FORCE FED

There's an updated Gurkha 3-door in town, alongside a brand-new Gurkha 5-door. Do they pass muster?

- Pablo Chaterji

Let me begin this story with a word of appreciation for the corporate communications team at Force Motors. While perusing the updated Gurkha's brochure, I found that on its last page, there were only four colours listed - and they were Green, Red, White and Black.

None of that Gangrenous Green, Revolting Red, Wondrous White and Bewitching Black stuff so beloved of the automotive industry-just four colours (easy to pick from) with the correct colour names.

Elsewhere, in a separate press note, Force Motors makes no bones about the fact that the Gurkha's design is derivative of the G-Wagen. The Force Gurkha retains the iconic Mercedes Gelandewagen-inspired design synonymous with its rugged character and extreme potential' it says, and I say well done if you're copying something, own the hell out of it. This fairly blunt approach goes well with the Gurkha, which is a blunt weapon, no matter how refined it's become over the years.

The Mahindra Thar has been the flavour of the off-roading season for a long time, but it's worth noting that the Gurkha pre-dated it by 13 years. In 1997, the Trax Gurkha' was first revealed in military colours, as a vehicle built for the toughest conditions. The Indian Army uses the first civilian version arrived about a decade ago, it still fit that description.

Cut to the present day, and Force Motors has pulled a sly one on Mahindra by revealing a 5-door/7seater Gurkha, mere months before the 5-door Thar is due to break cover. That's the really big news as far as the Pune-based company is concerned; its existing 3-door Gurkha has received a host of updates, sure, but a new passenger model is something to go to town about for a firm that primarily makes commercial vehicles, so I'll deal with the 5-door first.