Gone are the days when Trax was as trendy
as its contemporaries – the Sumo, Armada, etc. Even now the mini-bus babe, the
Traveller, remains to be a hot-cake in the CV market. The company behind them
was Force Motors, a Pune-based auto maker, is also associated with Daimler AG,
Bosch, Man Trucks, etc. It was two years ago that they ventured to build an SUV
and now comes out with a bang – the Force One SUV.
If you look at the SUV from a distance,
you will easily pretend it to be a Ford Endeavour. Notice it carefully, you
will understand its macho and intimidating manifestation. Flared wheel arches,
high ground clearance, and its chunky alloys will tell you that. Its majestic
front look is dominated by its broad bonnet, comprehensive chrome grille,
projector-type headlamps, and virile front bumpers. Day-time running LED lights gives a
premium SUV look. The sides of the Force One are characterized by its
boxy-angular design. With this you would expect its rear styling to be
homogenous with its spare wheel hinged to the rear door, but the styling is nonchalant
and pretty. Overall, the styling is obviously dated and is only a bit different
from its inspiration, the Explorer 3.
 |
| Beige interior is a nice attempt, but the layout could have been better |
The beige interior of the SUV is old-fashioned but with leather fabrication, they seem up
for the task. Under the hood is the 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-charged
common-rail diesel licensed from Mercedes-Benz and traces its lineage to the
unit powering the old C-Class. It is mated to G32 five-speed manual gearbox
from Mercedes technology. So, the engine would the highlight of this vehicle. Equipment
includes a 2DIN JVC stereo with Bluetooth, steering wheel mounted audio
controls and cruise control but missing is the ABS,
Airbags and the 4x4 variant (expected next year).
As usual, the pricing will impact its success in spite of weak brand image and dealer network. But, with a warranty of 3 years and 11 lakh Kms by the company, it will be value for money and a cheaper SUV to maintain. With the pricing around Rs 10 lakh, the Force One will make good numbers until the new Safari, upgraded Scorpio and Renault Duster come along and raise the bar.
Click here to read the full review of the Force One SUV.....
Image Courtesy: www.zigwheels.com
Comments
Post a Comment