Force Motors has been testing the five-door Gurkha for over a year.
Force has been testing the 5-door Gurkha for a long time, with test mules being spotted across the country in various pre-production stages. Today’s sighting of the upcoming Gurkha 5-door SUV shows some new and interesting details, especially of the SUV’s looks and 4WD gear.
- Square headlamps replace round units
- 4WD knob between front seats instead of transfer case
- Unique 7-seat layout visible
Force Gurkha 5-door: Cityline-like front design
We spotted this test mule on the outskirts of Pune, and while it looks quite similar to the ones spotted earlier, there are a few differences. First up, this vehicle has different styling up front, with square headlamps similar to the Force CityLine MUV – instead of the circular units – and a two-slat grille. However, the front bumper is covered on this mule, and we expect this to be similar to the CityLine as well. The ground clearance, 18-inch alloy wheel design and the presence of a snorkel are similar to what we’ve seen before.
Force Gurkha 5-door: seven seat layout
On the inside, Force seems to be trying out multiple seating layouts for the Gurkha 5-door. There have been sightings of a 5-seater two-row version, a 6-seater three-row version and, as visible in these images, a 7-seater three-row iteration with two individual captain’s chairs for the third row and a bench seat for the second row. As seen before, the test mule carries the same rudimentary dashboard from the 3-door model, albeit without the touchscreen infotainment system.
Force Gurkha 5-door: different 4WD gear
Additionally, the test mule seems to have a different version of Force’s 4WD gear. The standard Gurkha 3-door and the 5-door test mules spotted thus far have similar off-road tech that works via a manually operated transfer case positioned behind the gear lever. These also came with front and rear diff-locks, which were separate levers positioned ahead of the gear lever. In the latest spy shots, one can see that it does not have diff-locks, but it does get a shift-on-the-fly 4WD knob positioned right next to the driver’s seat on the centre console.
Force Gurkha 5-door engine and gearbox
The 5-door Gurkha will come with the same Mercedes-sourced 2.6-litre diesel engine that does duty on the Gurkha 3-door, and a five-speed manual will be the only gearbox on offer.
Force Gurkha 5-door launch timeline
There are chances of the updated Gurkha going on sale in the coming months, but it’s not final yet. Force Motors is also testing a four-door pick up truck body style of the Gurkha. Read more on that here.