2013, it seems will finally bring some much needed competition to the Mahindra Thar on-off roading SUV. The Thar, which comes with woeful fit and finish levels for the kind of price it is sold at can definitely do with some competition. Competition will come in 2013, when Force Motors launches the all new Gurkha 4X4 SUV. Force Motors has been testing the Gurkha 4X4 quite extensively and the SUV will finally be relaunched in India after being taken off the market nearly three years ago. The all new Gurkha gets new styling and interiors, while the engine too could be a more powerful version turbo diesel motor.
The Gurkha SUV has a fat chance of doing well this time around as many things have now changed. Firstly, the arrival of the Mahindra Thar and its consequent success at the hustings has showcased the latent demand in the Indian car market, for a lifestyle SUV to cater to the off roading enthusiasts, who’d been bereft of diesel powered options until the Thar came along. Secondly, Force Motors now has a much better distribution network for passenger cars and this could make a big impact on the Gurkha’s sales. Last time around, the Gurkha was a made-to-order vehicle with waiting periods running into many months.
Also, the SUV was sold from Force Motors’ commercial vehicles dealerships as the automaker didn’t have separate dealerships to cater to the passenger car segment. Now that Force Motors has a dedicated passenger car dealer network, expect more people to walk into showrooms and more importantly know that a product like the Gurkha 4X4 does exist. The Gurkha 4X4 is based on the legendary G-Wagen platform that underpins off roaders like the Mercedes Benz G-Wagen, an SUV that costs the north of INR 1 Crore.
This robust platform, along with a turbo diesel engine designed by Daimler does give the Force Gurkha some impressive specifications. Also, the Gurkha is known to be a terrific off roader that offers a hard top design, and therefore more safety and comfort to its passengers. This also gives the Gurkha 4X4 the capability of being a daily drive, something that the Thar is yet t live up to given its soft top design. The Gurkha 4X4 is expected to be launched in India during the second half of 2013. We also are getting hints of Mahindra readying up a hard top Thar in 2013, to counter the Force Gurkha. We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again. God bless competition!
(Source : BusinessStandard )
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