Re: Force Gurkha on sale again. Launched @ 6.25 Lakhs the top four 4x4 vehicles in the international 4x4 scene are:
1. wrangler
2. defender
3. LC 70
4. G- wagon
could some one confirm whats the four similarities in the above four?
india is not yet a mature market for an international standard 4x4 dedicated offroad only vehicle. (wrangler is going to be a 20lakh plus vehicle).
in more than half of the posts in this thread, we have compared our wishes as per options available in 4x4 vehicles at international level.
indian OEMs (read TATA, M&M and FM) always made vehicles as per the purchasing power of the indian customer and not per their wish lists. its simple business!
so what we get in terms of Thar and Gurkha, its enough to cater to indian 4x4 automotive scene, who are more used to spending 3-4 lakhs on ex army rebuilds of 540,550 and Gypsy.
Thar was a result after years of negelect by M&M for the need for a dedicated 4x4 offroad vehicle. which im sure 90-95% of offroad enthusiasts liked it and bought it. as some people have called it a hybrid, juggaad or contraption....it works and its a hit. its loved like an old crush who has come back in life and made every one crazy. thanks to BD.
FM saw the Thar flying off the shelves and MM laughing all the way to the bank and MM again creating and leading a non existence segment few years back, dominated by scrap vehicle from the army.
so FM also went back to its inventory and gave re birth to Gurkha (same as what MM did with Thar) and gave few more options which were missing in Thar.
rather than re-inventing the wheel all over again, MM and FM simply used and upgraded what they already had in their stable and saved themselves a lot of investment for a very small segment of dedicated 4x4 offroad vehicles.
now coming to the options/features available both in Thar and Gurkha. please understand that whats we are getting in these vehicles is very much excepted by indian standards and is value for money for individual taste and needs, please dont compare them with whats available outside india!
i still think that old school 4x4 with body on chassis, live axles, basic cabin options is the best 4x4 dedicated offroad vehicle. thats why ex-army vehicles are being rebuild for indian offroad scene!
thats what exactly Thar and Gurkha are.....Body on Chassis. but MM went one step ahead to give a CRDe and IFS in Thar.
now going back to international standards of 4x4 offroad vehicles, they come fitted with neccessary options for certain countries which are luxury for us indians looking at what MM and FM give us.
LC 70 is not sold in North America and Europe, but its a BIG hit in Asia, Africa and down under. its as basic as it could be.
Wrangler has evolved over the years and now it comes fully loaded with comfort options along with 4x4 options. it changed the concept of trail blazing in the comforts of luxury.
Defender is also pretty basic in its design and options/features and still a rugged "The Best 4x4xFar" as the sticker says on its rear window!
G-Wagen....discontinued as of now, but still made on demand for its exclusive middle east customers.
All above four were born 30 plus years ago.
All were intended for military use.....but walked across into civilian use.
All are body on chassis, Old School.
All have live axles, front and rear.
All are still sold in original form (body on chassis and live axles) after so many years and inspite of technological advancements.
so my point is, that what MM and FM are giving us are not lacking in any equipment, but might lack in comfort/luxury options to individual wants and needs.
If FM is offering the below mentioned options, its a VFM at its best.
OE snorkle.
OE hard top.
OE Power Steering.
OE AC.
OE Diff locks.
i would say buy a Thar or Gurkha....they are still going to be cheaper than the Wrangler 2.8 Ltr diesel being launched soon at 20 lakhs plus!
some are buying thar, some are still going for ex army scrap, some are going for gypsy, some are going to go for Gurkha, some will wait for a product from Tata, some will go for Wrangler.....every one will go for what suits his/her needs and wants.
some of us come back from developed countries and start comparing the indian OE offering with whats available outside india.
fortuner, endy, pajero, etc are all above 15-20 lakh segment, and getting an indian made 4x4 hardcore offroad vehicle under 10 lakhs is a good offering.
guys lets have a positive criticism and enhance or modify the Thar or Gurkha as per individual needs.
i hope i didnt hurt anyone's sentiments in my above post. |