[Trojan]

My apologies for the long hiatus, we have literally been traveling across the lengths of our beautiful country. And now that we are finally back in Pune I knew I had to take some time out to update and there are so many of them!!

So let me start with the latest and then I will fill in on all the missing action!

Coming back to Pune is always a pleasure and a marathon drive which the Gurkha supports with aplomb. This time however, I decided to take another route - albeit a much longer one.

Instead of taking the regular

Panna - Amanganj - Sagar - Bhopal - Indore - Dhule - Nasik - Pune

to

Panna - Chhatarpur - Jhansi - Shivpuri - Guna - Indore - Dhule - Nasik - Pune

The resulting difference was of some 120kms but the benefit of 4 lane highways starting from just 35kms from the camp. Now since this was an unknown route, I was a bit skeptical as I was not sure on the highway conditions or the traffic enroute, as these both would play a crucial role in our drive (as we prefer to travel minimum 4 digits before the next decision)

Started off from our camp at 630am (very late due to the winter cold and with guests at the camp, we had a late night). Luckily we did not encounter any fog as that would have been a bummer.

The roads were fabulous and we soon found ourselves crossing Jhansi at 930am!

More on that and much more is covered in this video. The objective of making this video was to showcase and highlight that one does not need big BHP figures for travel. A consistent 100-110 is not only apt but more than enough for covering serious distances and that we did.

1000kms in 13hrs is no mean feat considering where we travelled from, with family and with breaks put in and nope, we didn't speed - thankfully the Gurkha ensures that no one can accuse us of well... SPEED

https://youtu.be/MARsMeIohQc

[Trojan]

This post is for all the queries regarding ease of driving, so while both me and the Missus have driven the BS6 extensively, we haven't got the chance yet to drive it off-road to the extent that we desire ... i.e. not in our home ground - the forests of Panna.
But what we could do was to capture the drive on our own BS4 previous generation, and so here we are.

A general perception of SUVs or 4WD capable machines is that it is not that easy to drive, especially if your primary car was/is a smaller vehicle. So we thought it best to let her share her experience of driving the Gurkha vis-à-vis the Swift that is her daily drive.

https://youtu.be/5IPNSozF3_8

This is the route that we need to take in order to move around, while in the dry season one does not need to engage 4WD at most places, there are quite a few tricky bends and ditches which need spot on maneuvering and control.

There is also an off-road ghat section with hairpin bends, but that deserves a post of its own.

[Trojan]

So the new year brought about a lot of perspective, heck it canned out our plans for the BS6 and with that we thought on adding a few to the Gurkha and make it more comfortable and adventure ready!

External Changes
1. Rooftop tent: This was on the cards for a long time and being back in the cities meant we got a chance to see it up, close and personal and helped us decide on it. The existing roofrack was finally put to good use and it was pretty much a plug n play.
Now with the added weight on top, I can feel a bit of body roll on undulations, though not too much. Will be moving the tire pressure by 1psi at least and observe how it fares.





2. Bicycle rack : Have installed a 3 bicycle rack, so that we can carry our bikes around too, need to test this too. It has been hooked on the rear tyre frame and part of the weight is on the tyre - seems balanced enough.

With the added weight and protrusions, it never won any awards for aero-dynamicity and now it would be left to be seen how it fairs on the mileage front.

Internal Changes
3. Changing the rear seats to make them front facing. This was on the cards for a long time and finally found the right guy for the same. Amit Goud (Ground Designs) helped out and got a set of some really good seats (ARAI discards) so practically brand new. It had the Kia/Hyundai branding, and came along with center arm rest and 3 point seat belts and ISOfix mounts too.
The modification to the body was also done in a very clean manner and we are extremely satisfied with the overall result.
One thing that we were concerned about was the available boot space after the change, but this has actually helped in increasing boot space as it the volume has gone up due to the seat back.

The seats


The frame fits snug between the wheelwells


The legroom and space on offer is not compromised - and yes got the seat covers done too.



The boot space has increased, will post a picture with luggage, as of now can see there is plenty of space under the seats too which can be used for tools etc.




4. TPMS : though I carry a compressor with me, wanted to add a TPMS just to have another gadget on the dashboard checked out the reviews on Amazon and seemed quite reliable. I didn't go for the internal ones as I was not completely sure about their reliability and in the FAQs and troubleshooting they do mention that sometimes they might have to be refit. And removing tyres for that would make that very difficult.



5. Dashcam : With the kind of driving we do, this should have been installed a lot earlier - but hey better late than never. Got the DDPAI 500 Mini which comes with an inbuilt storage (so no memory cards etc) plus 4k recording and the clarity is very good.



