterior

So, here’s what Force is trying to achieve with the Gurkha. A 5-door version to rival the upcoming Thar with a similar number of doors, and a 3-door version to rival the existing one. And of course, there’s the Maruti Suzuki Jimny as well, but that’s a different story altogether. Round LED headlamps, a boxy silhouette and a grille that screams "Gurkha" from a mile away are all retained from the outgoing model.

It’s now updated to bigger 18-inch wheels from the previous 17 inches, which makes a massive difference, but more importantly, the all-terrain wheels give it serious stance goals. While the massive gap between the wheel arches helps during off-roading and prevents the suspension from maxing out, the entire point of the Gurkha now is to cater to a family of four or seven.

There’s no dearth of ground clearance either — an incredible 233 mm, and of course the dimensions cater to it being a serious off-roader. It’s even better than that of the Mahindra Thar, at 226 mm, so that gives it a slight edge. A 35-degree approach, 37-degree departure and 28-degree ramp over angle, the Gurkha doesn’t try to disguise its intentions in any way, and I love that. Yes, Force has got this part right, there’s no doubting it, but there’s some exaggeration when it calls it a ‘lifestyle SUV’. Because it’s not!

Force Gurkha: Tech & Interior

You’ll need to make the most of the footstep and grab bar at the A-pillar to work your way into the high-set cabin, as getting in & out of the car is an exercise. But the large steering wheel stares back at you, so getting into the driver’s seat becomes a bit of a task for a person my size. Once inside, you will like the old-school charm with a hint of modernity, the 4WD gear lever is swapped out for a rotary dial.

The classic all-black vibe inside is a nice touch, but the new 9-inch screen from Nippon feels like a last-minute addition. No 360-degree camera, No useful off-roading info, and no Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as the company claims. Instead, you're stuck downloading an app just to see your phone's screen on the display. The 3-door Gurkha's back seat can be accessed via a side-hinged rear door, and you need to do a little duck-walk manoeuvre to get there.

The space in the back though is roomy enough for even the tallest of folks to stretch out comfortably with adjustable backrests and armrests. Things are slightly tricky in the long-wheelbase version. You get a bench seat for the second row that seats three, but the raised suspension and a flat floorboard heavily compromise on the comfort level. Sadly, the second row does not slide to or fro. There’s very little to no room for the knee which is not an ideal scenario for taller passengers.

Third-row access is again from the rear door and has two captain seats, but it’s not very spacious here either and it is surely not ideal for longer journeys.

Force Gurkha: Off-Road Capability

But the Gurkha isn’t about features and equipment but rather about going where no one can. So, Force whipped up a neat little course for us to play on, nothing too fancy but enough to show off the Gurkha’s prowess. In the Gurkha’s off-road arsenal are rear and front diff locks. Locking it though is a real bicep workout requiring a solid tug and a firm twist of a lever at the centre console.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to explore this much, nor could I test out its claimed 700 mm water wading depth, but the independent suspension comes into its own and overcomes most of the obstacles in either 2-High or 4-Low. The low-speed idling is calibrated to allow it to climb without any throttle inputs. You'd practically have to go out of your way to get into trouble with the Gurkha, and even if you manage it, this beast still reigns supreme. It achieves much more in two-wheel drive, always providing excellent visibility.

Force Gurkha: Engine & Transmission

Out on the road, the Gurkha impresses with its mega road presence. The Mercedes-sourced 2.6-litre diesel engine is uprooted to give out more power and torque than before. That’s an increase of 48 bhp and 70 Nm, achieved by remapping the ECU, installing new fuel injectors, and improving the airflow.

Performance is not the Gurkha’s forte, and that’s fine because with the bumped-up power on both the 3- & 5-door versions, so there’s an ample amount of grunt, there’s ample power on tap mostly in the low to mid-range and tops out once you reach the 3000 rpm.

The best part is that you don’t need to reach that far up, it eases up around 2200-2500 rpm and that’s where you need to stick around and still be very comfortable. It doesn’t have the road finesse as the Thar, but it does its job well and knows exactly where its expertise lies. The 3-door version weighs 2800 kg while the 5-door version is over 3 tonnes, Force says there’s an added 120 kg over the predecessor.

Force Gurkha: Prices & Verdict

Force says it listened to its customers and made necessary changes. With a market launch in the first week of May, the bookings are now open at an initial token amount of ₹25,000. Agreed, there’s no better off-roader than the Gurkha at present in the market and no, I don’t think the Thar or even the Jimny (gets only petrol option) come close to what this beast can achieve.

But I highly disagree with the fact that Force calls this a lifestyle SUV. It’s not, and it shouldn’t be one either. Forget the frills and fluff—when it comes down to it, the Gurkha couldn't care less about the fancy bells and whistles. However, at ₹16.75 for the 3-door and ₹18 lakh (ex-showroom, India) for the 5-door, the Gurkha is an expensive proposition, as the Mahindra Thar LX Hard Top Diesel MT 4WD, costs ₹15.75 lakh (ex-showroom, India), and that's a lakh less, with way more features than the former. As a lifestyle SUV, the Gurkha doesn't even come close to the Thar or even the Jimny, both offer way more in terms of creature comforts, but if you mean serious business, and exploring places where roads cease to exist, there's nothing better than the Gurkha. Period.