Our friends at AutocarIndia report that Force Motors is getting ready to launch the Trax Gurkha on February 15.
Talks of the revival of the Gurkha brand started as early as January of 2012. The first test mule was spotted in October and finally we get to the real deal in the next 8 days. The Force Trax Gurkha will be the second product of Force Motors in the passenger car segment.
We would like to remind our audience that this is a facelift and NOT an all-new model. This means that we will get the trusted (but old) Mercedes-Benz technology in a new package. It will get a few design changes including round headlights and alloy wheels borrowed from the Force One.
We expect the 2.2-litre FMTech engine from the Force One to make it to the new Gurkha as well. This engine produces a peak power of 142PS and 321Nm of torque. The power will be sent to a 4×4 system with a lockable differential. The only transmission choice will be the 5-speed manual.
Considering the launch is almost on the anvil, we don’t expect the Gurkha to get ABS or Airbags. If there is a plan to develop those technologies, expect to see them on the Force One before the Gurkha.
[Force Motors banks on variants of the One such as 4WD and a stripped-down standard model to increment sales in the next financial year]
Prices are still a matter of speculation (8 lakh rupees is the estimation) but expect Force Motors to pit the new Gurkha against Mahindra Bolero and Thar.
Back when it was on sale in the Indian market, the Force Gurkha was plagued by problems like lack of availability and substandard service back up. To give its new launches a good chance of succeeding, Force Motors is establishing a new network of dealerships all over the country. The automaker announced that it will expand its new dealer network to 40 outlets by the end of March 2013. Force Motors currently has 25 personal car dealerships across the country.
Force Motors is hoping to sell around 5,000 to 7,000 personal vehicles (Gurkha and Force One) in the next financial year. The automaker plans to pump in Rs. 1,000 crore in operations, new products, a new paint shop and modern equipment at their Pithampur facility to become a dominant player in the business.
[Source: AutocarIndia's Twitter Account via Motorbash.com]
