Rumour: BS4 Force Gurkha in the works for a 2014 launch

Earlier this year, Force Motors launched the Gurkha off-roader powered by the OM616 turbo diesel engine, which is only BS3 emission norms compliant. This means that the Gurkha cannot be registered in the bigger cities of India, most of which have migrated to BS4 emission norms. The lack of BS4 market access has been stinging Force Motors, considering the fact that the Gurkha's direct competitor, the Mahindra Thar, is available in BS3 and BS4 guises.

During the launch of the Gurkha, Force Motors did indicate that a BS4 version was in the works. Now, additional details of the same have emerged onto Twitter.  Mr Rohin Nagrani, a senior editor at Motoring, has tweeted that the OM 616 direct injection turbo diesel engine is all set to adopt the common rail route. Armed with common rail direct injection (CRDI) technology, the OM616 engine with Mercedes Benz origins, will meet BS4 emission norms.

Force Motors is said to be developing the BS4 version of the OM616 diesel engine in various states of tune, ranging between 80 PS and 100 PS. This engine will not only be used on the Gurkha, but will also make it into the engine bay of the cut-price Force One EX SUV. The first Force Motors SUVs featuring the BS4 OM616 turbo diesel engine are expected to roll out from the first quarter of 2014. 

The addition of the BS4 version of the OM616 engine to the likes of the Gurkha and the Force One SUV is likely to boost sales of both these SUV models. Also, the BS4 version of the OM616 engine is expected to greatly solve the availability issue that currently plagues the Gurkha. Notably, the Force Gurkha and the Force One SUV are the only two products that Force Motors sells through its recently established chain of dealerships that exclusively sell passenger cars.