[highwaypatrol]

Guys, On behalf of my brother I happen to again test drive the all new Gurkha today at Khivraj Force, Bangalore. My brother & I are hardcore Jeep / SUV / off-road lovers and is blessed to have owned Gypsy, Thar, MM540, Endeavour etc. in the past.

My brother is returning back from Dubai and is planning to spend half of his time in India and the other half in Dubai with business. Being spoiled by FJ Cruiser & the mighty wrangler in Dubai, he is presently in look out for a capable off-roader to spend quality time with the nature while here at home. The new Thar would have been a perfect fit for his needs, however since I own one already here (Diesel AT HT), we are contemplating on buying a new Gurkha for him.

So I went in to their Yeshwantpura showroom in my Thar itself as I really wanted to see the kind of difference one will have from shifting a new Thar to the new Gurkha. I have already driven over 3K KMs in Thar and is pretty much well aware about how this vehicles behaves in different terrains and circumstances. I was greeted warmly by their sales in charge Mr. Satish and arranged a TD vehicle in no time. Following are my key differentiating factors which I felt in Gurkha over Thar.

A. Overall built quality is acceptable for a purpose built truck like Gurkha. The external accessories are solidly built and will last a lifetime for sure.

B. Getting into the Gurkha itself is an adventure. You climb on it with some effort. That's how you do to get into a vehicle built for war !

C. Seating position - I am 6 Ft tall and was not happy with the height of seats. A height adjustable mechanism is sorely missed for a tall person like me. Infact I am viewing the road from the upper part of the windshield and may have to bend forward to see the sky above. Seating position for a person above 6ft is going to be a challenge. However my brother being 5.7 Ft won't have an issue here.

D. Plastic quality is not great as compared to Thar. But being said that, the interiors of Gurkha is absolutely liveable. Over all its built for a different purpose.

F. Gear shifts are smooth and the engine could have been little more peppy for my liking. Low end torque is amazing and this will do its job pretty well in the wild. However Thar's engine is a GEM and can easily be used as daily drive for any, but not Gurkha for sure. There is no comparison between the engines here Thar is a super refined day to day Jeep for the city / village / semi urban commuters.

G. Undulations on the roads are negligibly felt inside and super smooth on concrete roads too. Thar & concrete roads just can't get along pretty well. A Thar owner will understand what I am saying here. Body rolls are present in both vehicles and is expected for tall body cars like these.

H. My final take - I felt Gurkha is built for a different purpose and can easily handle any terrains with so much ease. But if any one is looking for a super refined city / semi urban commute with occasional off roads, Thar will be a better option.

Being said that, I am showing green light to my brother to go ahead and book Gurkha. Knowing him and his character well, Gurkha will be great choice for him to be a safe companion for years to come. He is planning to be in India by this month end will do the booking if all goes well.

Few pictures are attached for your viewing pleasure !

[Anwesh]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

One may also notice that the 2021 Gurkha has been approved for Registration as an 8 seater (7+D), a 5 seater(4+D), as well as 4 seater (3+D) the last one being the one currently on sale.

Though surprisingly for some reason the wheelbase is the same for all three iterations.

The 7+D and 5+D versions must be with longitudinal bench seats in the same three door swb body. 3 on each side shall give 7+D while 2 on each side shall be 5+D. FM may not be releasing those versions as they could be waiting for GNCAP. The base version is used for that test, child safety in the rear seats is an important criteria for a good score there, and it won't be any good with bench type longitudinal seats.
I read somewhere that Thar also has approval for such a seating layout, but it was not released due to GNCAP.

Regards,

[Shekhar Rao]

Congratulations on the booking! Thought of a name yet?

I had a multicycle carrier on my Fortuner worked very well. There is a model available for vehicles with spare tyres mounted on the door as well.
Attachment 2230923

Maybe one of the first accessories to add to your list? Even i intend on getting the Inclinometer Altimeter and Compass for my G.



Hi
I am hoping to take delivery of NEMO this week( my orange Gurkha)
I have the Thule tow bar mounted bike rack on my Fortuner It was a major achievement to source a tow bar suited to the Fortuner . Toyota was completely unhelpful and unenthusiastic in this matter. It is actually bolted onto the chassis by 4 sturdy bolts and the ball goes into the tow hitch The chassis actually has holes at the end to take these bolts but nobody at the dealership had any knowledge about this . For some strange reason the owners manual says that the Fortuner is not designed for towing but this I came to know only after buying the car and reading the manual !
The problem is that the police are now objecting to bicycles being carried at the back and there should be no protrusion beyond the edges of the vehicle which invariably happens to some degree Also it is worrisome to manage in traffic and certainly a greater threat to damage of carbon bicycles .Further it affects travel speed and negotiating speed breakers when there is a lot of cantilever movement
Hence I am carrying them inside and therefore planning for the same in the Gurkha . Like I mentioned earlier , removing one seat should greatly facilitate the carrying of two bicycles with the front wheel removed
I would be interested to know from where one can source an altimeter, inclinometer and compass

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by Shekhar Rao

I am hoping to take delivery of NEMO this week( my orange Gurkha)

I would be interested to know from where one can source an altimeter, inclinometer and compass

Nemo! That is a great name for an Orange Gurkha! Luckily the Gurkha has a "find me" feature so finding Nemo will not be an issue.

(Not that a hulking Orange Gurkha will be diffucult to place)

I've seen some advertised for sale on Amazon but quality may not be too good. Also i inquired if they have an inbuilt light and the answer from the seller was in the negative.
I plan to visit a few accessory shops and see if one that is of good quality and has backlighting can be sourced.

If i find one will let you know too.

[hazchem]

Originally Posted by Shekhar Rao

I have the Thule tow bar mounted bike rack on my Fortuner It was a major achievement to source a tow bar suited to the Fortuner . Toyota was completely unhelpful and unenthusiastic in this matter. It is actually bolted onto the chassis by 4 sturdy bolts and the ball goes into the tow hitch The chassis actually has holes at the end to take these bolts but nobody at the dealership had any knowledge about this . For some strange reason the owners manual says that the Fortuner is not designed for towing but this I came to know only after buying the car and reading the manual !
The problem is that the police are now objecting to bicycles being carried at the back and there should be no protrusion beyond the edges of the vehicle which invariably happens to some degree Also it is worrisome to manage in traffic and certainly a greater threat to damage of carbon bicycles

From the factory, the Gurkha comes with a pintle hitch. Whereas you would need a tow ball hitch to mount the Thule cycle rack. I also considered getting one and replacing the hitch however that would mean that the rear door won't be fully openable with the rack attached.

Alternatively, I am using a simple rack from decathlon mounted over the spare tyre and strapped onto the door edges. If you are worried about protrusion then removing both the wheels would do the trick. That would save you the trouble of removing one of the seats.

I am sincerely wondering what made you change your opinion from this

Originally Posted by highwaypatrol

. Lots of body roll, you will need an extra muscle power to balance yourself on the seat to stay intact. Thar fairs far better in this aspect majorly because of the far better seats and driving position.
3. Interior plastic quality as expected is poor. You will feel bored immediately after owning this vehicle. This is not what you expect if you pay 16 big gandhis for this vehicle.

To this

Originally Posted by highwaypatrol

D. Plastic quality is not great as compared to Thar. But being said that, the interiors of Gurkha is absolutely liveable. Over all its built for a different purpose.

G. Undulations on the roads are negligibly felt inside and super smooth on concrete roads too. Thar & concrete roads just can't get along pretty well. A Thar owner will understand what I am saying here. Body rolls are present in both vehicles and is expected for tall body cars like these.

[highwaypatrol]

Originally Posted by hazchem

I am sincerely wondering what made you change your opinion from this



To this

Lack of options will be a simple answer for this. I still stick to my view than Thar by far is a well put together product than Gurkha. I feel to drive around in a city, Thar is a fantastic car and feels more civilised too. Interiors are far better designed and quality is good as compared to Gurkha. As I said before, you don't buy a Gurkha as your daily commute, its built for overlanding and expedition trips. My brother needs a vehicle exactly for that and thats how we chose this.

[Manuuj]

Just wanted to share that Asterix has left for Mandi from Indore and should be there by Friday.

The Alloys and Tyres were also packed up and sent off today to the Mandi dealership by me.


The loan amount shall be disbursed to the dealer tommorow. It seems like things are falling into place It should not be too long now.

Here is a pic of the Alloy Wheels post the paint job. This is under florescent light..


..and in sunlight.


The next time you see them it will be with them on Asterix.

[shashi792]

The paint job on the wheel looks very good. I always thought (like other Bhipans) that Ghurka should get their interiors right. Possibly draw inspiration from car dashboards and less towards utilitarian.

Given the waiting period of Thar, only if Ghurka would have had a model for folks with an urban-offroading mindset, they would have had captured some market share of Thar.

I have only seen Ghurka on road, never driven it so my experience is mostly from YouTube/TeamBhp reviews.

[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by shashi792

Given the waiting period of Thar, only if Ghurka would have had a model for folks with an urban-offroading mindset, they would have had captured some market share of Thar.

If Force can bring the 2.2L engine back on the Gurkha, it would be a different ball game altogether. Honestly, I am satisfied with the Interiors of the Gurkha, its as simple as it gets with no fancy electronics, the rear seating is way comfortable than the Thar which feels very cramped. Moreover, the Gurkha doesn’t need AdBlue for DPF.

[iceman7]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

Here is a pic of the Alloy Wheels post the paint job. This is under florescent light..
Attachment 2233552

..and in sunlight.
Attachment 2233553

SWEEEEET!!! They look absolutely fab Manuuj. Top notch paint job.

If I were you, I would have bought 6 alloys; 5 would go on the Gurkha, and 1 would be installed on a wall in my living room or bedroom as an artefact

[AJITHAAA]

With all the rain and the surprising disappearance of bitumen from the road compound in Bangalore, the Gurkha might have felt right right at home in a 4X4 test.

[zadoom]

Originally Posted by Shekhar Rao

I have the Thule tow bar mounted bike rack on my Fortuner It was a major achievement to source a tow bar suited to the Fortuner . Toyota was completely unhelpful and unenthusiastic in this matter. It is actually bolted onto the chassis by 4 sturdy bolts and the ball goes into the tow hitch The chassis actually has holes at the end to take these bolts but nobody at the dealership had any knowledge about this . For some strange reason the owners manual says that the Fortuner is not designed for towing but this I came to know only after buying the car and reading the manual !
The problem is that the police are now objecting to bicycles being carried at the back and there should be no protrusion beyond the edges of the vehicle which invariably happens to some degree Also it is worrisome to manage in traffic and certainly a greater threat to damage of carbon bicycles .Further it affects travel speed and negotiating speed breakers when there is a lot of cantilever movement

First up, apologies to everyone else here for taking up a completely off-topic issue here on the Gurkha thread but then that's the beauty of lurking around on the right threads on this great forum. I have myself been drooling over the new Force Gurkha and excited to see the ownership reviews that will soon start coming up.

Coming to the point, rather query that I had Shekhar. Actually even I have a Thule VeloCompact 3 bicycle carrier which is mounted on the ball type tow bar. I had it with me in Europe and got it shipped back to India and now need to find out a way to install the towbar on my Safari Storme. I haven't seen any car with those ball type tow bars yet. Any suggestions on how to get it done, unfortunately I am in Mumbai and not in Bangalore but still can try to find similar solutions here as well.
I find it surprising that the cops have a problem with that clean a solution to carry bikes, it even comes with a 13-pin connector so that all functional lights and a number plate can be put up. But well what can we say when here everyone has to worry about even the factory fitted accessories being declared illegal by the cops, ours is a much smaller problem.

Cheers,
Mayank

[AdityaDeane]

Originally Posted by zadoom

I haven't seen any car with those ball type tow bars yet. Any suggestions on how to get it done, unfortunately I am in Mumbai and not in Bangalore but still can try to find similar solutions here as well.

Is it not something similar to what Mahindra offers in their 4WD range of vehicles?


Mahindra Scorpio 4WD (image courtesy www.bcmtouring.com)


Mahindra XUV500 AWD (image courtesy www.facebook.com)

Or am I getting your query wrong? If it is these that you're looking for, I'm sure you'll be able to source one from www.boodmo.com or just from any Authorised Mahindra Service Centre as well.

[HTC]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

Here is a pic of the Alloy Wheels post the paint job. This is under florescent light..

The next time you see them it will be with them on Asterix.

Can't wait to see them on your new green Gurkha. Paint finishing is top notch. Alloy design makes it easy to keep them clean. Not too many cuts and creases. One wipe is enough to clean majority area.

Golden alloys doesnt look good on many cars. I have loved them only on BMWs and old Honda Civics. This can be an exception

[zadoom]

Originally Posted by AdityaDeane

Is it not something similar to what Mahindra offers in their 4WD range of vehicles?.

thanks so much for this tip. It indeed is this type of towbar though these ones seem to be without the electrical connections. I will look these up on boodmo.

Thanks a ton.

Cheers,