India never had a well-rounded true SUV. Really! I mean the one that could off-road and the one that is great for long-distance expedition travel of sorts. There’s a big void and I am surprised no manufacturer has addressed the space in India, Yet!
What we never got!
Land Rover Defender110
Land Cruiser LC76
We Indians always got a raw deal. Never got an iconic real SUV due to protectionism till late 90’s. Even post the millennium, heavy import duties ensured we don’t get what the world got at half the price sold in India. Iconic SUV’s like the Toyota Land Cruiser LC70/80, Jeep Wrangler, classic Land Rover Defender and the mighty Nissan Patrol were limited only to embassies. Only a lucky few got a taste of them when they got discarded. Even the countries like Nepal and Bhutan got a better deal as their locals got to drive these iconic 4wds while we only dreamt seeing them in auto magazines.
What did we really miss?
Mahindra Scorpio 4wd
Tata Safari Storm 4×4
While most of us grew up with the clones & various avatars of Jeep and the G-Wagon, what we got was always a compromise. When the third world countries had V6 and V8 powered SUV’s, we got puny 4-cylinder 60- 70bhp diesels/ petrol’s and were more of an old school people carrier than expedition ready SUV’s that could traverse continents. They neither had the quality nor the power & endurance which the Japanese iconic SUV’s had. While one could argue about our homegrown Scorpio/ Safari Storm 4wd of having globe-trotting potential, it simply can’t hold a candle to the likes of Toyota Land Cruiser V6 and V8’s. They simply don’t have the hardware to cross Sahara or the thick mucky jungles of the Amazon. These SUV’s don’t have enough ground clearance, axle articulation, off-road hardware like traction control, diff-locks and the body width for the interior space that is so essential to make up for an excellent off-road expedition vehicle. The Force Gurkha Explorer 5-door with the existing off-road hardware has it all, but what’s missing is a potent engine and the company’s will to make an acceptable well rounded world class product.
What will work?
Imagine a 4wd of the size, styling & wheelbase of a 5-door Force Gurkha Explorer, power, Suspension& off-road aggregates of a Force Gurkha Extreme, value & nimbleness of a Scorpio, ride & handling of aTata Safari Storm and the reliability of a Toyota land cruiser. I do not think there is a single 4wd in this country that combines all of the above attributes into one. Or wait, did I just hint at getting the G Wagon professional spec rig for the price of a Mahindra Scorpio? Somebody make that and my search for a perfect all-rounder will end.
Words: Quintessential off-roader
For the CL Company