Republik Motor has showcased the Force Gurkha-based Ksatria SUV and a pickup truck at the Indo Defence Expo and Forum. The Indonesian-based company plans to sell these to government agencies first and later to other customers.
Republik Motor plans to manufacture these vehicles under a licence from Force Motors in Indonesia. That said, the display vehicles were made in India.
The Ksatria is identical to the 5-door Force Gurkha save for a few changes. It gets a bull bar and protection grills for the headlights and indicators. The alloy wheel design is also different from that offered in India. The Ksatria gets LED tail lamps and a spare wheel cover at the back. The SUV gets a 6-seat layout with captain seats in the middle row and a bench in the third row. Ceiling-mounted AC blowers are also spotted in the middle row.
The Ksatria pickup truck gets a dual-cab design. The display vehicle had a missile launcher kept in the back. The tailgate looks to swing out from the side rather than being hinged at the bottom like conventional pickup truck tailgates.
On the inside, the Ksatria pickup gets a black and beige dual-tone theme. Seats also are better designed than those in the Gurkha.
Inside is where the Ksatria differs the most compared to its Indian counterpart. It has a dual-tone interior with black and beige colours, while the Gurkha only has a black interior. Other differences compared to the Gurkha include more plush seats in the Ksatria.
Republik will use the same tried and tested OM616 engine. The Mercedes-Benz sourced 2.6-litre unit generated 91 HP and 250 Nm of peak torque. In terms of the gearbox, it will likely use the 5-speed manual gearbox from the Gurkha. It will also get a four-wheel drive system with a low range. Mechanically locking differentials on both axles are expected to be carried forward.
Also Read – 5-door Force Gurkha interiors revealed, spacious lifestyle SUV