2021 Force Gurkha Vs Mahindra Thar – Specifications Comparison

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.