We are all well aware of Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV, which is also known as the G-Wagon. This luxury off-roader has been ruling the off-roader luxury class for ages, from its very first generation. An Indian brand named Force Motors has tried to recreate the legendary G-Wagen's boxy structure to construct its turbo diesel engine SUV for one-tenth of the original Mercedes-Benz G-Class price. Stunned? Who wouldn't be? Force Motors isn't ashamed to copy the structure of the G-Wagon as they've highlighted classic Mercedes G-Wagon on their website.
The Gurkha might not be as luxurious as the G-Class, but it does fulfill the purpose of an off-roader in every aspect. In fact, the engine is sourced from Mercedes-Benz directly under license.
The car's performance also speaks for itself, as the Force Gurkha has claimed the titles for a podium finisher at the Indian edition of The Rainforest Challenge in 2014, 2015, and 2016, which is said to be one of the toughest off-road obstacle course trials. The Gurkha then has extreme off-roading capabilities with extremely amiable on-road handling.
Models Available In The Indian Gurkha
Gurkha 2.6
The Gurkha 2.6/4x2 is a five-door SUV with a seating capacity of up to eight people, excluding the driver. The off-roader is packed with a turbocharged inline-four delivering about 85 HP at 3,200 rpm and 170 lb-ft of torque. The engine has a displacement of 2,596cc and was sourced from a Mercedes OM616 based engine that has been in production since 1973. A cable shift gearbox featuring a G-28 five-speed manual transmission overdrive is the only option available, and allows for a seamless change from the four-wheel-drive for off-roading to two-wheel drive to increase fuel efficiency on regular flat roads.
Gurkha 2.2
Moving on to the Gurkha 2.2/4x4, which is based on the Mercedes OM611, a smaller yet more powerful 2.2-Liter turbodiesel four-pot engine with a displacement of 2,149cc producing 140 HP at 3,800 rpm and 237 lb-ft torque to the ground. It comes with a five-speed gearbox with G-32/5 Synchromesh with Dual Mass Flywheel and an overdrive mode. This advanced 2.2-liter engine is smooth-revving, has very low NVH, and is highly reactive with a flat torque curve offering peak torque in a wide range from 1,600 to 2,400 rpm.
Gurkha Doesn't Back Down From A Challenge
The Force Gurkha has a high-strength C-in-C chassis specially designed to take care of very high arching and torque stress. For the first time in this price segment, coil spring suspension has been offered on four wheels, making it an exceptional choice. The Gurkha provides a ground clearance of 210 mm, which can easily handle any wavy terrain. For such a low price compared to the G- Wagon, parts like the fuel tank, engine, propeller shaft joints are protected with a shield under the vehicle. Adding even more value to the comparatively cheaper Gurkha. The Gurkha also beats the competition in terms of the approach, break-over, and departure angles. The Gurkha manages to achieve 44 degrees / 30 degrees / 40 degrees, respectively.
In contrast, the two-door Jeep Wrangler Sport is stuck at 41.4 degrees / 25 degrees / 35.9 degrees, and even a top model of the Rubicon loses to the Gurkha by a hair at 44 degrees / 27.8 degrees / 37 degrees. The Gurkha will have no trouble crossing rivers thanks to the snorkel that feeds clean air to the engine from the roof height. With a water wading capacity of up to 550 mm, the Gurkha is pretty impressive.
Gurkha Captures The Indian Markets
There are a few examples of G-Wagons in India, but due to the high price and rarity, you can see how the owners of Force Gurkha design their vehicles to look like the legendary off-road vehicle. Many people have converted their similar-looking SUVs into something that looks like a G-Wagon. A car dealership in India's southernmost state of Kerala has taken on the challenge of making a Force Gurkha that looks exactly like the famous German off-roader and is thriving. The Gurkha is in fact a very popular enthusiast off-road vehicle in the country, and it competes directly with the Mahindra Thar and the Suzuki Jimny.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon is the pinnacle of the utilitarian SUV with modern technology. It has become a statement of luxury, and we have seen a lot of SUVs that resemble its design, but not everyone can afford a G-Class. Majority of us enthusiasts dream of owning an exotic car or motorcycle. Very few of us can live this dream, but a few have made it a reality. On a typical day, Force rolls out a Gurkha as a standard all-terrain vehicle, but the owners might have something different planned.