When I told my father that I would be driving the latest Gurkha, he had no idea what I was talking about. When I told him it was an SUV from Force, the same company that previously offered the iconic Matador, his eyes twinkled with nostalgia. Although just one example, the bane for the Force Gurkha SUV all these years has largely been the lack of awareness around the brand, the model and its capabilities among people outside of a niche, adventure-seeking car-buying audience.

For the absolutely uninitiated, Force Motors traces its roots back to 1958 and is a formidable player in the commercial vehicle space. While the Matador light-commercial vehicle was a common sight on Indian roads decades ago, the Force Traveller manufactured by the company is equally common now. But the Force Gurkha too has been around for several years even if it has not managed to taste success. And this is exactly what the Pune-based multinational automotive manufacturing company is looking to change.

The Force Gurkha is often seen as the only direct challenger to the Mahindra Thar in the sub- ₹20 lakh price bracket for SUVs that are capable of off-roading. But to sit and wait for laurels to drop in its lap just because it is a rugged 4x4 machine hasn't worked for Gurkha. The possible solution? A new five-door, three-row Gurkha as well as the promise of more features, more style and more substance. Can all of these updates help this SUV - which has been around for 16 years now - help take it to a wider audience?

Here are initial impressions about the updated 2024 Force Gurkha SUV:

Watch: 2024 Force Gurkha SUV: More desirable than Thar and Jimny?

2024 Force Gurkha: Exteriors

The latest Gurkha comes in two body types - the three-door version has been carried forward but all eyes would be particularly peeled for the five-door version which comes with three rows of seats. The styling updates though are common between the two and include a pair of high-intensity LED headlights and DRLs, a tweaked bumper, 18-inch alloy wheels and four body colour options - Green, Red, Black and White.

The Gurkha retains its mammoth road presence and while the dimensions are differ between the three-door version and the five-door versions, this SUV looks still looks extremely menacing, complete with that iconic air-intake snorkel for air supply and water wading.

What is also mighty interesting is that in the five-door version, the entry and exit for those in the last row is from the back because the Captain seats have been plonked at the back instead of the second row. For more on that…

2024 Force Gurkha: Cabin

The fulcrum on which the cabin updates in the newest Force Gurkha balances itself upon is in terms of convenience features as well as seat arrangement.

The three-row Gurkha, as mentioned previously, offers two forward-facing dedicated seats in the last row. And unlike most vehicles offering three rows of seats, the Gurkha's last row is quite comfortable. Getting and and out is fairly easy using the back door and space is quite decent as well. There is no third-row air-conditioning vent though, nor is there a single charging point here. What you have to make do with then is a small light on top and two bottle holders. This, however, still isn't a deal-breaker.

What is a bother though is the benchseat in the middle. Sure, the passengers here won't have to get up and out to make a passage for entry into the third row but then again, space is surprisingly limited here. With the driver seat pushed back to even midway, room for legs and knees gets significantly cut. And because the benchseat has no recline or slide function, you are left with two options - fight it out with those at the front or keep mum and adjust the best you can.

It is only partially better in the three-door version with two rows of seats because while space here is limited too, at least there are Captain seats in the second row. And because there is no third-row seats of any kind, those in the back can recline their Captain seats. There is also more luggage space in this version - 500 litres - but the windows at the back continue to be fixed.

The feature list is common between both versions and this is good. The Gurkha doesn't pamper occupants but at least now, it makes an effort to be hospitable. The new nine-inch Nippon infotaintment unit has been plonked on the dashboard and is fairly par for the course, even putting out feed from the newly added rear cams. There is support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay but through an external mobile app which is cumbersome to set up and use. The seven-inch all-digital driver display though is a big step up and is a starry high point because of all the drive-related information it puts out. The two rows of air-conditioning is fairly strong too and there is also a vent on the driver side console to cool your legs. There is decent amount of storage space for small bottles and other knickknacks in the cabin. Charging points are available for front and middle-row passengers (second row in case of the three-door version) which is good.

But limit your expectations till here. Nothing outright fancy - no sunroof, no ventilated seats, no wireless charging pad, no air purification system and no electronically-adjustable seats. Frankly, having these features is a bragging right but giving them a skip in a vehicle like this, in my personal opinion, is smart if the emphasis is on making the Gurkha a cost-effective option. But where the Gurkha seriously lacks is in the level of refinement.

The steering wheel itself looks like it has been teleported to the Gurkha from one of the commercial vehicles in the Force portfolio. Forget about steering-mounted controls. The plastics surrounding the second-row AC vents were creaking in both test vehicles and some of the switches were reminiscent of those in long-distance trains in the country. In an otherwise respectably updated cabin, these stand out more now because of the contrast painted.

2024 Force Gurkha: Drive

You don't drive a Force Gurkha. You commandeer it. Because it is a battle tank that is every bit as intimidating while standing still as it is when rumbling about. If you think the Mahindra Thar is menacing to look at - and it is, the Gurkha is even more so.

Powered by a behemoth 2.6-litre diesel motor that comes paired to a five-speed gearbox, the SUV produces 138 bhp and offers 320 Nm of torque. What this means in the real world is a partly gruff, partly gauche drive trait on regular roads. There is a fair bit of engine noise that comes into the cabin although the control over surrounding sounds is good. The gear throws may not be slick either but are still fairly easy to manage while the short clutch reach will help tackle traffic to some extent.

The Gurkha is more than likely to still feel out of place in tight spaces that define most Indian cities, especially in congested areas. And this is not because of its sheer size but due to its tuning. But this is also what helps it enormously when empty stretches open up on the horizon.

The Gurkha isn't a sprinter but work the gears sensibly and this beast manages to push itself forward with a fair sense of eagerness. The heft to the steering also adds to the confidence and while there is some degree of bobbing, that's only expected from such a body type. The SUV also manages to make mincemeat of any and all road hurdles in its path and this confidence of the vehicle soon begins to seep into someone who may be new to the model.

But where the Gurkha truly shines, still, is where there are no roads at all. Among the updates tailormade for adventure is an electronic shift to switch between 4H, 4L and 2H which allows the Gurkha to move from tarmac to trail on the fly now.

A 35-degree gradebility, 28-degree ramp over angle and 37- degree departure angle lend this SUV some serious abilities to get out of places where most others won't dare to drive.

We put some of these to test on a make-shift track during our drive and while this track wasn't daunting by any stretch of a Gurkha's imagination, the SUV still managed to give a generous glimpse into what it is all about. The sheer confidence of the Force SUV to push ahead has quite the calming effect on the person behind the steering. It also claims to have a water-wading capability of 700 mm although we weren't able to experience this.

2024 Force Gurkha: Verdict

The Gurkha does not want to be for everyone. It seems to still not have any aspirations to be a crowd pleaser. And that is absolutely fine. But what it is seeking to be is a far more visible - and a more viable - option for an ever-increasing thrill-seeking Indian car-buying audience. Just because it is a niche offering does not mean that the niche base cannot be expanded.

The 2024 Force Gurkha does a good job of retaining its core strengths - massive road presence and fairly decent style updates. The three-row version is a great option to have irrespective of space issues in the middle. And the feature list is adequate even if not unnecessarily fancy. Where the Gurkha still misses out on though is a missing petrol and automatic transmission options, as well as in levels of refinement.

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