Force Motors has launched the Gurkha SUV.

The Gurkha is powered by Mercedes-Benz's 2.6-litre OM616-based diesel engine, which does duty in various other Force Motors products as well. The engine is good for 81bhp at 3200rpm and 23.45kgm at 1800rpm, and comes mated to a five-speed manual gearbox,

Styling updates include an fresh front section with redesigned headlights and a new grille. It also comes with roof rails, and alloy wheels taken from the Force One SUV. There's also an improvement in quality as far as interiors are concerned.

The OM616-powered Gurkha is currently available only as a BS-III version, with a BS-IV variant expected later. Three variants are on offer. Two soft-top six-seaters — one with 4WD and the other with 2WD — and a hard-top five seater with 4WD. The chief competitor to the Gurkha is the Mahindra Thar, which is available with a BS-III-compliant direct-injection diesel motor as well as a more powerful BS-IV CRDe unit. 

The prices for the Force Gurkha are — Rs 8.5 lakh for the 4WD Hard Top, Rs 8.35 lakh for the 4WD Soft Top, and Rs 6.25 lakh for the 2WD Soft Top (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi).