Mahindra Thar vs. Force Gurkha Himalayas [Video]

Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha are the only suitable 4 × 4 mass market SUVs in the Indian market at the moment. There has been a lot of debate on the Internet about what is good. Here, we have a video of a convoy going through the Himalayas. The caravan includes Mahindra Tharus and Toyota Innova Christus. There is also Force Gurkha. In the video, the host explains which one is better.

The video was uploaded to YouTube by DCV Expeditions. The video shows the host driving a Gurkha car. It seems that Mahindra Thar was owned by the host before Gurkha. The host says he has crossed this part of the road several times in his Thar and now he is doing it in Gurkha.

Read more: Buying a pre-owned Mahindra Thar is better than buying a new one: 5 reasons

He reports that Thar’s suspension carried the bad rocky patches down to where the Gurkha simply rubbed them. Moreover, he had to slow down his Thar on rough roads where he could only continue with Gurkha. Another issue is that a Thor DPF has started showing errors that many BS6 diesel vehicles are experiencing. The Gurkhas did not face any such problem.

Gurkha forcibly

Force updated Gurkha last year. It got a lot of cosmetic upgrades and the engine got BS6 loyal. It is a 2.6-liter diesel engine that produces 91 hp of maximum power and 250 Nm of peak torque. It only comes with a 5-speed manual gearbox. The engine is tuned for the bottom-end grant and the SUV comes with a 4 × 4 drivetrain, low range gearbox and front and rear locking differential. It costs Rs. 14.10 lakh ex-showroom.

Mahindra Thar

Mahindra launched Thar in 2020 and it was an instant hit in the Indian market. The manufacturer did not expect the SUV to be such a big hit. It is offered as a soft-top convertible and a hardtop. Engine options include a 2.2-liter diesel engine and a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine. A 4 × 4 drivetrain and low-range gearbox are offered as standard in both engines.

The petrol engine produces maximum 150 PS of power and 300 Nm of peak torque whereas the diesel engine produces 130 PS of maximum power and 300 Nm of peak torque. The gearbox option is a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. If you get a petrol engine with automatic transmission, the torque output bumps up to 320 Nm. The price of Thar starts from money. 13.17 lakh ex-showroom and goes up to Rs 15.53 lakh ex-showroom.

So far, it is Thar which is more comfortable for city responsibilities because Mahindra has specifically focused on improving Thar’s comfort level. Moreover, now there is an automatic transmission available which makes it more convenient to use SUV in bumper to bumper traffic. Gurkha on the other hand still remains a hardcore off-roader that people are opting for due to its huge road presence and off-road power.

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