Trax Gurkha Test Drive on Horrible roads and Off-road too

[Samurai]

Nice review DKG, looks like all the later ones are coming with offroad tyres unlike the first ones off the assemby line, which came with street truck tyres.

Originally Posted by DKG

Loved the simple diff lock levers. There were three, assuming one for the central diff too.

Hey, there is no central diff on this.

Originally Posted by DKG

The leather upholstery is a joke. I think design staff at Force have some pretty distorted view of luxury.

That's leather? I thought it was something artificial.

Yeah, the price is completely nuts, too much for a weekend ride. If one drives more off-road than on-road, then it makes sense.

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by DKG

Finally managed to test drive a Gurkha.


The BS III engine is pretty silent and smooth for a diesel and quite peppy too. Ofcourse it won't take off like a V10 Toureg But it feels right for the job.

Gear box ratios seemed adequate with no apparent slump in acceleration. Shift is crude but ok for a raw machine like this

I spoke to OldModel who picked up the Gurkha that I had booked. He said that initially the engine kind of felt stuff and rough and a bit under powered, but after about 500 kms it was much smoother and free revving. Not sure how many KMs your test car had.

Originally Posted by DKG

General appearance is well very purposeful. Its not a pretender for sure. Its definately a bare basic offroader with mechanicals to die for. Loved the simple diff lock levers. There were three, assuming one for the central diff too.

The specs didn't specify a central diff. I suspect the third lever is to power the PTO unit in the transfer case if you want to install a winch or something.

Originally Posted by DKG

The leather upholstery is a joke. I think design staff at Force have some pretty distorted view of luxury. When the rest of the car is finished like a railway coach you don't throw in leather to fool people into thinking its a luxury SUV. They should have used hardwearing weather proof material, more useful.

It's not leather mate. Fake leather. Firodia would impale himself on a stake before they put leather in a Force motors car.

Originally Posted by DKG

Overall I liked it. Its raw, definitely has phenomenal devices to enable you go places where even the fanciest of SUV's will struggle, no pretence, more a tool than a car. I think I like that about it. Its a device. Yes the Gurkha is an offroading device. Calling it an SUV or anything else is to lose the plot.

The bottomline, would I buy one? Definately yes and a soft top for sure. Do I like the price? Definately no. Its a joke and you have to be slightly irrational to make this purchase at this price point. Force should seriously strip this car bare and lower it by 2 lacs offering it at 6. That makes sense.

At 6 the Gurkha is the ultimate no nonsense offroader. At 8 plus we need to lose some sense to buy one.

I have to now seriously think of all the absurd reasons why I should buy it. Which is the fun part. Nutcases like me who know the value of what this device can do will struggle, but eventually crib and pay the price. The general market simply will reject the car.

I agree with you completely. It's not for everyone. You have to be a bit of an off-road nut to go in for a Gurkha. Remember for about the same price you can get a 4x4 Safari or Scorpio but obviously they are in different leagues. The constant question I would get from friends is WHY A GURKA??

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

The constant question I would get from friends is WHY A GURKA??

It will be more like what is a Gurkha, than why Gurkha. It has less sightings than a Yeti. I have never seen a Gurkha before and after doing the TD.

[4x4addict]

Having seen both, Frankly the Yeti looks less scary that the Gurkha.

[RedMM340]

The Tempo Trax is one of the best off-road vehicles ever made. It is in a class by itself and is worth every rupee of the 8L price.

Don't be fooled by the lack of finishing or crude gauges. Where this vehicle shines is where it counts. The engine, transmission, axles, diff locks, transfer case are all very high quality components.

I am really tempted to get one myself.

[Samurai]

Gaurav, Gurkha has been the most followed/admired off-roader on Team-BHP since couple of years. In fact, much more than the Jeeps. But we are all completely disillusioned by Force Motors, their mysterious sales tactics and pricing.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by Samurai

...their mysterious sales tactics and pricing.

And what seems to be complete unwillingness to sell their 4WD Gurkha and Judo vehicles!

[DKG]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Hey, there is no central diff on this.

Oh okay, I do remember reading about the auxillary drive, so the central lever engages this I suppose?

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

Not sure how many KMs your test car had.

It had 900 kms

Its not leather mate. Fake leather. Firodia would impale himself on a stake before they put leather in a Force motors car.

It smelt and felt like the real stuff, I guess they must be spraying leather essence too? Or I guess I've spent too much time in cheap Japanese interiors to forget the smell and feel of real leather

[rippergeo]

what is it like trying to find a gurkha in the 2nd hand market?
8lakhs is out of my reach for the next 3yrs atleast. and the off road bugs are biting viciously

[DKG]

Originally Posted by RedMM340

Where this vehicle shines is where it counts. The engine, transmission, axles, diff locks, transfer case are all very high quality components.

There's no denying its pedigree. The only issue with this vehicle is justifying that price. I guess we should look at it this way. If Mercedes had planted all these mechanicals in their G Wagon and launched the same car here at 30 lacs chances are some people would still buy it. So I guess considering we are getting Merc designed and tested mechanicals its perhaps not a bad deal?
See I am trying to justify already I do want the soft top though, pity they sell them only in black. Someone in Force Marketing must have said " Given its exclusivity this vehicle can be ordered in any colour as long as its Black! Surely some Henry Ford fan

[Samurai]

The soft top and without A/C should be cheaper than 8L, how much cheaper? (Ok, I see the price mentioned in the article below.)

The Force Motors web site still doesn't want to admit that they sell Gurkha. Except this news item: http://forcemotors.com/html/news.aspx?id=89

Rs.7.72L ex-showroom for hardtop - That is like 8.6L-8.7L on-road in Karnataka.
Rs.7.27L ex-showroom for softtop - That's 8L on-road in Karnataka.

[DKG]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Rs.7.27L ex-showroom for softtop - That's 8L on-road in Karnataka.

That's what they quoted here too. Am requesting them to work out a special offer as I would be a great salesman owner for them Have already given them two leads before buying one myself. Lets see. Are you sure the soft top does'nt have the a/c?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by DKG

Are you sure the soft top does'nt have the a/c?

IIRC, that's the only reason why my cousin bought the hardtop.

[DKG]

Originally Posted by Samurai

IIRC, that's the only reason why my cousin bought the hardtop.

I can understand a price diff of 50k just for the hardtop etc. Without the a/c it should be further cheap by 25k atleast. Strange!

I do want the a/c even in the soft top though as I was planning to fabricate a removeable hardtop for the car in aluminium or fibreglass. Jeep Wranglers had a neat lightweight removeable top which you fit in summer and off the rest of the year.

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by DKG

pity they sell them only in black. Someone in Force Marketing must have said " Given its exclusivity this vehicle can be ordered in any colour as long as its Black! Surely some Henry Ford fan

This is from the Force Motors Gurkha brochure (seriously, I didnt' make this up).

"Available in Black Color (Denoting Strength and Authority)"

Originally Posted by DKG

I do want the a/c even in the soft top though as I was planning to fabricate a removeable hardtop for the car in aluminium or fibreglass. Jeep Wranglers had a neat lightweight removeable top which you fit in summer and off the rest of the year.

If you figure out a good design/fabricator, please do let me know. I want to do the same for my MM540. I used to be a fan of open jeeps in my younger days but with the dust and heat in bangalore and chennai, I am inclined to go for a hard top, but i still want the option to leave the top in the garage.