A test mule of what appears to be a pick-up version of the Force Gurkha has been spotted. The Gurkha pick-up was spotted in Pune with heavy camouflage.
Force Gurkha Pick-up : More Details
The test mule gets a fabric soft top on the bed area of the pick-up as seen in the video. We can also note the front snorkel and 18-inch alloy wheels carried over from the Gurkha. At the back, this Gurkha pick-up gets a size hinged tailgate. This appears to be borrowed from the Force Cruiser. While there is no clue on the powertrain, we can expect this pick-up to continue with Gurkha 4×4 mechanicals along with a low-range gearbox. Force might also offer mechanically locking front and rear differentials as well.
Another speculation is that this pick-up could be made for the use of the military. As such, with the discontinuation of the Maruti Gypsy, the armed forces are lacking a replacement vehicle. Hence, Force Motors might be evaluating a vehicle based on the military’s requirements.
Powertrain of the Force Gurkha Pick-Up
Force Motors is likely to use the 2.6L FM CR turbo engine with this pick-up. The workhorse of an engine develops 90 BHP and 250 Nm. A 5-speed gearbox handles the transmission duties. The same engine does duty across the range of Force vehicles including Force Traveller and mini buses. These have a maximum payload of 7,550 kg.
Competition of the Force Gurkha Pick-Up
In India, pickup truck’s are not a very high demand vehicle. However, there is definitely a market for the same. In India, the commercial pick-up segment has the Mahindra Bolero pick-up in both single and dual cab, then we have the Isuzu range of models and finally at the top-end is the Toyota Hilux.
Also Read – Force Gurkha pick-up to launch soon? Spotted again.