Force Ksatria 5-door and Pickup truck are powered by the same 2.6L FM CR engine that is sourced from Mercedes-Benz
We had come up with a Force Gurkha Pickup rendering recently. Which was a perfect representation of what a pickup truck based on Gurkha SUV would look like. Indonesia-based Republik Motor has showcased Ksatria SUV and pickup truck based on Gurkha and Cruiser MUV respectively.
Both vehicles were showcased at Indo Defence Expo & Forum. Pickup version even gets a missile launcher on its flatbed. Ksatria SUV is Republik’s take on a 5-door Gurkha SUV and has subtle differences over the test mules that are spotted in India. Let’s take a closer look.
Force Ksatria 5-Door SUV & Pickup Truck
Kicking things off with the pickup version, it is clearly evident that Republik based it on a Cruiser MUV. The modifier has cut the Cruiser’s body to create a loading bay. On Force Cruiser MUV, this area forms its 3rd row of seats which can accommodate 8 passengers with two side-facing bench seats. Cruiser gets a side-hinged tailgate and this pickup version retains the bottom half of the original tailgate.
Since this pickup is cut from Cruiser MUV, the load bay and passenger cabin are attached which is not the case with conventional pickup trucks (both CVs and PVs). It gets an LED taillight, though. Something which Cruiser doesn’t get. Also, Cruiser doesn’t get a missile launcher.
Ksatria SUV is Republik’s version of Gurkha 5-door SUV that is likely to launch in India soon. As Ksatria SUV is showcased for military purposes, it features protection for headlights, taillights and turn indicators. A bull-bar is present at the front which gives it a butcher look. At the back, it differs from Gurkha with an LED taillight and spare wheel cover. Even its alloy wheels are different from Gurkha.
5-Door SUV Based On Gurkha
On the inside, Ksatria SUV features captain seats in 2nd row and a bench seat for 3rd row. It gets rear AC vents and a blower that is lifted off top-spec variants of Cruiser MUV.
Republik Motors intends to produce both in Indonesia under Force Motor’s license. They will be reportedly sold to government agencies first, followed by customers. Display models were manufactured in India, though.
Both vehicles are powered by the same 2.6L FM CR diesel engine coupled to a 5-speed gearbox. It is interesting to see if Force Motors considers making pickup trucks for PV segment at competitive pricing. As far as India is considered, we only have Isuzu V-Cross and Toyota Hilux which are priced on the premium side. Will Gurkha Pickup be what Tata Xenon XT couldn’t? Only time will tell.
