The Force Gurkha 5-door SUV has been undergoing testing for quite some time now. The indigenous automaker has also been testing a four-door pickup truck body style of the Gurkha. The 5-door version of the Gurkha will be introduced as a challenger to the Maruti Suzuki Jimny and the upcoming Mahindra Thar 5-door, set to be released in the coming months. At this point in time, there’s no official confirmation of its launch date. However, reports suggest that the model is nearing production and might hit the roads in the second half of 2024.
The design and styling of the 5-door Force Gurkha will be similar to its three-door version. It will feature a blacked-out front grille and front bumper, LED DRLs, bonnet-mounted turn indicators, taillamps, rear bumper, and snorkel, as seen in its younger sibling. What will set it apart are the square headlamps (instead of circular units), borrowed from the Force Citiline MUV. Its rear quarter area and glasshouse will also be redesigned. In fact, the model will have a larger tailgate-mounted spare wheel.
Compared to its 3-door version, the 5-door Gurkha is likely to have a wheelbase nearly 400mm longer, which will reduce its breakover angle. The lower variants might come with smaller steel wheels, while the higher trim could feature dual-tone 18-inch wheels with 255/65 road-biased tyres.
The Force Gurkha 5-door will be offered with multiple seating configurations – 6, 7, and 9-seaters. One of its test mules was spotted with side-facing jump seats in the third row, while some previous spy images show individual captain seats for the middle and third rows. There might also be a bench seat layout option.
For power, the 5-door Gurkha will use the same Mercedes-sourced 2.6L diesel engine with a 5-speed manual gearbox. The engine could be tuned to generate extra power.
