Force Motors has launched a new Gurkha which now conforms to BS-IV emission norms. Available in three- and five-door body styles and two variants – Xplorer and Xpedition – the Gurkha features minor styling changes to the exterior along with a host of new mechanicals.
In terms of styling, the noticeable changes to the exterior are the new front and rear bumpers and a new grille up front. The SUV also comes fitted with all-terrain tyres as standard. The overall design, though, remains familiar to the previous model.
Inside, changes to the cabin include a new steering wheel design, new gear lever and new air-con controls on the centre console.
The Xplorer is available in both three- and five-door body styles while the Xpedition is available only as a five-door.
The three-door model can be optioned as either a hard top or with a fabric soft top with a choice of seating configurations ranging from a four plus driver to a seven plus driver seating arrangement. The five-door model, on the other hand, is available as a hard top only in ether a six- or an eight-seat configuration, excluding the driver.
As per Force, the 2017 Gurkha is based on a new ladder-frame chassis, along with a new suspension setup. At the front, the SUV gets new independent struts with gas-charged shock absorbers and an anti-roll bar, while at the rear, it comes with a new multi-link setup that also features gas-charged hydraulic shocks and an anti-roll bar.
The Gurkha carries on with the 85hp, 2.6-litre diesel engine with the unit now BS-IV compatible and paired with a new five-speed manual gearbox sending power to either the rear or all-four wheels.
Of the two variants offered, the Xplorer is the serious off-roader and comes equipped with four-wheel drive with low range and locking front and rear differentials. The Xpedition, on the other hand, is rear wheel drive.
The Gurkha Xpedition is priced at Rs 8.38 lakh while the Xplorer is priced at Rs 9.36 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Dipan Sur
Glenn Noronha
Dhruv Dhaka
