The pandemic caused a delay in many important automobile launches. Vehicles that were expected to make it to the showroom floor as early as April-May 2020 can still be spotted doing test runs out on the streets. Such is the case with the Force Gurkha as well. The new-generation Force Gurkha was recently spotted testing in the country. Earlier, the off-road SUV was slated to launch in April 2020. The recent spotting hints that the new model will soon arrive in the market. Hopefully.
More details
Force Motors showcased the 2020 Gurkha at the Auto Expo earlier this year. The model is said to be given a mild facelift along with the mandatory BS6 emission update. The 2020 Force Gurkha is expected to be more modern and powerful than the previous one.
Talking about the test mule which was spotted, it is, without any doubt the base variant of the SUV as it misses a lot of features that were normally seen in the images that we have seen before. It looks plain and could be seen sporting a white body colour and silver steel rims, unlike the top-spec trim which was seen at the Expo earlier this year. It in fact looks similar to the pre-production prototype save for some finishing bits.
The changes
Talking of the changes, the 2020 Gurkha will boast of a revised front-end. The new Gurkha has been redesigned, but it retains the classic G-Class inspired styling, getting a new grille and bumpers while retaining the big snorkel. Also, the headlamps cluster will be revised and will feature LED DRLs along with bi-LED set up for low and high beams giving it a more premium touch. But as we can see here, the lower-spec variants might have to make do with halogen headlamps only. The rear window showcased at the AutoExpo early this year featured a single piece of glass. While the show car featured 16-inch alloy wheels, the model spotted on the roads recently is seen with steel wheels. The carmaker may offer the alloy wheels as an accessory like before.
Noticeable changes will also be made to its interior. The interior might come finished in a dual-tone scheme to accentuate the overall ambience; however, it is likely to do with the same age-old hard plastics. The 2020 Force Gurkha will have a newly-designed dashboard, new control surfaces for the air-con system and four forward-facing seats with two individual seats in the second row. Features such as a new centre console with an integrated touchscreen infotainment system, updated instrument cluster, rear parking sensors, dual airbags and ABS (anti-lock braking system) will also be on offer.
Speaking of the powertrains, the new Gurkha will be powered by a BS6-compliant 2.6-litre diesel engine that produces 90PS and 280Nm. It will be paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox with a low range gearbox for off-roading. It is also expected to get the more powerful 2.2-litre diesel that was introduced to the Gurkha range in 2019. This diesel unit cranks out a 140 PS of power and 321 Nm of peak torque.