Force Gurkha 5-door teased ahead of mid-2024 launch
Force Motors has released a first teaser of the upcoming Gurkha 5-door SUV. The brand has been testing the Gurkha 5-door for a long time, with test mules having been spotted across the country in different pre-production stages. Autocar India can now confirm that the Force Gurkha 5-door will finally launch in India by mid-2024.
- Force Gurkha 5-door in the works since 2022
- To feature some cosmetic changes over Gurkha 3-door
Force Gurkha 5-door: design changes
Test mules have revealed that the Force Gurkha 5-door will feature some new design elements over the Gurkha 3-door, including new square headlamps that replace the circular units. However, the two-slat grille will be carried over. The lifestyle SUV will now be equipped with 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels as opposed to the 16-inch wheels seen on the 3-door version. Front and rear bumpers might also be revised.
Apart from that, and two additional rear doors, no other major exterior changes are expected.
Force Gurkha 5-door: new 4WD gear, 7-seat layout
While the overall cabin layout is expected to remain unchanged, a previous test mule revealed that the Gurkha 5-door will be equipped with a shift-on-the-fly 4WD knob positioned next to the driver’s seat on the centre console. In contrast, the Gurkha 3-door came equipped with separate front and rear diff-lock levers, along with a manually operated transfer case positioned behind the gear lever.
Force could offer the Gurkha 5-door with multiple seating layouts: a 5-seater two-row version, a 6-seater three-row version as well as a 7-seater three-row iteration with two individual captain's chairs for the third row and a bench seat for the second row. The 5-door iteration will have a 2,825mm long wheelbase, which is 425mm longer than the 3-door version.
The Gurkha 5-door is expected to carry over the Mercedes-sourced 2.6-litre diesel engine that has been on offer with the Gurkha 3-door with a 5-speed manual transmission.
Force Gurkha 5-door: launch timeline, price, rivals
According to our sources, the Force Gurkha 5-door will be launched in India in the first quarter of the next financial year. The SUV will have no direct rivals in the market upon arrival, but