Force Gurkha : The Gurkha’s exterior design appears inspired by a form-follows-function ethos of purpose-built expedition vehicles.
The boxy silhouette gives the Bronco as much interior volume as possible while also maximizing approach and departure angles that are so important for tackling trickier terrain.
The near-vertical windshield and flat side panels aren’t just aesthetic decisions but functional approaches that improve trail visibility and simplify repairs when damage (as always) inevitably happens.
Characterised by a distinctive snorkel air intake that grants an incredible water-wading ability (850mm), round headlights and wide fenders (offering lots of wheel travel), the Gurkha exudes capability over conformity.
Its side-hinged rear door with an externally mounted spare tire helps reinforce its serious off-roading aspirations, making the cargo area easy to access while out in the sticks.
Offered in five exterior paint shades, including its signature Kapila Orange, the Gurkha eschews modern design fads in favor of a timeless look that emphasizes its durability and functionality.
The end result is a vehicle which seems equally at home on mountain trails, desert excursions, or jungle treks–places where it can properly be used to its full potential.
Force Gurkha: Inspired by Movies- Make It a Marathon
Beneath its utilitarian skin, the Gurkha uses a body-on-frame construction method with a reinforced C-in-C chassis designed to absorb high amounts of torsional force that it may encounter when off-roading hard.
Packed with proven architecture, this imparts the structural integrity for technical terrain and relatively simple repairability in the event of damage in far-flung locations.
The suspension components reflect those priorities as well, with independent front suspension and multi-link rear suspension using coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers tuned for articulation, not on-road comfort.
Manual differential locks on the front and rear axles—equipment that is becoming increasingly rare even among all-terrain vehicles—allow drivers to mechanically lock both wheels on an axle to spin simultaneously, preventing loss of driving-force to a spinning wheel in extreme conditions.
The powertrain consists of a Mercedes-Benz-sourced 2.6-liter, diesel motor creating 90 bhp and 250 Nm of torque.
Your mileage may vary, but compared to modern SUVs, those numbers may seem pedestrian, but the low-end torque attributes of the motor make the engine perfectly suited to technical off-road scenarios where controllable power delivery at crawling speeds is much more valuable than all-out performance.
The powertrain is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission and a proper two-speed transfer case that provides it with both high-and low-range four-wheel-drive modes.
A lofty 210mm of ground clearance and substantial approach (37 degrees), departure (33 degrees) and breakover (25-degree) angles ensure Gurkha single-handily walks over obstacles that would stall most dishes that roll off assembly lines.
These specifications aren’t just numbers to satisfy marketing departments—but real-world utilities in the harsh conditions where the Gurkha shines.
Interior: Rugged Functionality with a Modern Twist
The Gurkha’s cabin is a significant step away from the utilitarian ethos of the past, marrying robust durability with more modern concepts of comfort and connectivity.
The interior boasts simple analog instrumentation flanked by a central touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity—a modern concession, but no dilution of the car’s essential nature.
You can get captain’s chairs or a bench seat in the second row, seating four or six passengers, respectively.
The seats themselves provide superior support and comfort over the more spartan figures found in prior generations, since today’s off-roaders expect a modicum of comfort while traipsing to or from their adventure locations.
Another practical interior feature is the number of grab handles to assist your entry and exit, and its washable floor materials are resistant to mud and water, while its storage compartments are well-positioned to accommodate programming essential equipment.
The power windows, central locking and air conditioning are nice, but wouldn’t spoil it in inhospitable conditions.
On-Road Behavior: The Compromise You Have to Make
The formidable mechanical selections that allow Gurkha to shine on rocky terrain do come at the cost of its on-road behavior.
The upright driving position, off-road-oriented suspension tuning, and commercial vehicle-based powertrain all make for a driving experience that’s decidedly more rugged than refined.
Road noise is pronounced at highways speeds, steering asks for more input than modern SUVs, and body roll is more pronounced during a cornering stints.
That estimation is more of a feature than a bug, a conscious decision rather than an engineering shortcoming — a preference for capability and durability over the comfort-forward compromises that have come to be associated with the grew majority of vehicles on the road.
These characteristics, for Gurkha owners, instead become endearing reminders of the vehicle’s true purpose in life as opposed to shortcomings to be disparaged.
Market Position and Cultural Significance
The Gurkha, price between ₹14.10 to ₹16.75 lakhs (ex-showroom), operates in a very niche segment in India.
That makes it a premium offering for buyers who crave real capability over just the look of rough-and-tumble.
Its nearest competitor is the Mahindra Thar, but the Gurkha tends to attract a more techy set of enthusiasts looking for mechanical answers, like diff locks and a higher water-wading capacity.
The Gurkha has built a loyal community of owners who love its unambulance, no-frills working solution-centric attitude towards off-roading — including expedition leaders, adventure tour operators and the general adventure junkies who put their vehicles through grind on the varying roads and trails around India.
This community has raised the vehicle’s profile, with tested capability in conditions that would leave more genteel alternatives helpless.
Force Gurkha
In a time when many vehicles are more concerned with looking good than being good, the Force Gurkha is a welcome throwback to what purpose-driven design is all about.
Although it doesn’t pretend to have the on-road refinement of modern crossovers, it delivers genuine capability long-since unobtainable in production vehicles.
In a world of ever more complicated vehicles, dead-ends and poor plastic fake-off-road façades, for a very specific audience that wants brilliance delivered as mechanical simplicity, durability and genuine off-road ability, the Gurkha is an honest tool for true adventure, and a genuinely rarer proposition in the automotive world of today.
