2021 Force Gurkha: Test drive impressions & price breakdown

Financing options are available up to 90% of the ex-showroom price.

BHPian mav3r1ckblu3 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Fellow T-BHP'ians went for checking out the Gurkha at the nearby showroom and ended up test driving the vehicle. As soon as I parked my Turbo Duster in the driveway, the Sales Rep (SR) came out with the key as if he knew I was there for the Test Drive (TD), perhaps noticing the grin on my face. It was the Grey coloured vehicle which was the Test Mule. (Pic 1)

Some personal observations (purely subjective, not meant to offend anyone)

1. Takes some effort to climb into the cabin, whether in the front or at the back. I'm 5'10" and stockily built. So if you're thinking of it as a "complete" family vehicle, it "may" not be suitable for the eldest or aged family members. Please take a TD and then decide.
2. The steering wheel (although tilt and telescopic) impedes the ingress and egress as your thighs hit the bottom of the steering wheel (for my build at least), and the huge diameter of the steering wheel doesn't help. Hope they at least think of coming up with a smaller dia steering wheel in its next iteration.
3. Fixed height of the driver's seat may not be to everyone's liking.
4. The Diesel motor does make its presence felt inside the cabin in terms of NVH (subjective, I drive and have mostly driven petrol vehicles)
5. Very very light clutch (again subjective, some may like it, some won't, for me it was a complete surprise for a vehicle of such proportions)
6. The spare wheel bracket on the rear door would need tightening regularly, to avoid the rattling sound of the loose spare wheel. The one on the TD mule rattled when the rear door was closed.
7. Airy/Roomy cabin for 3 passengers + 1 Driver
8. Road presence like none other

Rest of the things have been already discussed and dissected at length in various ownership threads here and I would not be able to do justice to those write-ups.

The SR stated Black colour is going to replace Orange (his words). Also, the alloys, roof rails, and ICE system are "mandatory" accessories. Breakdown of costs attached (Pic 2). I've omitted the contact details for obvious reasons.

Financing options are available up to 90% of the ex-showroom price. Based on your credit score (if it is good) you can pay 4 lakhs INR as a down payment, and the rest can be paid on an EMI basis for 25,000 INR per month for 5 years approximately, as per the SR.

For now, the on-road price of Rs 17 lakhs, which rises up to Rs 19-20 lakhs if one goes for the financing option, looks justifiable only if one is solely buying it for the purpose it's built for, and utilizes it for that, at least once a year!

Don't get me wrong, this will look great on the road, or parked in your driveway too. But then, would you buy a Bazooka where a Colt would suffice? I leave it for the readers to decide...

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