The Force SUV has been on our radar for quite some time now. The project is very important from the perspective of this Abhay Firodia-led company as it marks its entry into the lucrative SUV segment. Earlier this company was known as Bajaj tempo and was famous for making tractors, three-wheelers, light and heavy trucks.
But the company is in the process of making an indigenously developed SUV since about a year now. When we say ‘indigenous’ we mean the engine is from Daimler and the parts are sourced from China and Korea. So it is not really indigenous in its true essence. Nonetheless, the company has major ambitions with this project and has invested 600-800 crores in the project.
The new SUV would be produced at the company's Pithampur plant in Madhya Pradesh and will go head to head with a formidable competitor – Skoda’s Yeti. The price bracket also puts it in the firing range of the newly launched – Tata Aria and the tried-and-tested Ford Endeavour.
A 2.2-liter common rail diesel engine sourced from Daimler will be married to a 5-speed manual transmission and send 220bhp of power to the rear wheels, according to information published on Autocar India.
The company has certainly got its work cut out. When you are taking on giants like Tata and Skoda, you cannot afford be a slouch.
Do you think this foray will be a successful one?
