KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Force Gurkha Automatic in talks
- Could be introduced to rival Automatic trims of Thar and Jimny
- To be offered at a higher price point, when introduced
Force Motors has put its best foot forward with the recent launch of the updated Force Gurkha 3 door and the all-new Force Gurkha 5 Door. However, to rival the Mahindra Thar, there is something more cooking, and that is a possible inclusion of an automatic transmission with the Gurkha. Let's look at the details while you make sure to join our 91Wheels WhatsApp Group community of petrolheads so that you never miss out on the latest automotive updates
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Force Gurkha Automatic In Talks: A Better Equipped Thar Rival
Force Gurkha has turned out to be a more solid rival to the Mahindra Thar than before since its recent launch with significant upgrades. However, with just a manual gearbox, it hampered its mass appeal when compared to the rivals in the adventure category. For reference, both the Maruti Jimny and the Mahindra Thar offer an automatic gearbox. To counter this omission, the brand is mulling over an automatic option soon.
Force Motors is currently considering the adoption of an automatic transmission sourced from JATCO, a prominent Japanese company known for supplying CVT gearboxes to popular models from Nissan and Renault. JATCO manufactures a wide range of transmissions, including CVTs for hybrid vehicles, as well as CVTs and torque converter automatics for small, medium, and large front-wheel drive cars. Their lineup includes 4- and 6-speed torque converter units for front-wheel drive vehicles, and 5-, 7-, and 9-speed units for rear-wheel drive models. For the Gurkha SUV, Force Motors is exploring the use of a 7-speed torque converter transmission. This choice is aimed at optimizing low-end torque delivery, which is crucial for Gurkha's off-road capabilities and ensures compatibility with the vehicle's 4WD system.
Gurkha Automatic Cheaper Than Mahindra Thar?
With the automatic transmission option, we estimate an increase of approximately Rs 1 lakh in the Gurkha's pricing compared to its manual counterpart. This adjustment is expected to place the Gurkha 3-door Automatic in the Rs 18 lakh range, while the 5-door variant may be priced around Rs 19 lakh ex-showroom.
In contrast, the Mahindra Thar diesel 4x4 automatic models are currently priced between Rs 17 lakh and Rs 17.6 lakh. Consequently, the Gurkha AT in its 3-door configuration is likely to be positioned at a slightly higher price point in comparison.
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Verdict
Force Gurkha automatic, when launched, will impact the Mahindra Thar even more with the kind of hype that it has created and kept alive. However, while looking at the price point which is expected to dwarf that of the Thar diesel AT variant, it remains to be seen how the market reacts and also how Force ultimately prices it as well. Meanwhile, one thing for sure is that Thar finally is looking at a serious rival this time.
