[nozzlering]

Originally Posted by AdityaDeane

Having read nozzlering's post, I bought the 'Head Unit Reloaded Emulator' app from Google Play Store for Rs.430/- and installed it on my Nippon NDROID-10PRO. It took me a lot of time to understand the process on my car and my mobile, but eventually I was able to set it up for both Wired and Wireless Android Auto (I don't have an iPhone to check for Carplay).

I have finally got wireless android auto working on my car. For this we need to connect player and phone to same hotspot. Condition is the hotspot should be from a separate device or phone. I am writing this after using the wireless function over a week. Earlier there was no consistency at all. I have made a video. You can start from 5:42 onwards.

https://youtu.be/MuH1V4F_Gdw?si=AeGMvds01ndnMhh-

[dhrubojyoti]

Hello everyone!

As I promised, I am here to share my experience in sub-zero temperature with my Gurkha BS6.2 5D. We recently completed a 5K km road trip again to Arunachal Pradesh, this time the eastern part. The lowest temperature experienced there was -12 degree, clear sky meaning no snowfall but windy weather. Gurkha was cranked at -7 degree after keeping it facing the valley overnight. The glow plug was on for 3-4 seconds and then went off. A single crank and Gurkha responded, "Only this much you want from me?" And we started the journey after a minute of idling.

One of the fellow Gurkha BS6.2 owners is exploring Spiti/Kaza now and Gurkha is showing its beast mode there too. No nonsense in starting it even in colder temperatures! Just a crank and Gurkha is ready for the day!

It has again shown flawless performance throughout as experienced in previous trips. It is so very comfortable running at 110-120 kmph band throughout the day! We have covered 1150km at one go this time also in mixed terrain.

I have never faced the manual regeneration indication in my 6 months of ownership. It took automatic regeneration a few times when the idle rpm goes up till 900-1000rpm for a few minutes and that's all. You would hardly notice it if you are running then on an open highway.

It has been a wonderful companion so far!

Signing off with a few of its photos from last trip..

[Twiny]

Hi. Please comment on, what would be the drive/ride experience if a 1st gen XUV500 user, buys 5D 2024 Gurkha. Also will there be a facelift this year(looking for a better space management of 2nd and 3rd row seats)

[dhrubojyoti]

Originally Posted by Twiny

Hi. Please comment on, what would be the drive/ride experience if a 1st gen XUV500 user, buys 5D 2024 Gurkha. Also will there be a facelift this year(looking for a better space management of 2nd and 3rd row seats)

Hi sir,

I earlier have shared my experience from Aria, an extremely comfortable tourer to Gurkha 5D. You may take that as the reference to understand your needs. Also, I don't think that there will be any such facelift anytime soon. I am not sure though, as I haven't seen Force Motors spending anything in product promotions, advertisements, or any such things. Those who know their product's capabilities, will buy it and enjoy the fullest.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5808955 (2024 Force Gurkha 5-Door Review)

[dhrubojyoti]

Hello everyone!

Here I am again with another high altitude snow drive experience with Gurkha BS6.2 5D. It was an impromptu weekend drive to North Sikkim this time.

The roads are very much non-existent throughout the North Sikkim region after the Teesta flash flood due to the cloud burst followed by Lhonak Lake burst at 17100 ft.

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/stor...278-2023-10-06

It was hell of an off-road drive for hours even before we could reach the snow points. It also rained when we crossed the washed off sections. Deep mud, slush, boulders, steep hairpins, streams; you name it and we crossed everything. The visuals of disaster after-effects and the remaining was scary, heart wrenching. However, after the overnight rain and snowfall in the upper regions, the morning became bright and sunny! We got to see absolutely frozen disneyland being in the only car that far. A few tourist vehicles reached till the snow point and we kept on driving further, around 30 km all alone. Gurkha kept on slicing the snow with its bash plate and the whiteland kept on unfolding. We also reached the cold desert at above 17000 ft and the world's highest lake at 17800 ft the next day. Though it was a quick weekend drive, our heart and eyes were filled with the pleasure of witnessing the absolute beauty of mother nature.

