2021 Force Gurkha launch today: Price expectation of Mahindra Thar rival

2021 Force Gurkha is looking at mounting a challenge to the dominance of the Mahindra Thar in the adventure off-road SUV segment. Force Motors is expected to reveal the price of the 2021 Gurkha today, which was unveiled a few days ago.

(UPDATE: Force Gurkha launched at ₹13.59 lakh)

Force Gurkha SUV, which is now in its second generation, has received massive facelift compared to its preceding model. The new Gurkha is now more adventure lifestyle vehicle with a host of creature comforts and modern features, which may help it to match up with what Mahindra Thar offers.

While there is not much change under the hood, or the performance figures, Force Motors is likely to launch the Gurkha at a starting price of ₹10 lakh (Ex-showroom). The price is likely to be much less than the base variant of its rival Mahindra Thar. The Thar's AX four-seater convertible petrol manual variant is priced at ₹12.78 lakh (ex-showroom) while the top-spec LX four-seater hard-top diesel automatic variant costs ₹15.08 lakh (ex-showroom).

The new generation Force Gurkha SUV will get an upgraded BS 6 compliant 2.6-litre diesel engine mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The output remains almost identical to the previous model at 89 bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque.

The 2021 Gurkha will be offered with an AWD option. Force has also tweaked the suspension setup with double wishbone and coil springs.

As far as the looks are concerned, Force Motor has upgraded the style quotient of the 2021 Gurkha with several changes on the outside and more on the inside. The SUV now sports a bolder look with a new front grille. It is flanked by circular bi-LED headlamps and LED DRLs which sit above the new set of fog lamps. On the sides, it has 16-inch alloy wheels placed within the pronounced wheel arches with black claddings. It also gets a functional snorkel which helps the Gurkha with a water-wading capacity of 700 mm. At the rear, Gurkha gets a new new set of taillights as well as a ladder to access the roof-mounted luggage carrier.

Step inside, an one will find a rejuvenated cabin which has an all-black interior and captain seats on offer. There are floor mats specifically meant for the outdoor capability of the SUV. Besides these, Gurkha also gets a seven-inch infotainment screen which supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The driver display is now semi-digital and sits behind a new three-spoked steering wheel. While the large panoramic windows for the rear seat passengers are fixed, the front row windows are powered.

Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2024, Best SUVs in India.