Team-BHP - Force Gurkha Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by T2luvroads (Post 5182124)

On the extreme left end side of the dash board there is a key hole which is for disengaging the air bags during off-roading, this point I mentioned as I didn't came accross this particular point in any of the reviews/ I may missed it. Front recovery is a screw in hook type which I tried to feel the threads by my index finger and didn't got enough confidence that it will be of any help if the vehicle stuck seriously. The cornering lights glows up in the direction the steering is intended to take turn but the speed must be within 40 KMPH and the indicator is on.

Proper recovery points will have to included in an after market bumper i guess.

Nice catch regarding the Airbags. :thumbs up Good thinking by Force Motors too.

Ideally cornering lights should come on automatically when the steering wheel is turned. Thats how it works on my brothers Range Rover TDV8. This really helps at night in the hills.
Linking them to indicators isn't too well thought out.

Hi All,

Checked out the New Gurkha at Khivraj showroom, Bangalore. The sales person was very courteous. Since it was a weekday, we were the only customers. Later on, one more person came to see the Gurkha. They had a white vehicle in the display area. Another green vehicle was in the workshop area. Few observations as below,

It has a massive presence. Looks good from any angle. It is a very tall vehicle. I mean TALL!
Looks and feels purpose built.
Surprisingly, getting into the front seats was easier than Thar. Thanks to grab handles.
With such a big vehicle, they could have given a big glovebox, lockable storage underneath rear seats and what not. But nothing that sort. It's just as simple as it gets. You get in the vehicle. and all you get is 4 seats. nothing more, nothing less.
The sales person showed all the features (including each usb port) within 5 mins. He was knowledgeable about the disable button for the passenger side airbag.
Doors are not heavy. Typical Bolero kind of doors. Need to apply force to close them shut.
Paint quality looks ok.
Enough has been said about dashboard plastic quality. Same opinion here. feels durable though.
Radio antenna and the mic are stuck to the windshield and A pillar. Looks like an afterthought. Might not last long IMO.
Rear windows, Windshield, rear door glass all are sealed to the body. No rubber beading is provided.
Accessories are thoughtfully designed and serve the purpose.
Since the car is not transported through trucks, but driven from the factory in Madhya Pradesh covering 1400 kms, they do the PDI, first service before handing over the car to the customer. Hence the first service for buyers would be after 10k kms.
Back seats are comfortable. only recline available. Huge glass and definitely needs sunshade during summers and sunny days.
AC has a dual condenser. 1.5T capacity. Not sure how soon it will cool the cabin with such a huge glass area.
Engine bay looks busy. Maybe an engine cover could have been better and made it look tidy.
Engine sound is audible to the cabin. Not silent though. Can't compare or complain as I have not sat in old Gurkha.
Seats are supportive and on a little bit firmer side.
Interior fit and finish is so-so. already the few roof clips were loose.
Headlights seem to be good.
Alloys looks ok. not great. If given a choice, would source aftermarket or stick to steel rims.

Saw the green Gurkha as well. Since it was inside the workshop, I couldn't make out how it looked in sunlight.
It has rear wipers and front tow hook. Few users had doubts on this, So attaching the pics.
Ground clearance is adequate for a 4x4. The protective plate for the differential makes it look low, but not actually.

Overall like the vehicle. Waiting for test drive. Sorry for the picture quality as all are taken with mobile and the lighting in showroom was such that it was difficult to capture good pics.

Quote:

Originally Posted by T2luvroads (Post 5182481)

About the cornering light you are very correct. But those lights didn't swivel even if they glow I doubt how much it would help. Please let me know if you or anyone here experience one.

All OEM fog lamps are designed to provide a wide beam of light close to the vehicle. This beam pattern is very good for hill driving as it allows you to see the shoulder of the road. In vehicles without dedicated cornering lamps, you can switch on the OE fog lamps and move the headlamp position to 3 and it will help you navigate hill roads better at night.

Some cars have dedicated cornering light either in headlamp cluster or fog lamp cluster and some of them use the fog lamp itself as cornering light.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HTC (Post 5182758)

Hi All,

Checked out the New Gurkha at Khivraj showroom, Bangalore...
It has rear wipers and front tow hook. Few users had doubts on this, So attaching the pics.
Ground clearance is adequate for a 4x4. The protective plate for the differential makes it look low, but not actually..

Yes that is a basic hook used for lightly towing a vehicle that has broken down. It cannot be used as a recovery point under any circumstances as it could lead to severe injury.

The Gurkha will definitely need proper recovery points fabricated. The best way to do that is to integrate it into a metal bumper that is attached to the vehicle chassis using 4 bolts on each recovery point just the way the rear tow hook has been attached to the chassis of the Gurkha. I wish FM had done this as they would have done a solid professional job.

One can I suppose attempt recovery using that rear tow hook but will need confirmation on this point as I am not sure it is factory rated for Recovery or again just for Towing purposes only.

Shrek is home now. The dealership managed to get the car registered and HSRP plates in half a day. They were as excited as me to deliver Shrek.

