Force Motors taps Lotus expertise for new SUV

Autocar India has learnt that the new SUV, which will have a 2.2 litre engine and be built under licence from Daimler, will churn out a whopping 220 hp. The foreign consultants are currently working to minimise NVH levels. In an exclusive interview, Prasan Firodia, managing director, Force Motors said, “The driveline technology we plan to offer will be the best in its segment. A ‘C-in-C’ chassis has been designed and developed at Force Motors with high-quality suspension, ride and handling characteristics fine-tuned with the help of Lotus and benchmarked against the best. We are very happy with the performance of the prototypes.”

Force Motors will build the SUV at its Pithampur plant. It has invested Rs 150 crore in the project which will have an installed annual capacity of 24,000 units. A new vertical has been set up for R&D, manufacturing, and marketing and sales of the new SUV.