The interior of the Xtreme is identical to that of the Xplorer and Xpedition, sharing their distinctly spartan layout – something that’s not surprising, given the application of the vehicle. It even towers over the likes of the Toyota Fortuner! These elements, combined with that flared plastic cladding around the lower section, a snorkel and its spring over axle setup, allow the Gurkha Xtreme to stand tall on the road. Other components that the accessory kit – which costs `1.5 lakh – brings to the party include a front windshield guard, a jerry can holder and ladder at the back, a rear bumper guard, alloy wheels and a set of off-road tyres.

While the Xtreme comes with a 3-inch lift kit as standard, taking its height to an imposing 2,075mm, the vehicle that you see here has an accessory pack that makes it even taller with that roof rack in place. The new ECU is a Bosch unit and, as you will soon learn, an amazing one at that. The five-speed gearbox has been borrowed from Mercedes too, while the transfer case is a Borg Warner unit, while the front and rear axles are Dana 44s. The engine is a 2.1-litre, four-cylinder, common-rail turbo diesel unit sourced from Mercedes-Benz. Essentially, the Xtreme version of the Gurkha is an all-new vehicle. As a result, the Gurkha Xtreme gets a new ECU, engine, gearbox, transfer case, axles, as well as a new suspension setup. So, when Force Motors tendered for a trail vehicle for the extreme needs of the Indian army, they had to completely rework the Gurkha to ensure that it can deliver. The Indian army operates in all kinds of terrain – flat plains, coastal areas, dry hot deserts, humid rain forests and, of course, the towering heights of the mighty Himalayas, with temperatures as low as minus 40-degrees. After all, its custom built for the Indian army. Sure, it has the same body shell as the other models, but in terms of the mechanical bits, the Gurkha Xtreme is a remarkably different machine. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it looks similar to its siblings.

As the name suggests, the Gurkha Xtreme is indeed the most extreme version of the Gurkha to have hit Force’s showrooms. And now, in keeping with its nomenclature of using ‘X’ as the first letter of the name – Force Motors has introduced the new flagship model of the Gurkha called the Xtreme. Over the years, Force has produced different iterations of the Gurkha, such as the Xplorer and Xpedition, which are available in both three- and five-door models.

It was in 2014 that full-scale production of the Force Gurkha began. At the time, it was referred to by the company as the Black Beauty. When it first made its debut, only a handful of units were produced. Named after the fearsome Nepalese fighters, the Gurkha was developed by Force Motors as a vehicle with off-roading abilities unlike any other vehicle on sale in India. So it’s Force Motors, with the Gurkha, that can truly lay claim to the title of the first real purpose-built Indian automobile. But only a handful of examples of the Avanti have been made. One such attempt was the DC Avanti sports car. But that’s not to say that there haven’t been any attempts. But, then, you can’t ignore the fact that the Indian automobile industry is a relatively young industry – our homegrown automakers just haven’t had enough time. Unfortunately, in India, we haven’t really seen a significant number of purpose-built machines from our homegrown carmakers. There’s something inherently special about purpose-built automobiles – not only do they exude a sense of uniqueness but they also flaunt their intentions in terms of design. The new Xtreme model of the Gurkha has been custom built for one of the most demanding clients in the world – the Indian Army!

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