Force Gurkha is a fantastic off-roader and possibly the best affordable hard-core machine in India at present which can bring in a mile long smile on the face of a mud-slush loving soul! However, its on-road dynamics are NOT very sorted and it is too crude!
Apart from that its current 2.6 liter OM616 diesel engine is only BS3 certified which means it can not be sold in the top cities of India which comply to BS4 regulations. There have been hints that work on a BS4 motor is in progress and it appears that Force Motors has begun its on-road testing…
Folks at Team BHP have posted pictures of a Gurkha which is out ‘ON TEST’ in the mighty Himalayas. The pic was clicked by a member at Khardung La pass which is one of the highest motorable roads in the world. Generally major engine-tweaks or all-together new engines are tested at some extreme conditions like these and hence, there is a clear possibility of this mule carrying a BS4 motor. According to the spotter, the official/driver also said that its the BS4 engine under test for the Gurkha and requested for deletion of the engine bay pic!
The test mule is running with similar lacklustre interiors and we do not see any cosmetic modification as well. The Mercedes Benz sourced 2,596 cc direct injection mill in its present iteration produces 82 PS of maximum power at 3,200 rpm and 230 Nm of peak torque in the range of 1,800 to 2,000 rpm.
Also Read: Interesting 7-Door Trax ‘Giraffe’ Spotted!
Available in hard top (only in 4×4 version) as well as soft top (both 4×2 and 4×4 versions), the Gurkha at presents starts at Rs 6.42 lakhs and goes up to Rs 8.71 lakhs (both prices ex-showroom, Delhi). With this deveopment, we see the off-roader getting a new engine/tweaked existing engine sometime next year and we also hope the fit and finish improves considering the cost at which Force offers it at…
