Force Gurkha 5-door spotted ahead of launch, will rival Maruti Jimny

Force Motors is working on a 5-door version of the Gurkha for quite some time now. As of now, the launch date of the vehicle is not known. The test mule of the off-roader SUV was spotted in Manali. It could happen that the test mule will be headed towards Leh to do high-altitude testing.

Manufacturers test their vehicles in every kind of climatic conditions. What this does is ensure that the consumers will be able to use the vehicle anywhere without facing any issues.

The SUV is expected to be offered with three-row seating. It seems like the second row will comprise of captain seats which means accessing the third row will be easier. However, there is a possibility that the seating configuration is changed once the SUV hits the Indian roads.

The Gurkha will also get a rear set of doors which makes ingress and egress easier. The practicality of the SUV is also increased substantially. This is the main reason that Maruti Suzuki developed a 5-door version of the Jimny instead of just launching the 3-door version that is already on sale in the global market.

It is expected that the Gurkha 5-door will use the same 2.6-litre diesel engine that produces a max power output of 89 bhp of max power and 250 Nm of peak torque. It comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and a four-wheel drive system. There is also a low-range gearbox and manual locking front and rear differentials. In the spy shot, we can also see a snorkel that helps the engine to breathe better and increases the water-wading capacity.

The design of the 5-door Gurkha is more or less the same as the 3-door Gurkha. It comes with circular LED headlamps in the front with LED Daytime Running Lamps, the turn indicators are placed on top of the front fenders and there are 5-spoke alloy wheels.