Although a specific launch timeline hasn’t been revealed by Force, the 5-door Gurkha is expected to hit the market sometime later this year
The new generation Force Gurkha was launched a few months ago at a price of Rs 13.59 lakh (ex-showroom). The compact off-roader came with several updates although the latest iteration of Gurkha has retained its identity of a utilitarian recreational vehicle with a 3-door configuration.
At the time of its launch, Force had confirmed that it is developing a 5-door spec of Gurkha. It seems like this new larger Gurkha variant is set to hit the showrooms sooner than expected. This 5-door model of the SUV has been caught on camera for the first time. The test mule spied was completely undisguised.
5-door Force Gurkha: Exterior highlights
The 5-door Gurkha retains the same overall design with a boxy silhouette from its 3-door sibling. This includes exterior highlights such as a snorkel, flared wheel arches with black claddings, round LED headlamps with integrated circular LED DRLs and a bold ‘GURKHA’ lettering on the massively redesigned front shark grille.
The major difference is a longer wheelbase than the 3-door model which comes with doors for the rear passenger compartment. Below is the spy video of 5 door Force Gurkha, shared by Rakesh Ravindran.
The other noticeable variation is two separate glass panels at rear instead of a single unit in the 3-door model. Other highlights including the vertically oriented taillights, rear bumper and a spare wheel mounted on tailgate, have been carried forward from the regular model.
Features Expected
Interior layout of the 5-door Gurkha should remain more or less similar to its 3-door counterpart. However, rear seats should offer more space in addition to larger boot space. In terms of features, 5-door Gurkha will offer the same equipment as the current model. This should include a 7-inch touchscreen system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a manual AC, a four-speaker sound system, a semi-digital instrument cluster, and front power windows.
Safety features on the 5-door Gurkha will include driver and co-passenger airbags, ISOFIX seating, ABS and EBD, central locking, speed-sensing door locks and rear parking sensors. Since this version of Thar will come with a longer wheelbase, Force might throw in a few more safety features such as traction control, tyre pressure monitoring system, etc.
Powertrain Specs
Powering the longer Gurkha will be a 2.6-litre diesel engine that pushes out 90 bhp and 250 Nm of peak torque. This motor will be paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox which sends power to all four wheels via a 4×4 drivetrain with a low-range transfer case. It also comes with front and rear manual locking differentials which provide the extra punch while off-roading in treacherous conditions.
Upon launch, the 5-door Gurkha will lock horns with upcoming 5-door iterations of Mahindra Thar and Maruti Jimny. It is expected to be offered in a single variant at a price of around Rs 15 lakh (ex-showroom).