6. Music System : The position provided for the music system is not too great and I spent a long time trying to find a solution to fit a 9 or 10 inch Tablet on the dashboard which could double up as our Navigational Aid along with playing music over Bluetooth speakers. But never found the perfect accessory for the same, one accessory shop owner was willing to try out some jugaad for our sake to install a regular Android Music system on the flat dashboard by making an additional frame and drilling holes on the top, but wasn't too sure how the outcome would be and the long term durability of such a mod, so decided against it.
Since, the utility of an android/navigation unit was not a priority (due to location), focused on the Music front and decided on the Sony XAV1500 coupled with a pair of JBL speakers (A series I think) and the result is actually quite satisfying. We are not audiophiles and the output is really crisp and definitely a lot better than the bluetooth speakers we used earlier. This will make our drives a lot more interesting.

Maintenance & Service
Fuel Tank Damage
On the vehicle maintenance and servicing front, during our return back to Pune, we had taken a halt at Nasik (inside the city) and unfortunately someone fiddled with our fuel tank trying to steal fuel from it in the Hotel parking. Though there was no spillage whatsoever, once we reached home, I realized we were dripping diesel.
Upon inspection it was found that the drain bolt was tampered with and the threading and tank itself was found to have been damaged. This meant that the tank would need to be replaced and the same was promptly ordered from Indore and took around 7 days for the vehicle to be back home after the visit. We had also noticed the power steering fluid leakage and this was rectified by them FOC.

[msk_kapoor]

The rear bench seat looks good, though I have couple of questions on that.

How do you access them, thought the front seat doens't fold for access.

The 3 point seat belts you mentioned,Do they get attached to the seats only and not to body of the vehicle?

[Trojan]

Originally Posted by msk_kapoor

The rear bench seat looks good, though I have couple of questions on that.

How do you access them, thought the front seat doens't fold for access.

The 3 point seat belts you mentioned,Do they get attached to the seats only and not to body of the vehicle?

Forgot to touch upon the very important aspect of accessing the seats. The access is from the front. The seats don't fold/tip over and will need some customization to make this happen.
For the moment, it is accessed by sliding the front seat all the way back and that creates enough room for the kids to just walk inside from between the front seats.

The seat belt will be mounted either on the C-Pillar or if not convenient enough then behind the seats themselves. Will get an update this week

[shancz]

Another day another splendid Gurkha ownership review.

Came here after reading VigneshKumar31 and Manuuj's reviews and this is hardcore.
Obvious that all Gurkha owners here are a league apart and the Gurkha is choosing its owners wisely

The distances you've travelled and the terrains you drive on with the Gurkha leave no doubt in my mind that if a cross country trip ever happens it shall be on the Gurkha.
Not a big deal for the Gurkha but its get you out of anything capability is the biggest safety feature.

The only fly in the ointment are the dealers you've visited, they are doing a disservice to the Gurkha and should incur its wrath.
Hope your dealers become less hopeless and Force Motors strikes some sense into them about the Gurkha and customer service.

Awesome pics, incredible videos and those kms!
Hats Off

[Trojan]

Originally Posted by shancz

Another day another splendid Gurkha ownership review.

Came here after reading VigneshKumar31 and Manuuj's reviews and this is hardcore.
Obvious that all Gurkha owners here are a league apart and the Gurkha is choosing its owners wisely

Thank you Shancz and as I type this, we are back in the W I L D.

[Trojan]

So this time we drove back to the camp 'fully loaded' from Pune. With the rooftop tent and with a ton of luggage (10 bags) that the Gurkha managed to swallow, I did not have high expectations.

Normally we have always got around 10kmpl with all our drives so with the above factored in, I was expecting maybe 8-9kmpl and at the same time prepared to drive at lower speeds than usual (85-95).

But we were in for a surprise, with the lower speeds the RPM was hovering around slightly below 2000rpm and it was also a lot quieter. But the biggest surprise came in with our first refill after Dhule (370kms and around 7hrs of drive time) and it took around 33ltrs of Diesel translating to around 11.21kmpl.

Needless to say, the route itself (Pune - Nasik - Dhule) is chaotic and has tremendous traffic in the daytime. Even with all this factored in, this is a more than respectable mileage from a vehicle which defies aerodynamics and with the rooftop tent - loses whatever aerodynamicity it might have possessed.

With lesser loads and no rooftop tent, am sure this engine can churn out 12+ easily. And with these speeds its a lot easier to travel long distances, braking is lesser and better and above all its a whole lot safer.

Cheers!

[shancz]

Originally Posted by Trojan

as I type this, we are back in the W I L D.

That pic is speechless
Expecting a 12kmpl FE on a normal highway run, considering the points you rightly raised is decent.

