In the season of SUVs, the ultimate Indian offroader Force Gurkha is making a comeback after a nearly three year hiatus.
With brutish looks, very basic interiors and no bells and whistles, it boasts of being one of the most capable offroaders in the country borrowing its technology from
the famed Mercedes G Wagon. But while the latter costs a whopping
Rs. 1.1 crore in India, the Gurkha would come for less then a tenth of the price, albeit sans the three pointed star.
“The Gurkha is the ultimate offroader for India,” said Prasan Firodia, managing director, Force Motors. “We never had the front end for a Gurkha customer. We have moved on from a passenger mover vehicle maker through commercial vehicles to a personal commute vehicle provider with the Force One and expect to consolidate this with new models. Gurkha would be one of the first vehicles to make a comeback.”
Gurkha managed to create a niche among offroaders in India but was plagued by problems like lack of availability leading to long waiting periods and substandard service back up. The new distribution network however may provide the answer to those problems.
The company launched its first mass sports utility vehicle Force One in August last year, but has had limited numbers so far. Firodia blamed lack of dealerships for it.
“We are ramping up our capacities and preparing our network on the ground. So the numbers have been small but it will grow quickly,” he said adding that its future models will see a better immediate reception from the market.
Force is planning to launch a multi-utility van later this year that will compete with the Innova.
German heart, Indian wheels, no frills
Force Gurkha borrows its technology from the famed Mercedes G Wagon. But while the latter costs a whopping Rs. 1.1 crore in India, the Gurkha would come for less then a tenth of the price, albeit sans the three pointed star.
Gurkha managed to create a niche among offroaders in India but was plagued by problems like lack of availability leading to long waiting periods and substandard service back up.
The new distribution network however may provide the answer to those problems.
Force is also planning to launch a multi-utility van later this year that will compete with the Innova.