Force Motors’ Gurkha off-roader is to go on sale from September 2014. However, the company has already shipped around 300 units to Africa in April 2014.
The Gurkha is powered by the 2.6-litre Mercedes OM 616-derived turbo-charged intercooled engine mated to a five-speed synchromesh transmission and 4WD with hi-lo option. The vehicle comes equipped with differential locks on both front and rear axles and also gets an air intake ‘snorkel’ to ensure ample supply of air to the engine while traversing through water. The crawler feature enables it to climb steep gradients easily and the reinforced tubular chassis helps the Gurkha withstand extreme torsional stresses typical in off-road situations.
According to Force Motors’ managing director, Prasan Firodia, “Feedback received from auto experts and select group of users during test drives helped us further fine-tune the Gurkha into an extremely capable off-roader.”
Force Motors is offering a 3-year or 300,000km warranty on the vehicle, which is available in hard-top and soft-top variants.