[VeluM]

Originally Posted by shortbread

For a vehicle thats north of 11 lacs the biggest positive I can see so far is its size.

Wont be easy against the established ones in the market especially the much anticipated W201 and Merlin coming up.

The biggest positives that I see are that the engine-gearbox combination and the fact that they've stuck to what they do best while "outsourcing" the rest.

Originally Posted by DicKy

If they had developed the platform indigenously then why the body panels from a Chinese SUV?

Body design hasn't really been Force's forte in the past. They have used basically one design which has been either lengthened or shorted, depending on the requirement. IMHO they've recognised their strengths and stuck with them while going in for a cost effective solution for the body, and leveraged the DB relationship for a great engine. It is a heavy vehicle, though. Will have to see how it actually performs.

Originally Posted by simplyself

The vehicle looks handsome enough, Chinese inspired or not. What matters is how the engine has enough power, has torque and the features it offers along with the quality of after sales service, which could be a troublesome area.

Originally Posted by jp1

I feel it can be a game changer in that segment. It looks good and priced competitively. Whatever segment they are in, all their vehicles are mechanincally good, but lacked in fit and finish.
Ofcourse the target customer in this are not the same as their current customers and hence need to improve significantly in customer handling and response.

+1 to simplyself & jp1's comments.

In order to truly become competitive, they'll have to sort out their A.S.S. from day one. Looks are subjective and also secondary to the buying decision in this segment. Scorpio isn't a looker, but outsells the Safari because of reliability, better fit&finish, and better A.S.S.

Ps. The alloys are awesome! One of the best I've seen on any SUV, or MUV for that matter.
Also liked the gizmos, but the buttons on the steering wheel look a bit strange - in a game console kinda way

[ssh1979]

It's for certain competitively priced. Whether it will win against the Scorpios and Safaris remains to be seen. Let’s give it some time; it’s just been launched.

Taxi segment and/or passenger segment; I have a wild guess this will be a seller. Then my worry would be how are our CITY roads going to accommodate MORE bigger and longer vehicles. We’re already struggling to find space with the number of Innovas, Xylos, Scorpios and Safaris!

[wanderernomad]

This one sure looks like a segment beater. If the force motors can get their *** straight this might be their swan song. The fit and finish looks good and the engine specs look tempting.
But no 4X4?

[rk206]

i was surprised reading the vehicle was 2510 kgs .After checking on the website, just realized that
KERB WEIGHT = 1860 kgs
GVW = 2510 kgs

[sindabad.sailor]

I am one among those who are waiting anxiously for these talked about launches on which threads have run for quite some time. Read Merlin and Mahindra World SUV too.

This on screen at least is a mouthwatering design at the declared price point.

I still think the innova/scorpio/safari trio as a more VFM offering owing to the fact that they have evolved over years and given there numbers on street no one needs to invest time thinking whether it will survive the competition BUT they are too boring looks wise IMO.

This model sure has a lot of freshness in Indian auto scene.
Price is quite reasonable.

I guess its engine and transmission will be reliable due to MERC link.
Other website reviews are praising the vehicle for its ride comfort.
What is critical is how they will set up service centres?

Hence I will not sure write it off for its chinese linkage untill T-Bhp gurus review it and then I see it in flesh.
But for sure customers at least have an alternative to think over.

Rgds.

[H3LIOS]

Force One Turning Radius - 12m
That can't be correct, can it? If true, it will be a nightmare to manoeuvre this behemoth in urban areas. Come to think of it, it can't be fun in a rural setting either with the narrow roads.

Some of its competitors:
Xylo - 5.4 m
Innova - 5.4 m
Scorpio - 5.6 m
Safari - 6.0 m
Endeavour - 6.1 m

Edit: Hmm... the specs on the website say turning radius 12m, but the technology section about steering says "Low turning radius of 6m" and the brochure also says 6m. I guess the 6m is the correct value. Some one messed up on the website.

[getsurya]

Thanks for the web link, went through the site. Seems a good challenge to the current sellers, good for us.
Force should have its web page spell checked before opening it out, does not provide good picture of the company with stupid spelling mistakes.
M&M, TATA, TOYOTA & others in this space, better start getting into the quality game instead of 'refresh' 'limited' etc versions to keep novelty.
Price point for Force one looks good and might be a 'force to reckon with' in the coming years!
Good luck

[H3LIOS]

Just found this gem on their website at: Safety : FORCE MOTORS

"Advanced breaking system for sure stop breaking."

You need to have the break-down towing guys on your speed-dial if you are gonna drive the Force One. Seriously, their web-site needs proof reading and some fact checking.

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by H3LIOS

Edit: Hmm... the specs on the website say turning radius 12m, but the technology section about steering says "Low turning radius of 6m" and the brochure also says 6m. I guess the 6m is the correct value. Some one messed up on the website.

12m is the TCD, Turning Circle Dia. , typo I guess.

Originally Posted by H3LIOS

Just found this gem on their website at: Safety : FORCE MOTORS

"Advanced breaking system for sure stop breaking."

Spike

[safari_lover]

Here is the link to Autocar India's test drive report of the Force One.

Force One review and test drive Review

I kind of like this vehicle. Considering it is their first product and the chassis has been developed. Hopefully they'll only improve from here and we'll have our own Indian 3.
Tata, M&M and Force. A force to reckon with in the automotive world

[rk206]

Originally Posted by safari_lover

Hopefully they'll only improve from here and we'll have our own Indian 3.
Tata, M&M and Force. A force to reckon with in the automotive world

Amen to that. I wish and hope that our Indian Companies start taking the bull by the horns and not live in the shadows of the MNC's.

I like the "Force to reckon with " , would have made a lovely tag line for the SUV

[C300]

An honest attempt by Force motors. I kinda like the looks..bit boxy but neutral. It looks similar to Endeavour.

Folks - Is this Diamler engine shared with any other Force vehicle in India?

[AlphaKilo]

One more thing to Lol about: "Ride and Handling: Best in class" says the website.

But then on a serious note, this vehicle is seriously a good effort by a company like Force, I wish they give a rebirth to their ghurka like thar but without chinese body. If we tear away the chinese body, the chasis and the mechanicals are very good and the vehicle has been benchmarked against innova for ride comfort and handling.
OT: I wish to keep my source anonymous. But on the other hand, he is also a silent spectator of TBHP.

[lurker]

Ok. Is the Foday Explorer III still in production in China or has it been phased-out with a new Foday Explorer VI ? Because it is in question whether Force have purchased used-dies from Foday for it's body-panels or are these dies brand-new duplicates of the Foday Explorer III body panel (looks unlikely) but still.

Now again, what I fail to understand is how many people would want to buy an SUV for 11 lakhs which is going to be outdated within an year because Force previously announced that they were going to launch a newer SUV in 2012.

From the reviews this looks like a decent product, double independent wishbone suspension and multi-link anti roll bar gas shock absorbers for rear will doubtless provide for a comfortable ride but the high floor will not help for rear seat comfort. It's a decent effort and it looks like a durable SUV.

Surely, the ride and handling will be far better than the likes of Xylo and Scorpio. And will be in the Innova and Aria class.

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by C300

Folks - Is this Diamler engine shared with any other Force vehicle in India?

Answer is NO! This is a seperate engine, specifically licenced for this vehicle only. Its the same engine Merc uses in its E220