Drove it back 23 km from the dealership in peak Mumbai WEH traffic. Here are my observations, the low-end power and gearing is an advantage in crawling traffic. Given that this was day one, and the huge size. It was making my way through traffic. With rickshaws and motorbikes cutting me off.

At some point, the TPMS alarms went off. Turn out the tyres were overinflated to test the pressure monitoring system before delivery. Someone forgot to bring it down. As the car picked up speed on some relative open stretches pressure increased over the limit, triggering the alarms. It took me a while to figure out the problem. Finally, I pulled over and let the air out to bring it to manageable levels.

The three-point seat belt install went fairly well, however, they are a wee bit too far forward. But that should not be a problem with the children's car seat.

Talking of seat belts, the front passenger seat belt has to be clipped in at all times, even when there is no one sitting on it. I don't know the sensor is not working or there isn't one in the first place. Anyways, will check with FM tomorrow.

Setting up the android auto took some time, as at first, it would not recognise my phone. In the end, I figured out that in the head unit set you to have to select between android auto or screen mirroring mode. That said, there is a provision for installing reversing camera and also for a steering wheel volume control widget. No idea if that is physically possible as there is an airbag in the steering.

That's it, for now, more updates will follow, MOD may be a good idea to move it to a separate thread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazchem (Post 5183059)

Shrek is home now. The dealership managed to get the car registered and HSRP plates in half a day.

It was making my way through traffic. With rickshaws and motorbikes cutting me off.

The three-point seat belt install went fairly well, however, they are a wee bit too far forward. But that should not be a problem with the children's car seat.

That's it, for now, more updates will follow, MOD may be a good idea to move it to a separate thread.

Congratulations once again! But please don't be so mean. Post more pics fellow member!

Was it tough or easy driving the first day and making your way through traffic?.. i didn't get that part.

What tyre pressure are you running?

Does the Force Gurkha come with a Cold Starting Kit as an option? Please ask the SA when you go tommorow for the front seat belt issue.

Were the seat belts installed at the dealership?

You are correct when you say they are placed a tad bit too forward. Ideally placed would be just behind the line of the headrests.

Please post more pics today or better yet start the very first 2021 Gurkha Ownership review thread on Team BHP.

Sorry for all the Q's! lol:

Promise, This weekend I am going down to Goa. I have planned a few off-roads en route too. That should test Gurkha's abilities. Will make lots of pictures on the road then. I am not trying to be mean, I am just way too tied up with things pre Diwali vacation.

It was easy to drive for a manual due to the engine and transmission configuration. However, it was difficult because of the size because lack of lane discipline in India. The cognitive overload was too much for me.

Currently, I am running at 29 PSI, as recommended by the company for a fully laden vehicle.

Yes, as per the manual, a cold start kit is available as an addon.

I can neither confirm nor deny if the dealership installed the belts. The company had advice against doing so. It might not be possible to move them behind as we tried to align them with the indents in the panel. But with the child seat, the belt passes through another ring which will move it behind. Hence I am not bothering with moving them aft anymore.

I forgot to mention in the last post, Shrek received the stamp of reluctant approval from the Mrs yesterday. She gifted me a little dashboard ornament. The head wobbles too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazchem (Post 5183455)

Promise, This weekend I am going down to Goa. I have planned a few off-roads en route too. That should test Gurkha's abilities. Will make lots of pictures ...

Currently, I am running at 29 PSI, as recommended by the company for a fully laden vehicle.

Yes, as per the manual, a cold start kit is available as an addon.

We are all looking forward to the pics trust me! Glad to know the torque and gearing made it easy to drive in traffic!

I am really happy about the Cold Start Kit as i plan to take it for a few snow drives too. That is why i am changing my tyres to RT tyres also which are good for snow.
These are Rugged terrain..a hybrid of All Terrain and Mud Terrain tyres. Best of both worlds.

I understand about the seat belts. Thank you. :)

The Shrek figure is superb! I plan to install an inclinometer and altimeter at that very same place.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazchem (Post 5183455)

Yes, as per the manual, a cold start kit is available as an addon.

After my post on the Forum i had sent an enquiry to Force Motors at about 2:54 PM exactly today regarding Cold Start Kit availability and cost.

At 3:04 PM exactly i got a call back from Force Motors Pune with the reply that since the BS6 Force Gurkha comes with Glow Plugs a Cold Start Kit will not be required.

How is that for service!! clap: I am truly sold on this Vehicle now.

Any one with any doubts regarding Force Motor aftersales can put their worries to rest!

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazchem (Post 5183455)

Congratulations !! I cant wait to hear your feedback on the highway capabilities of the Gurkha.

What it can do Off-road is a given pretty much. Please share photos and feedback on the highway experience was.
Did it feel like its lacking the extra BHP, especially in 5th gear or when overtaking.

All the best for your first long drive and what hopefully turns out to be an amazing ownership experience.

Cheers

Kundan.