Force Motors' flagship Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) One has been in the Indian car market for quite some time now. The car was meant to give competition to some of the major Indian players like Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors, which have enjoyed huge success in the respective segment. Till now, the auto maker has not garnered any attention among Indian buyers, but now it seems that the company is adopting a more focused strategy in order to position itself among the top contenders. Recently, Force Motors announced a luxury version of One SUV, powered by 4x4 drive system, which will be launched soon in the Indian car market.
The flagship SUV was recently launched with two variants, namely EX and SX with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). Both variants are next generation versions of the Force One, which was introduced in 2011. EX is a base variant, equipped with a 2.6-litre direct-injection turbo diesel engine that is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The BS-III compliant engine is capable of producing a peak output of around 80 bhp and torque of up to 230 Nm. Pricing of these variants clearly suggest that the base variant is meant to target budget minded customers in rural towns and cities. However, it must be noted that the features of EX variant have been compromised as it lacks alloys, rear fog lamps, outer rear view mirrors, rear wiper, defogger and remote locking.
On the other hand, the SX variant will be powered by a 2.2-litre Mercedes-Benz sourced powertrain that will churn out approximately 139 bhp of peak power and up to 321 Nm of torque. Security features like ABS and EBD are available on the new SX variant, which comes at an additional price of Rs. 28000 over the cost of the standard variant. The six-seater version costs around Rs. 12 lakh while the seven-seater version is available at a price of Rs. 11.9 lakh (all prices are ex-showroom, New Delhi).
Sources close to the development process stated that the auto maker is also planning to launch a luxury variant of the car, named LX, which shall be provided with a 4x4 drive system along with a limited-slip differential system. Though no official announcement has been made by the company regarding its price, industry experts say that it could be priced in between Rs. 13 lakh and Rs. 14 lakh.
Meanwhile, Force Motors also announced its plans to manufacture a premium SUV that will be pitted against the likes of Toyota Fortuner, Renault Koleos and Ford Endeavour. Commenting on the possibility of new SUV from Force Motors, Sanjay Patrikar (General Manager, Force Motors) said, "As a company, Force Motors aspires to be a player across price segments. With the entry-level no-nonsense off-roader Gurkha priced Rs. 6.25-8.25 lakh and SUV Force One priced Rs. 8.99-11.99 lakh, we straddle the Rs. 6-12 lakh bandwidth. Now we wish to extend the presence to Rs. 18 lakh, and hence, the premium SUV will be offered."
