2018 Force Gurkha Review
Car Tested: 2018 Force Gurkha; Road Test No. 936
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 10.85 – 12.27 lakhs
The Force Gurkha is a crazy and fun off-road SUV, had a total blast driving it
It is not everyday that you get to drive a car that is something quite out of the ordinary. Something that is outdated, crude, basic, unrefined and yet has the ability to tug your heart strings. Yes, I’m talking about this bright green SUV that is now resting in my parking, only after being driven for hundreds of kms on the road, off the road and in the air too, for a few seconds that is!
Motor Quest: The Force Gurkha is a very popular SUV in India and a lot of people in tier-2 and tier-3 cities buy it to ferry passengers. However, the automaker then went on to launch the Xplorer and Xpedition versions of the SUV and these are targeted towards a set of customers who live in urban areas and want a lifestyle SUV that also doubles up as a good off-roader.
There are quite a few similarities with the G-Wagen
Exteriors – The design of the Gurkha is boxy and the looks are rugged. The Gurkha takes its design inspiration from the Mercedes G-Wagen and is available in the Xplorer and Xpedition variants. The Xplorer is available in 3-door or 5-door body styles while the Xpedition is available in a 5-door layout only. What catches your attention immediately is the factory-fitted snorkel. Our test car had a lot of accessories such as a carrier, ladder, jerry can holder, shovel, axe, etc. and even had “Built For War” written. The alloy wheels also have a striking design and thus the Gurkha proved to be a huge head-turner on our roads. The car is so high, you need to be careful with the carrier because when we took it to a mall, it actually grazed the ceiling in the parking lot!
Except an AC, there’s no other feature in the Force Gurkha
Interiors – The cabin of the Force Gurkha is as basic as it can get. The dashboard has been put together in a very crude fashion and even the quality of materials and fit-finish is nothing to write about. Everything is super basic, there are hardly any features on offer and the Gurkha feels totally bare-bones on the inside. The instrument cluster is simple and easy to read but the tachometer is placed between the centre AC vents and there is no backlight for the tacho which renders it completely useless at night.
Quality inside the cabin is absolutely below par
The Force Gurkha’s cabin doesn’t feel like it’s made for a Rs. 12 lakh car
Thankfully, the Gurkha at least gets an AC but it cools the cabin nicely only when the vehicle is moving and its performance goes down when the car is idling. There is no audio system, no safety features, not even central locking on offer! In fact, I had to get down and open the tail gate with the key for a security check when I had gone to a 5-star hotel. You do get a basic 12V charging socket though. The horn isn’t loud at all and sounds like it is meant for an entry-level hatchback. There aren’t many storage spaces and cupholders too.
The rear seats are not at all comfy even for short trips
Talking about comfort, well the front seats are decent enough for day to day usage but I did find the lower back support not upto the mark, especially on long drives. The seat cushioning is on the softer side which is a good thing. The driving position is very high and you get a very clear view ahead. The Xplorer is available in 4+1, 5+1 and 7+1 seating configurations and our test car had the 5+1 setup, which means there are 2 side facing seats at the rear. However, the seats are downright disappointing when it comes to comfort. Moreover, safety is also a concern because there are no seat belts. For rear passengers, there’s a grab rail on the ceiling of the car.
The Force Gurkha isn’t very quick and should have had more power
Performance – The Force Gurkha gets a Mercedes 2.6-litre, 4-cylinder, diesel engine that puts out 85 HP at 3200 RPM and 230 Nm from 1400-2400 RPM. The engine is very loud and a lot of engine noise can be heard inside the cabin. Driveability is good at the low-end of the RPM band but the vehicle takes forever to gather pace when you’re out on the highways. While 80 km/hr comes up in a decent enough time, the run to 100 km/hr takes infinity and beyond which makes it a struggle to get the car to high speeds. According to our VBOX tests, we managed a 0-100 km/hr timing of 28.67 seconds.
The engine is noisy and struggles to reach high speeds
When you take the Gurkha off the road, you forget all its negatives
But, this is the Force Gurkha that I’m talking about, a car which is meant for off-roading. And boy does it shine in formidable conditions! The Gurkha makes every obstacle, every climb feel like a piece of cake and tackles whatever you ask it to. While it comes with a low range mode and manually lockable differentials at the front and rear, most of the time we used only 2WD and still cleared many obstacles. The levers for the locking differentials are very hard and it is quite a task to use them though. Gravel, sand, mud, water, take the Gurkha wherever you want to and it won’t disappoint you with its abilities and this is what makes the SUV so much fun to drive. On a particular climb, we went flat out on the throttle and the way it jumped was epic.
The Gurkha hasn’t been designed keeping day-to-day road usage in mind
Talking about the gearbox, it is a manual 5-speed unit. The throws are very long and far from slick. It is a big effort to slot into 2nd or reverse and this becomes irritating, especially when you need to keep shifting to 2nd in traffic. The clutch is very light though which is a relief because you get tired of all the heavy gear shifts and manoeuvring with the steering, which again is very heavy. On the fuel efficiency front, expect no more than 10-12 km/l under regular usage.
The way it performs off the road is just something else
Driving Dynamics – As I mentioned earlier, the steering is on the heavier side. The SUV has decent stability at high speeds but as expected, there is a lot of body roll and obviously you cannot go corner carving with this one. What really impressed me is the ride quality which is very good for our roads and absorbs all kinds of potholes, craters, broken roads, no roads, etc. with ease. The tyres are also quite grippy but the brakes aren’t that great under hard braking situations.
Airbags? ABS? What’s that?
Safety and After Sales Service – The Force Gurkha doesn’t have any safety features like airbags, ABS and the likes. It gets disc brakes at the front and drums at the rear. Talking about Force’s after-sales service, the automaker has a couple of service stations in almost every metro and tier-2 city and the Gurkha is generally known as a reliable SUV.
Buy the Gurkha only if you want to do hard-core off-roading
Verdict – The Force Gurkha isn’t a very polished car but there is no denying the fact that it provides endless fun and makes every off-road trip a memorable fun. However, it just isn’t practical to live with on a day-to-day basis unless you install a lot of accessories. If you’re someone who wants to do mild off-roading, there are many better and safer options out there but if you need a car that can tackle some serious terrain and don’t mind its shortcomings, the Force Gurkha is the car to buy because it won’t disappoint in these areas.
The Gurkha is a total attention seeker with all the accessories
What’s Cool
* I love the way it looks, total rugged design
* Ride quality is very good on and off the road
* Very engaging to drive off the road, never fails to impress
What’s Not So Cool
* The cabin feel 2 decades old
* More power from the engine won’t hurt
Alternatives: Mahindra Thar
The driving position is very high, you feel like you’re driving a mini bus
2018 Force Gurkha Specifications
* Engine: 2596cc, 4-cyl, TCIC, Diesel
* Power: 85 HP @ 3200 RPM
* Torque: 230 Nm @ 1400-2400 RPM
* Transmission: 5-Speed MT
* Fuel Consumption: 10-12 km/l
* Fuel Type: Diesel
* 0-100 km/hr: 28.67 seconds
* Suspension: Independent with Coil Springs (Front), Multilink with Pan Hard Rod and Coil Springs (Rear)
* Tyres: 245/70/16
* Brakes: Discs (Front) & Drums (Rear)
* Safety: None
2018 Force Gurkha Dimensions
* Overall length x width x height: 3992 mm X 1790 mm X 2055 mm
* Wheelbase: 2400 mm
* Ground Clearance: 162 mm
* Weight: 2510 kgs (Gross)
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 63-litres
What would be your pick – Force Gurkha or Mahindra Thar?
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