Force has teased the Gurkha once again! This time, it reveals the interior and some of the features of the off-road SUV. Force is all geared up to give the Thar a run for its money with its latest SUV, the Gukha. We expect the Gurkha to come in both 3-door and 5-door variants. The one teased here is the 5-door version, but expect the 3-door one to be similar in almost all senses.
Starting with the dashboard, the upcoming SUV does not look very different from its outgoing predecessor except for a larger infotainment screen and instrument cluster. You will be treated with a larger infotainment screen at the centre. This comes with all the modern features like Android Auto and Apple Carplay connectivity. The instrument panel is reminiscent of the Renault-style graphics and is a pleasant addition. The 5-door version will serve as a 7-seater, according to the teaser. The middle row is of the bench format, and the 3rd row has two captain chairs.
Force has made the 4WD on the new Gurkha an on-the-fly system. This comes as a relief compared to the lever that the driver had to use earlier. If you look closely at the instrument cluster of the Gurkha, you will notice some new safety features that the SUV would use. These include a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). What is unique about the TPMS on this SUV is that it also shows the pressure on the spare tyres. New additions to the safety suite are traction control and hill assist. These will add to pre-existing features such as dual airbags, speed-sensing door locks, and rear parking sensors.
The Gurkha will source its energy from a 2.6-litre diesel engine sourced from Mercedes. This will be mated with a 5-speed manual transmission. This iteration will also feature an automatic auto-stop system to increase fuel efficiency. It will also feature Adblue to adhere to BS6 2.0 norms.
The current generation of the Gurkha, available only in a 3-door variant, can be bought at a starting price of 15.10 Lakh (ex-showroom). The new generation is expected to be priced more steeply, and the 5-door variant would get an even higher price tag. Currently, only the Maruti Suzuki Jimny will be a viable competitor. This is expected to change soon with the introduction of a 5-door variant of the Thar. That would make it a three-way battle for the off-road SUV segment.
