Force Motors, the manufacturer known for its vans, is reportedly planning to update the engine in the Gurkha off-roader. The off-road specialised vehicle will get the 2.2-litre FMtech engine of the company's Force One SUV, reports Overdrive. The four-cylinder intercooled unit develops 139bhp at 3,800rpm and 321Nm of torque mated to five-speed manual transmission. This engine is BS-IV complaint, and hence the company will be able to sell the Gurkha in metro cities in India.
The current Gurkha version is powered by a 2.6-litre Mercedes OM 616 turbo-charged intercooled engine, which is tuned to churn out a power of 85bhp at 3,200rpm and a peak torque of 230Nm at 1,800-2,000 rpm. The engine comes mated to a five-speed manual transmission that sends power to all four wheels, and the vehicle comes equipped with differential locks on both front and rear axles.
The Force Gurkha is available in soft top and the hard top versions. The Gurkha soft top 4x2 is priced at Rs. 6.97 lakh, soft top 4x4 is priced at Rs. 9.26 lakh and hard top 4x4 is priced at 9.51 lakh, ex-showroom, New Delhi.
Previous reports had suggested that the company is planning to halt the production of the Force One SUV due to poor sales. Force Motors currently manufactures a small number of Force One at its Pitampur facility in Madhya Pradesh.