Brute force 2.0
Say hello to the hugely promising Urbania LCV, Force Motors’ latest salvo in the van segment!
IT IS BASED ON THE NEXT-GEN T1N PLATFORM AND WILL EVENTUALLY REPLACE THE TRAVELLER
FORCE MOTORS HAS UNVEILED THE Urbania, a new utility vehicle that has all the makings of becoming India’s next favourite people mover. After all, the brand knows a thing or two about producing LCVs, with the Traveller being their most successful model. They’ve been producing it since 1987, and in due course have become India’s largest van manufacturer! Despite its continued popularity, the Traveller is still a very traditional vehicle with a ladder frame chassis. The Urbania though is based on the next-generation T1N platform and will eventually replace the Traveller. It has a modular monocoque chassis that’s designed with a two-box construction, that further reduces NVH in the passenger compartment compared to the Traveller. The Urbania will be a lot more comfortable over long distances as a result. There are three different wheelbase options available. 10 people, excluding the driver, can sit in the smaller one, which is 3350mm long. 13 passengers can be accommodated in the medium wheelbase version measuring 3615mm, while the rangetopping third variant, which has the longest wheelbase at 4400mm, can house 17 people.
The only thing carried over from the Traveller is the Mercedes derived 113bhp/350Nm common-rail diesel engine. It has disc brakes all around and is the first vehicle in its class to have independent front suspension and rollover compliance, as well as airbags for the driver and co-driver. There’s also an infotainment touchscreen supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
Force Motors has invested `1,000 crore in this project. Technology experts and domain specialists from Italy, Spain, the UK, Germany, Japan and USA were roped in to improve, refine and validate this platform, with a target to export the Urbania to the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN and South American markets as well. But first, be prepared to see a lot of these rolling down our roads soon. ⌧