FORCE MOTORS URBANIA

The 2026 Force Motors Urbania is a monocoque-bodied passenger van and minibus built in Pune, India, and sold in three wheelbases — Short (3,350 mm), Medium (3,615 mm) and Long (4,400 mm). Every wheelbase runs the same Mercedes-derived FM2.6CR ED 2.6-litre common-rail turbo-diesel producing 100 kW (134 hp) and 350 Nm, driving the rear wheels through a 5-speed manual gearbox. Unlike ladder-frame rivals in its class, the Urbania uses a frontal-crash-compliant monocoque structure with independent front suspension and all-wheel disc brakes, which is what gives it car-like NVH and highway stability at minibus capacity. It is aimed at tour operators, corporate staff transport, hotel and airport shuttles, school fleets and large-family private buyers.

Variant & Wheelbase Lineup

All three variants share an identical powertrain, driveline and cabin width/height. They differ only in body length, wheelbase, seating capacity and gross vehicle weight.

Seating counts follow Force Motors' own convention of passengers excluding the driver — so the Long Wheelbase 16 STR carries 17 people in total. Force also lists intermediate seat counts within each wheelbase; the three variants above are the maximum-capacity layout for each body length.

Engine & Driveline

Shared across all three variants.

The engine is derived from a Mercedes-Benz design licensed by Force Motors, and its torque peak from just 1,400 rpm is what makes the Urbania tractable when fully loaded — most city work can be done in second and third gear without downshifting.

Dimensions

Force Motors does not publish a kerb weight for the Urbania; only gross vehicle weight is stated in the official brochure. Note that the 2,550 mm overall height and 2,095 mm width are constant across all three variants — only length changes — so garage and container clearance planning is the same for every version.

Chassis, Suspension & Brakes

• Body structure — Frontal-crash-compliant monocoque (not a ladder frame), with high-strength steel reinforcements for rollover protection.
• Front suspension — Transverse leaf spring with independent front suspension (IFS), telescopic strut dampers.
• Rear suspension — Leaf spring with telescopic shock absorbers.
• Anti-roll bars — Front and rear.
• Brakes — Hydraulic, vacuum assisted, disc brakes front and rear, with ABS + EBD + ESP.
• Parking brake — Mechanical, acting on the transmission.
• Steering — Power steering, tilt and telescopic adjustable column.
• Tyres — 235/65 R16 C radial tubeless on 16-inch alloy wheels.

The combination of a monocoque shell, IFS and four-wheel discs is unusual at this capacity — most 12-to-17-seat vans in the segment use a ladder frame with rear drums.

Seating & Cabin

• Stand-up cabin — Interior height allows an adult of roughly 6 ft to walk the aisle upright, which is a genuine differentiator against conventional high-roof vans.
• Seats — Premium leatherette, 45-degree reclining backrests with adjustable armrests and 3-point seat belts. Driver and co-driver seats also get armrests.
• Entry — Wide sliding side door with an automatic retractable foot step and grab rails; rear tailgate for luggage.
• Flooring — Wooden-finish floor.
• Windows — Sealed panoramic windows for visibility with dust and noise sealing.
• Luggage — Space behind the last row is minimal on the Short Wheelbase; the Medium and Long Wheelbase variants offer meaningfully more rear luggage volume for tour and airport work.

Comfort, Climate & Infotainment

• Advanced triple AC system with individual vents for every row and integrated reading lamps.
• 23 cm (9-inch) HD touchscreen infotainment with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, online and offline navigation, tyre pressure monitoring (TPMS), door-open alerts, engine temperature, steering angle readout, and a reverse camera with guidance lines.
• Full TFT digital instrument cluster with gear indicator, TPMS, door alerts and tell-tale indicators.
• 6 or 8 speaker DTS audio system depending on configuration.
• Illuminated USB A and C-type charging ports for each row.
• Power windows, central locking and electrically adjustable ORVMs.
• Start-stop function and dashboard-mounted gear lever.

Safety

• Dual front airbags (driver and co-driver) with collapsible steering column.
• ABS with EBD, ESP and VDC, plus hill-hold assist.
• All-wheel disc brakes.
• 3-point seat belts with pretensioners.
• Frontal-crash-compliant monocoque structure with rollover protection reinforcements.
• Front bumper designed to minimise pedestrian injury.
• Transponder-based engine immobiliser.

Exterior

• Projector headlamps with daytime running LEDs in an integrated light console.
• LED signature tail lamps with light-guide technology.
• 16-inch alloy wheels.
• Aerodynamically profiled body for stability and minimal roll at highway speed.

Available Colours

Steering & Export Notes

The Urbania is built right-hand drive only at the Pune plant and is exported from India in that configuration. It is a natural fit for RHD markets such as Kenya, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Because it seats 10 or more people including the driver, it is classified under HS heading 8702 (motor vehicles for the transport of ten or more persons) in most destination tariffs rather than 8703 — which usually changes the applicable duty rate, so confirm the destination-specific treatment before committing to an order.