Force Gurkha 5 door pickup spied in India

A Force pickup has been spotted testing on Indian roads. While the pickup truck was not covered in any camouflage material, it had a sign on the number plate that stated it was a test mule.

1. Pickup shares body style with the Force Gurkha 
2. Features a side opening tailgate

There are no images of the interior yet, but the exterior design of the pickup truck looks similar to the one revealed in Indonesia last year. The body resembles the 5-door Force Gurkha and even uses the same alloy wheel design. The dual cab design features a split window at the rear to allow access to the truck bed. However, an interesting feature is the fact that the truck's tailgate opens sideways instead of folding down, like in the case of the Hilux or the V-cross. 

Force Gurkha pickup engine, off-road equipment, suspension

Force Motors could use the same engine sourced from Mercedes-Benz to power the pickup truck. The 2.6-litre diesel engine generates 91hp and 250Nm of torque, although it could be tuned differently for the Gurkha pickup.

Force could also offer the pickup truck with its range of off-road tech such as locking differentials and a factory-fitted snorkel. The rear suspension will most likely be tweaked to deal with the additional payloads that the pickup will have to deal with. 

Force Gurkha pickup launch, price and rivals

There is no official comment from Force Motors about the launch of its pickup, but the lifestyle pickup segment has boomed in recent years with the Isuzu V-Cross and the Toyota Hilux attracting buyers with the possibilities this platform offers. The Mahindra Scorpio Getaway and the Tata Xenon are no longer offered in the market and it seems like Force could capitalise on this gap in the market.

The Force pickup was showcased last year in Indonesia and it could be revealed in India this year. The 5-door Gurkha SUV, which was unveiled in Indonesia as the Ksatria SUV, has been spied multiple times in India and could be launched this year as well.