Force Motors has finally launched the more practical variant of its three-door lifestyle off-roader Gurkha priced at Rs 100,000. 18 lakh. The Gurkha five-door currently has no direct competitor in the country. However, it will face stiff competition from the Mahindra Thar five-door in the coming months. It is speculated that the five-door version of Mahindra’s SUV will be called Thar Armada and will come with loads of features and new design. So how will these two SUVs stack up against each other? Read on to find out.
Exterior design
Force Gurkha five-door
First, let’s talk about the exterior design of the Force Gurkha five-door. Before we get into the specific details, it’s worth mentioning that the new Gurkha five-door looks exactly like the Gurkha three-door from the front and back.
This means it also gets a single horizontal mesh grille with Gurkha script, circular LED headlights with LED daytime running lights and Mercedes-Benz G63-style indicators on the fender. It also features a massive snorkel on the right fender.
Additionally, the side profile gets an 18-inch set of diamond-cut alloy wheels. The special highlight of this vehicle are the additional doors in the middle. The rear, however, remains the same as the three-door model. A metal ladder for climbing to the roof is included as standard.
In terms of dimensions, the Gurkha five-door is 4390 mm long, 1865 mm wide and 2095 mm high. The five-door model offers a wheelbase of 2825 mm. Its ground clearance is now 233 mm.
Overall, the Gurkha is a real off-roader with its huge dimensions and design features. For some, it may not feel like a vehicle they can use on a daily basis, even though it now has more seats.
Mahindra Thar five-door
Let’s move on to the exterior design of the Mahindra Thar. The SUV will come with a new grille design unlike the three-door Thar. It gets a new six-slat grille that is divided into two parts by a horizontal line. It will also get new LED headlights. However, the rest of the front remains the same.
Coming to the side profile, the new Thar Armada will also get two center doors like the Gurkha five-door. These doors will help increase the practicality of the Thar.
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Additionally, the top variant will come with 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. In addition, the fiber roof will be replaced with a metal roof. The rear will largely look the same as the three-door Thar.
Overall, the Thar five-door will look a little less robust as it doesn’t have a dedicated roof rack, snorkel or metal ladder. As for choosing between the two, it depends on the taste of the individual buyer. Styling is always a personal thing.
Interior design and equipment
Force Gurkha five-door
The Gurkha five-door has exactly the same interior space as the Gurkha three-door. It features a very sturdy and simple dashboard with a lot of hard plastic. It doesn’t feel premium and is best suited to those who are buying this SUV primarily for its utility.
The Gurkha features a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment screen, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and an electronic 4WD mode selector for 2H, 4H and 4L. It also has power windows, manual air conditioning and some bronze gold accents on the center console.
Other features of the SUV include cornering lights and follow-me headlights. It also has dual airbags, ABS and EBD. The Gurkha five-door also has a tire pressure monitoring system. According to the company, the SUV offers best-in-class headroom and legroom.
The five-door
The Mahindra Thar five-door, on the other hand, is expected to come with a much more premium and well-finished interior. The overall layout is expected to remain the same as before. However, it will now replace its small 7-inch infotainment screen with a 10.25-inch unit seen on the new XUV 3XO.
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Meanwhile, there will still be manual air conditioning, but reports suggest there could also be a new digital instrument cluster and a multifunction steering wheel. Additionally, the SUV could come with a 360-degree camera, TPMS and Level 2 ADAS.
Other features on offer include roof-mounted speakers, AdrenoX connected car technology and a single-pane power sunroof. Finally, there could also be a series of auxiliary switches beneath the AC controls.
Overall, the interior of the new Thar five-door is likely to be significantly higher quality than that of the Gurkha five-door. It will also be the better equipped of the two, better suited to buyers who want to go off-road but don’t want a vehicle with a basic base.
Engine options
Gurkha five-door
The Force Gurkha five-door gets an optional single powertrain – a 2.6-liter diesel four-cylinder engine. This engine produces 140 hp of power and 320 Nm of torque. This engine is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission only.
The five-door
The Mahindra Thar five-door, on the other hand, will be available with multiple engine options. According to reports, it will most likely get the Scorpio-N’s 2.0-litre turbo petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines.
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The petrol engine is said to produce 200 hp with 370 Nm or 380 Nm of torque. Meanwhile, the diesel engine could produce 172 hp with 370 Nm or 400 Nm of torque.
As for transmission options, there could be a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic. The smaller 1.5-litre engine from the three-door Thar is unlikely to be offered on the five-door Thar. This is because the five-door Thar will be heavier than the three-door model.
Overall, the Thar five-door will appeal to a much more diverse group of buyers. Enthusiasts will have plenty of options to choose from, and the Gurkha five-door’s single powertrain option will most likely attract niche buyers.
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