On the second day, we also found a tourist vehicle (Bolero) stuck in snow for some time. A few other vehicles tried to recover it with rope, but failed. Then other vehicles started moving back from that narrow zone and successfully created chaos and piled up stagnant vehicles. After wasting a good amount of time witnessing the circus, Gurkha somehow managed to move forward by going on the ditch full of ice & snow, and reach the stuck vehicle. I was equipped with emergency and recovery items and the tow strap + shackle became the saviour. It pulled out the Bolero in two seconds and made the road clear to move forward.

We thoroughly enjoyed the unplanned weekend trip. We faced many challenges, mostly in terms of the road conditions, and had fun tackling all of them. We got to use the jerry can and tow strap in this trip. 4H is used in many places, rear differential lock in a couple of places. We are yet to use 4L, front differential lock and the snow chains in any tour.

ABS signal came up in this tour after deep slush drive, though brakes were functioning absolutely normal. It also went away on its own after some decent road driving. Everything else has been so normal and trustworthy throughout. High altitude performance was just it like it does in planes, not even the minute difference. Cold start in the morning at -6 degree was also fuss free. I just allowed the glow plug to go for 3 times and then it started in single crank. The DEF chember and the fuel lines are equipped with heated line and that gets the job done silently. And yes, about the DPF regeneration, the very well negatively narrated phenomenon in various social mediums.. What's that? I haven't faced any manual regen indication ever in my 9 months of happy ownership. Gurkha ran for hours in first gear with 4H engaged to smoothly tackle the road/no-road conditions, even the engine temperature was always normal.

I have also found a facebook page displaying my journey story.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122111409332763220

We have been enjoying the tank thoroughly. All occupants are questing for more adventure. Signing off with a few pictures of white disneyland..

[GhostRider28]

Originally Posted by dhrubojyoti

Hello everyone!

Cold start in the morning at -6 degree was also fuss free. I just allowed the glow plug to go for 3 times and then it started in single crank. The DEF chamber and the fuel lines are equipped with heated line and that gets the job done silently. And yes, about the DPF regeneration, the very well negatively narrated phenomenon in various social mediums.. What's that? I haven't faced any manual regen indication ever in my 9 months of happy ownership. Gurkha ran for hours in first gear with 4H engaged to smoothly tackle the road/no-road conditions, even the engine temperature was always normal.

Great pictures! Thank you for the short yet informative post. I wonder whether other offroaders in this segment like the Thar Roxx come with heated DPF and chamber and heated fuel lines.

[PB65]

Originally Posted by dhrubojyoti

Hello everyone!

Here I am again with another high altitude snow drive experience with Gurkha BS6.2 5D. It was an impromptu weekend drive to North Sikkim this time.

Thanks for sharing the experience! I am prospective buyer of the Gurkha but have been waiting for some ownership reviews to pop-up before taking the final call.

I guess your experience proves that nothing can beat simplicity. Less electricals and electronics, less sensors, less features, all means less headache. Gurkha is a mechanical beast, and not a fancy one.

[dhrubojyoti]

Originally Posted by PB65

Thanks for sharing the experience! I am prospective buyer of the Gurkha but have been waiting for some ownership reviews to pop-up before taking the final call.

I guess your experience proves that nothing can beat simplicity. Less electricals and electronics, less sensors, less features, all means less headache. Gurkha is a mechanical beast, and not a fancy one.

Thank you!

Yes, indeed Gurkha is a mechanical beast. I also considered the simplicity over sophistication based on my traveling needs to the furthest corners of the country. All seems robust, crude; yet functional, which perfectly fits my necessity. The age old time tested Marcedes derived engine is like the heart of a whale.

People generally talk very little about this vehicle, maybe because of zero effort in marketing, promotions and paid buzz on social media. However, few of us have been exploring the country irrespective of the terrain, season and landscape in this vehicle with full of joy and freedom. It's truly so very engaging like reading a hard jacket novel over the Kindle books.