[Trojan]

Originally Posted by shancz

That pic is speechless
Expecting a 12kmpl FE on a normal highway run, considering the points you rightly raised is decent.

Thank you, yes I have no doubts about 12kmpl if driven sedately.

I have attached a few pics on the subject of ground clearance. In all our forest trails, river crossings, off-roading etc. there have been only a few instances of hitting the lower arm. So how low are these in reality.



They seem pretty low, but are actually



20.5 Cms or 205mm ground clearance as measured at the lowest visible part.
And she is running on Yokohama Geolanders AT (Stock size) 245/70/R16.

I compared it with the other SUV at the camp, which is our 2005 Scorpio, has a similar low hanging suspension, but never faced issues of hits on this too.



This is much lower than the Gurkha, at 18cms/180mm it is lower by around 2.5cms or 25mm - big difference and by no means less.

[vigneshkumar31]

Originally Posted by Trojan

on the subject of ground clearance...

Thanks for measuring the clearance physically Trojan. The lower arms are typically 'low' for most SUVs and do not cause real trouble as the wheel would go over the obstacle first and lift the arms with it most of the time. So your assessment is spot on. The fact that even that is 205mm, is good enough for most offroad scenarios.

We would be worried if anything else between the wheels is lower than this and would 'ramp over' or 'beach' if the wheels fall to deeper levels and the middle portion scrapes the ground.

The issue in the Gurkha 2021 is the bash bracket provided between the arms which is even lower.

I have thus far managed to go over challenging rock terrains, slush, sand etc. without hitting it much, but it has scraped rock in some scenarios and requires more careful planning of which line to take over the obstacles.

Please check my thread for off-road scenarios where it might scrape.

[Trojan]

Originally Posted by vigneshkumar31

The lower arms are typically 'low' for most SUVs and do not cause real trouble as the wheel would go over the obstacle first and lift the arms with it most of the time. So your assessment is spot on. The fact that even that is 205mm, is good enough for most offroad scenarios.

The issue in the Gurkha 2021 is the bash bracket provided between the arms which is even lower.

I agree Vignesh, that bash should have been more of a plate and had a lot of scope for a much better design compare to what we see.

I hope Bimbra or someone in the 4x4 industry takes note and designs similar stuff for the Gurkha too, like what they have been doing for the Thar. The vehicle is capable and highly mod friendly too

Meanwhile here is a short video of our weekend adventures!

https://youtu.be/8On3leAsJgY

Cheers,

[Shekhar Rao]

Hi Trojan
I had been following your thread earlier before buying Nemo but had missed catching up in the last 2 months. It is wonderful to read about your extensive driving holidays and the last video you have posted by the lakeside is really beautiful. The additions you have made are also instructive to know.
Where did you buy the Bergman Tyre Inflator from? Also do you recommend a hydraulic jack?
My wife and I had recently driven from Bangalore to Kanha and back in Nemo and I have written briefly about in the BS6 review thread. Looking forward for a chance to visit the place near Pune where you filmed the launch review. That really made me go in for the Gurkha!

[Trojan]

Originally Posted by Shekhar Rao

Hi Trojan
I had been following your thread earlier before buying Nemo but had missed catching up in the last 2 months. It is wonderful to read about your extensive driving holidays and the last video you have posted by the lakeside is really beautiful. The additions you have made are also instructive to know.
Where did you buy the Bergman Tyre Inflator from? Also do you recommend a hydraulic jack?
My wife and I had recently driven from Bangalore to Kanha and back in Nemo and I have written briefly about in the BS6 review thread. Looking forward for a chance to visit the place near Pune where you filmed the launch review. That really made me go in for the Gurkha!

Thank you so much Shekhar for the kind words, whenever you are in Pune, Goa or traveling in Madhya Pradesh, do let me know! If not able to join, will most certainly recommend a few places which you can enjoy with your Nemo

Bought the Bergmann from Amazon,

https://www.amazon.in/Bergmann-Typhoon-Tyre-Inflator-Blue/dp/B06XW683G2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=10O194UR6J2C5&keywords=Bergmann+Ty re+Inflator&qid=1647436197&sprefix=bergmann+tyre+i nflato%2Caps%2C1018&sr=8-5

Personally I am extremely satisfied with all Bergmann products, we currently use 3 of them,
- Tyre Inflator (4yrs)
- Vacuum Cleaner (4yrs)
- Mobile Phone Holder (2yrs)

All function in the same manner as they did when we bought them!

[Trojan]

So while surfing instagram, I found this



and I was pretty sure I had an absolute similar angle



Bingo!



I have always said that I find the Gurkha resembling the Defender SWB a lot more than it does with the G-Wagen, but this is two much!

The off-roader from another mother... complete with a similar rooftop tent and side awning

Cheers!