Force Gurkha
What you'll like:
Macho styling & incredible street presence. Robust build too
Far more user-friendly than the old Gurkha due to superior interiors & better amenities
Shift-on-the-fly 4x4 with low range, diff locks, satisfactory all-round visibility & 233 mm GC. Excellent gradability, approach, departure & break-over angles make it a potent off-roader
Choice of 3-door and 5-door (7-seater) versions gives it an edge over competing off-roaders
Rides noticeably better than other purpose-built offroaders in the market (especially the Thar)
5.5 m turning radius (3-door) is not as wide as its competitors
Homologated accessories mean no cop trouble for owners (
windscreen protection bar, roof carrier, ladder, headlamp & fender lamp grilles etc.). Snorkel is factory-fitted!
500L boot space (3-door) is enough for a family's vacation luggage
Features such as the hard top, LED headlamps with DRLs, rear wash & wipe, 9-inch touchscreen HU, power & eco drive modes, TPMS, dead pedal, rear A/C vents...
What you won't:
High floor makes ingress & egress very difficult for the elderly in particular
Braking capability is below average. Pedal travel is long too
No soft-top or convertible options like the Thar. No Petrol engine or Automatic transmission either
Tall stature equates to lots of body roll and poor handling
Despite the increased power & torque, the Gurkha's outright performance is mediocre
Overall fit & finish, quality of interior plastics, ICE audio, camera display
Notchy 5-speed MT has long throws and is cumbersome to use
Missing features such as 6 airbags, ESP, hill-hold / descent control, sunroof, auto headlamps, auto wipers, driver's seat height & lumbar adjustment, auto-dimming IRVM, electrically folding ORVMs etc.
5-door variant's 3rd-row captain seats cannot be folded or flipped. You'll need to place your luggage on & around them (or get a carrier)
Review Link 3-door Gurkha Drive Report Mahindra Thar
What you'll like:
Fun, fun, fun! A loveable car that will bring you loads of laughs & smiles
Handsome Jeep styling & brute character. Tough build too
Far more user-friendly than the ol Thar due to superior interiors & the amenities
Very competent, refined turbo-petrol & diesel engine range
Butter-smooth 6-speed Automatics available with both engines
4x4 hardware, offroad capability & 226 mm GC. Get ready for slush, muck, deserts, jungles & the mountains!
Practical hard-top or fun convertible available in the Thar take your pick
Features such as removable doors, ESP, cruise control, hill hold / descent, TPMS
4-star rating in the GNCAP crash test (
more information)
What you won't:
Very bumpy ride quality. The Thar is never settled, no matter what the road or speed
Poor road manners at high speed. Best to cruise at 100 - 110 km/h only
Impractical due to the 2-doors, 4 seats (not 5) & difficult access to the back seat
Laughably small boot simply isnt enough for holiday luggage
Petrol AT is thirsty due to its hefty weight, 150 BHP & torque-converter AT
Premium pricing for the higher variants. Lot of money for the Thar's limited usability
Sad feature list for a 17-lakh car. No reversing cam, auto-dimming IRVM, auto headlamps & wipers, electrically-folding ORVMs, rear wash & wipe
Apprehensions of niggles & Mahindra's hit-or-miss after-sales service quality
Review Link Maruti Suzuki Jimny
What you'll like:
Extremely stylish retro-modern SUV with loads of character. A total head-turner thats available in very interesting colours
Build quality is more solid than youd expect of a Maruti. Even the interiors feel hard-wearing (
note: plastic quality is nothing to write home about)
An agile mountain goat! 4x4 with low range, satisfactory all-round visibility, 210 mm GC, good wheel articulation and excellent approach, departure & break-over angles make it a potent offroader
Compact size & lighter kerb weight (than the Thar & Gurkha) bring advantages off-the-road and on it (in urban confines)
Stylish interiors with good space utilization for 4 adults
4 doors make it more practical & family-friendly than the competing 2-door offroaders
Smooth torque-converter automatic transmission available
You can expect lots of modification & customization options, as is the case internationally. Go out & personalize your Jimny!
Features such as the hard top, tinted green glasses, near-flat reclining front seats, LED auto headlamps with washers, rear wash & wipe, cruise control, 9-inch touchscreen HU...
Safety kit includes 6 airbags, 3-point seatbelts for all, ESP, brake-based limited-slip differential, traction control, hill hold / descent control and ISOFIX mounts
Marutis excellent after-sales service, wide dealer network & fuss-free ownership experiences
What you won't:
Small size doesnt give it the presence of a Thar or Gurkha
Unexciting 1.5L petrol engine with merely 103 BHP and 134 Nm. Dont expect Maruti-esque fuel economy either (we saw high single-digit FE in our test-drive of the MT variant)
Notchy 5-speed MT with a heavy clutch pedal. MT owners will find the footwell to be cramped
Firm steering requires effort to operate. Vague on-road behaviour, weak return-to-centre action and wide 5.7 m turning radius
Just a 4-seater (even legally). Not being able to carry 5 limits family-wise practicality
Imperfect ride quality. Dont expect road manners like a monocoque crossover, yet it is superior to the Thars bumpy ride
4-speed AT feels very old and outdated (has an OD button like in the 90s!). That being said, the gearbox has smooth shifts & proven reliability
Missing features such as a sunroof, DRLs, rear A/C vents, auto wipers, TPMS, driver's seat height & lumbar adjustment, steering reach adjustment, auto-dimming IRVM, dead pedal
Boot space is just 208 litres; however, it is useable and more accommodating than the Thars. Disappointingly, the Jimnys cabin has very few storage options & cubicles
No soft-top convertible or 2-door options available. Forget about the joy of open-top cruising
No diesel engine for those with high running. The market still loves diesels in body-on-frame SUVs
Review Link