The Indian car brand that would have launched in South Africa – But never did

India’s Force Motors grabbed headlines in October 2022 when it officially announced that it partnered with ETG Logistics to start distributing its cars in South Africa.

At the time, it said it would introduce a comprehensive line-up to the domestic market in quarter one of 2023 comprising the:

• Urbania mini-van
• Traveller mini-/midi-bus and panel van
• Gurkha 4×4 SUV in 3-door and 5-door variants

By May 2023 these vehicles were not yet available, and the company subsequently confirmed that they were still on the way but the launch was slightly delayed, and that it aims to have “stock on dealer floors” by no later than July of the same year.

“We need to ensure the products meet South African consumers’ expectations, and therefore are working closely with Force Motors for a timely launch,” a spokesperson for ETG said in response to queries from TopAuto.

“Force Motors are also launching new product lines, and we need to consider these facts as well to ensure the product range is well suited for our market.”

It even had these vehicles on show at last year’s Nampo agricultural expo in the Free State, and said it was fielding applications from dealers and investors who wanted to own a slice of the budding brand.

Force Motors Urbania

Radio silence

Now, a full year and a half after it broke the news of its South African debut, Force Motors has gone quiet.

A quick online search shows that it has no dealers within our borders, and its website is still inaccessible to the general public.

It does have a Facebook page under the name Force Motors Southern Africa that was relatively active until its last post on 9 August 2023 – one month after the purported arrival date of its vehicles.

It’s puzzling why the Indian automaker didn’t follow through with its plans to launch in our market last year; we can speculate, of course, but attempting to get a real answer to these questions was a futile exercise.

TopAuto reached out to our contact at ETG who previously provided commentary on the brand’s happenings in an attempt to find out whether it still intends to open its doors on local soil, but multiple requests for information fell on deaf ears.

It remains unclear when, or even if, the manufacturer will eventually introduce vehicles like the quirky Gurkha 4x4x4 to South African roads.

Asian nameplates have seen plenty of local success in recent years, and the market for compact off-roaders is anything but satiated, so there surely is motivation to do so.