After purchase, I got some surprise elements too. For example, the middle row AC vents; I knew that it's only the blower unit just to circulate the air to rear passengers. Later discovered that it's a separate AC unit altogether which is a chiller! During the underbody wash, I also got to see the heated DEF chamber and the heated pipe line which will come handy during extreme cold. I already have been in such harsh conditions and it worked flawlessly!

I must mention here about the service centre experience too. Unlike anywhere else, they all treat us like their extended family members. The head technician, the workshop manager and the respective territory service manager; they all recognise us just by names. The TSM is always just a phone call away for any slightest queries. They treat a Gurkha not mechanically, but out of sheer passion. It always has been a very cheerful experience spending time there for the initial free services. Force Motors also listens to the existing customers and makes incremental changes wherever required. The BS6.2 has many such changes over BS6 Gurkha.

Like all other cars, Gurkha is also not perfect. But it will keep you grinning to ear if it fits your purpose.

Cheers!

[PB65]

Originally Posted by dhrubojyoti

After purchase, I got some surprise elements too. For example, the middle row AC vents; I knew that it's only the blower unit just to circulate the air to rear passengers. Later discovered that it's a separate AC unit altogether which is a chiller! During the underbody wash, I also got to see the heated DEF chamber and the heated pipe line which will come handy during extreme cold. I already have been in such harsh conditions and it worked flawlessly!

Yes. I made a mention of the AC unit in post #88 on this thread. Figured that out during the test drive.

I'll be keenly following your updates. The only deterrent to me is the service interval of 120 days and the corresponding costs. Going by the words of the sales rep, the maintenance was coming out to be equivalent to a German CBU. But the all metal exterior and the raw nature of this SUV got my heart set on it.

Looking forward to your updates!

[dhrubojyoti]

Originally Posted by PB65

Yes. I made a mention of the AC unit in post #88 on this thread. Figured that out during the test drive.

I'll be keenly following your updates. The only deterrent to me is the service interval of 120 days and the corresponding costs. Going by the words of the sales rep, the maintenance was coming out to be equivalent to a German CBU. But the all metal exterior and the raw nature of this SUV got my heart set on it.

Looking forward to your updates!

Thanks! I have been following all the media drives including T-BHP review since the day it was launched. I missed that somehow.

About the maintenance cost, I don't know the source of your information, but I would say that it's not true, not even half true. I am still under free service schedule, hence may not able to portray the complete picture. But if you take the cost of some parts as example, they are cheap. The cost of the door handle is less than rs 300, maybe rs 268. Let alone the German CBUs, do we have any other Indian car manufacturers providing door handles in that price? Again, it's crude, but absolutely functional. I know the cost of service of the Germans from my friends who own it, and they envy Gurkha's maintenance cost.

About the shorter service interval, I accepted this fact while purchasing it and made an informed decision. After all, it's not the regular FWD or RWD vehicle. The transmission is much more complex than regular city driving cars and quicker & regular service will only increase its lifespan. Till now I have been following it religiously and it gave me a very happy ownership so far.

[Kkumar]

Hi, @dhrubojyoti looks like you had a great time with Gurkha. Great article with beautiful photos. Request if you could share the details of the stays. Thank you for sharing and keep on munching miles.

[dhrubojyoti]

Originally Posted by Kkumar

Hi, @dhrubojyoti looks like you had a great time with Gurkha. Great article with beautiful photos. Request if you could share the details of the stays. Thank you for sharing and keep on munching miles.

Thanks!

It was a quick weekend drive from Kolkata.

Day 0: Started from home
Day 1: Lachung (after 21 hours of drive and obtaining ILP in between) Stayed at Rufina Lachung Kunga.
Day 2: Lachung snow drive towards Yumthang valley and beyond, then towords Lachen. Stayed at Highlander's retreat.
Day 3: Snow drive to Gurudongmar, back to Lachen, had lunch, started return journey, Late dinner in Siliguri, rest for couple of hours post dinner, back to home.

