No One Can Be Better In Adding Doors Than Force Motors

OMG!!! Look at this! I was totally flabbergasted when I saw this spy picture of the Force Trax with 7-doors on test. When almost every car makers in India chat about 7-seater cars and third-row seats, here is a company that makes a 17-seater vehicle! A relaxed, stress-free Force Motors does that by simply extending the wheelbase and adding doors. Hey others, you may have got this idea, but only Force Motors can do that in every possible way!!

Force Motors is a well-established Indian auto firm ever since it was founded in 1958, but never caught the attention of Indian mainstream automotive media partly because the company is always associated with unadorned vehicles, mostly mass movers and CVs. The company, formerly Bajaj-Tempo, has those similiar, bare-basic products for so long, ever since I remember. New products come up once in a blue moon. Will there be an updated Force One SUV in the future at least??

One of its memorable product is the Trax UV, a vehicle with some scant Mercedes root, which gave the company a head-start in the UV business in the 1980s and 90s. Remember, this company is long associated with Mercedes Benz. The then Bajaj Tempo started using the renowned 2.4 L OM616 diesel engine of 1970s-80s Mercedes fame in its products, especially the Trax and the Traveller minibus.  The Force Traveller, launched in 1986 that goes on sale even today, is actually a Mercedes-Benz TN minibus. Today, Force motors is the one who assembles engines for Mercedes-Benz cars and will start doing the same for BMW from this year.

Force Trax Cruiser that is currently on sale

Coming back to the Trax, the UV is now sold in four variants - Trax Gama, Cruiser, Toofan and Ambulance. Trax, though in the fringes of the UV market, is preferred by travels operators and and commercial drivers in the rural markets and suburbs. The Cruiser and the Ambulance are the extended long-wheel base (LWB) of the original Trax, i.e Gama. I have always thought that this LWB Trax is too lengthy and an eyesore, but here come the even more outstretched vehicle.

This intriguing test mule, reported by Autocar India, is seen with 7 doors, three full row of seats, with the lengthy bench seats at the rear bay. Should we call it a "Trax Limo' or something?? You must have seen those limos made out of Endeavour, or Scorpio (Oh please don't bring the Hummer Limo!!), maybe we can consider it something like that.

But that isn't the case either, since the limo-sized Trax can seat at least 17 passengers including driver. That's incredible because it is even more than a maxi-cab which is permitted to seat 14!! Hope travel operators don't overload people in this mammoth vehicle too!

The present day Trax UVs use a 2.6 L diesel engine, again a Mercedes derived one. So, this Trax Limo should come with the same engine. Let's wait and watch how market responds to this UV Limo.

Force Trax Gama: I think Trax is the only passenger vehicle in India that comes with the 'ancient' sealed-beam (lens optic) rectangular headlamps!

Photo Credit: Autocar India