Force Motors India has recently unveiled the new-generation Gurkha. It's a purpose-built off-roader that will go on sale on September 27. Compared to the previous model, the new Force Gurkha gets refreshed design, new features, and of course, a BS6-compliant diesel engine. But are these changes good enough to take on the highly popular Mahindra Thar in the segment? To find that, we have done a detailed specifications comparison. Here’s are the results: –
Also Read: 2021 Force Gurkha Accessories List Revealed Ahead Of Launch
2021 Force Gurkha Vs Mahindra Thar – Dimensions & Off-roading traits
Force Gurkha | Mahindra Thar | |
Length | 4116mm | 3985mm |
Width | 1812mm | 1855mm |
Height | 2075mm | 1844 |
Wheelbase | 2400mm | 2450mm |
Ground clearance | 205mm | 226mm |
| Approach angle | 37 degree | 41.8 degree |
| Departure angle | 35 degree | 36.8 degree |
| Breakover angle | 25 degree | 27 degree |
| Water wading capacity | 700mm | 650mm |
| Minimum Turning Radius | 5.65m | 5.9m |
- While the Force Gurkha has the shortest wheelbase (-50mm), it is 131mm longer and 43mm taller than the Mahindra Thar. This will result in better cabin space. However, the longer wheelbase of the Thar will ensure better stability of the vehicle.
- Despite having a longer wheelbase than the Force Gurkha, the Mahindra vehicle offers better ground clearance (+21mm) and more approach (+4.8 degree), departure (+1.8 degree), and breakover (+2 degree) angles. However, the Gurkha has more water-wading capacity (+50mm) thanks to its factory-fitted snorkel. It also makes small circles during the turn.
Powertrain
| Force Gurkha | Mahindra Thar |
Engine | 2.6-litre diesel | 2.2-litre diesel and 2.0-liter petrol |
| No of Cylinders | 4 | 4 |
Max Power | 91PS | 130PS (diesel), 150PS (petrol) |
Peak Torque | 250Nm | 300Nm (diesel), 320Nm (petrol) |
| Transmission Options | 5-speed manual | 6-speed manual/6-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain | 4×4 | 4×4 |
| MLD | Front + rear (manual) | rear auto MLD with front brake lock differential |
- Unlike the Force Gurkha that only comes with a diesel engine, the Thar is also available with a turbocharged gasoline motor. Further to make it more urban-friendly, there’s an optional 6-speed automatic transmission with both engine options.
- Both the mills of Mahindra Thar are more powerful and torquier than the Gurkha’s Mercedes-derived 2.6-litre unit. It would have been better if Force had offered the Gurkha Xtreme's 140PS 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine.
- While both models get a 4×4 drivetrain as standard along with a low-range transfer case, it's the Gurkha that comes with both front & rear manually locking differentials, thus, giving you individual control of the wheels during off-roading. However, the Thar comes with a host of electronics aids like ESC-based brake lock differential at the front, auto mechanical locking differential (MLD) at the rear, traction control, hill start assist, and hill descent control, etc.
Conclusion
The Mahindra's iconic Thar off-roader has impressed us, at least on paper. It has better off-roading traits and comes with a featured-packed cabin. However, these numbers only portray half the story, and you will have to wait for the final conclusion till we try our hands on the Gurkha off-roader. And, we strongly believe it will also offer a strong off-road performance as its predecessor model.
