Test mules of the Force Gurkha BS-IV have been caught testing at Khardung La pass in Ladakh. Stricter emission norms these days mean that the outgoing Gurkha, which is a BS-III compliant vehicle, greatly limits Force Motors’ reach in major cities throughout India. The outgoing Gurkha gets a Mercedes-sourced 2.6-litre turbocharged, four-pot diesel engine that produces 81bhp of max power at 3200 rpm and 230 Nm of torque between 1800-2000 rpm.
This BS-III compliant powerplant is paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. The power gets sent to a four-wheel drive system via a low-ratio gearbox, making this a rugged, no-nonsense SUV for those who love mud plunging in a two and a bit tonne vehicle. The interior of the new BS-IV Gurkha is also pretty basic, and compared to the outgoing model, there doesn’t seem to be any changes made here.
Some of the other neat off-road oriented features of the Force Gurkha include a 4WD with differential locks on both axles, 210mm ground clearance, 37 degree approach angle, 34 degree departure angle, 29 degree ramp over angle, 40 degree max gradability and more. Force Motors hasn’t yet announced a launch date for the Gurkha BS-IV, but it is likely to be out before the end of 2015.
Spy images via team-bhp