Most of the hotels/home stays are not operational yet in Lachung/Lachen region. The number of tourists are also very very limited. At most of the places, there is no road. They are still reviving from the scars of Teesta flash flood. I didn't do any pre-booking. I was not even sure if I would be able to reach that far. So I was flexible with my plans. If I couldn't, I would have come back to some other regions of Sikkim. I also had emergency rashion and temporary sleeping arrangements in the car for such situations.

Thanks again! Cheers!

[Pradzz]

Originally Posted by dhrubojyoti

Later discovered that it's a separate AC unit altogether which is a chiller! During the underbody wash, I also got to see the heated DEF chamber and the heated pipe line which will come handy during extreme cold.
Cheers!

I have been following anything and everything about the Gurkha for some time now. And I had no idea the rear unit actually had separate cooling. And there was heating lines for DEF. Goes to show that I am clearly am not doing a very good job
BTW Is this specific only to 2024 onwards model?

Originally Posted by dhrubojyoti

I must mention here about the service centre experience too. Unlike anywhere else, they all treat us like their extended family members.
Cheers!

I have heard quite a few people complain about Force's service experience and some really appreciate their efforts. I am glad you fall in the latter category. The main deterrent for many, I think, are the minor/major niggles and inconsistency from vehicle to vehicle. As nice as having a good relationship is with the service center staff, there are some people who would completely avoid them in the first place.

Please do keep posting about your travels and ownership experience.

[dhrubojyoti]

Originally Posted by Pradzz

I have been following anything and everything about the Gurkha for some time now. And I had no idea the rear unit actually had separate cooling. And there was heating lines for DEF. Goes to show that I am clearly am not doing a very good job
BTW Is this specific only to 2024 onwards model?

Not your fault, sir!

I haven't seen any Force Gurkha commercials so far. It's such a beautiful piece of engineering that others might have put a lot of efforts in showcasing it, but Force Motors care a damn. People who search for the classic, old school, no nonsense 4X4 beasts, only come across this.

About the heated line for DEF, yes. Only the BS6.2 Gurkha is equipped with DEF, hence the earlier models couldn't have it.

[dhrubojyoti]

So, here comes the question of the year on Gurkha BS6.2: The DPF Issue!

I somehow wondered, am I the lucky one not to face the DPF issue in my nine months of ownership, where the digital media is flooded with unhappy souls? And eventually I would also be stuck somewhere with this demon? The truth got unfolded in a dramatic way!

After sharing my North Sikkim snow experience with Gurkha, I was honored to be invited to and joined an unofficial Kolkata Team-BHP group. I got to interact with the people whose travelogues, knowledges inspired me for years, if not decade. Few of them were also curious to know my struggle with Gurkha DPF and were surprised knowing that I hadn't faced any! I again started doubting the reality, thought it best to dig the bigger picture.

I am also part of a national group of Gurkha BS6.2 owners. I requested the admin there, if we can have a poll on the DPF related issue to get the actual picture nationwide. It was organized on 9th March, 2025 and We got many participants to share their votes and here goes the nationwide picture, the first one!

It could be also be beneficial for the larger audience to know the different regions these BS6.2 Gurkhas belong to with their current age and ODO readings. The different terrains, traffic conditions, weather; these all could be variables to/not to create the DPF issue. Further data collection and summarization yielded more surprising picture! We went to find out how big is the elephant in the room, and it appeared to be a mouse! Please refer the mouse in the second picture!

It seems, poor experiences get highlighted on social platforms because those create easy buzz and viewership, also creating the perception that they are the majority. The so-called influencers (not owners) also play some role in it. Happy owners are usually busy in exploring the country and enjoying their vehicle.

I mentioned earlier, that I shifted from driving a BS4 diesel 2.2L for around a decade, I shifted to BS6.2 Gurkha. I haven't taken any special precautions or changed my driving style to have a happy experience with it. If someone is still facing DPF issues with Gurkha BS6.2, he/she would surely face the same with other BS6+ diesel vehicles too.

Thanks everyone for your patience!