Is a BS-VI complaint Force Gurkha in the offing this year?

Moneycontrol News

Indian heavy-duty car manufacturer Force Motors launched the top trim of its trusted SUV, the Gurkha Xtreme last year. This time around, Force seems to be looking to complete the lineup, with BS VI compliant engines. With an iteration of the Force Gurkha spied on the roads for the first time, it won’t be wrong to have a fair share of expectations from the SUV.

Last October, the Supreme Court directed that only BS VI complaint vehicles need to be sold from April 1, 2020. This has expedited carmakers need to adhere to the norms

The latest Gurkha Xtreme is powered by an all-new 2.2L OM611 motor sourced from Mercedes Benz. This is in replacement to the outdated 2.6L diesel engine which was fueling the previous gen Gurkhas. But its engine is not yet compatible with BS VI norms. However, it can be expected that Force will retune the engine to match the emission norms.

As with the Xtreme, the upcoming Gurkha is expected to be a true blue off-roader and could be given the same brand new, multi-link front suspension for better road clearance and stability.

Force was serious about off-roading when they were designed the Gurkha, and that is reflected by the factory-fitted snorkel, which allows the car to wade through 550 mm of water (roughly two feet). Which means the Gurkha is as close to an amphibious vehicle as any off-roader can get.

The new 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine produces a maximum power output of 140 BHP and 321Nm of peak torque between 1,600-2,400 RPM. It is mated to a new Mercedes-derived G32 5-speed manual gearbox. If this engine is to be considered in every Gurkha, we could expect the Gurkha to be one of the top players in its segment. The car drives in RWD when not switched to the 4X4 mode.

While the Gurkha Xtreme is the top trim in the series, it will most likely share its engine with the lower, Xplorer and Xpedition versions. If this is to be held true, it could increase the overall price of the entire range of Gurkha SUVs.