THE CAPITAL DRIVE
BBC TopGear India|June 2024
From New Delhi to Kathmandu in the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA!
RAMESH SOMANI
THE CAPITAL DRIVE

The idea of an inter-country road trip will make any auto enthusiast jump on his seat and, at the first opportunity, tightly fasten his seat belt. As they say, “Focus on the journey, not the destination.” If that journey is going to be in the company of Mercedes-Benz GLA, along with one of India’s most prominent Travel influencers, Larissa Dsa, then the recipe is more than perfect. Our mission was to drive from one capital, New Delhi, to another, Kathmandu, the capital of the Kingdom of Nepal, exploring what comes in between and beyond. The Mercedes-Benz GLA will stroke your adventurous side, and Larissa had planned an itinerary that was bound to give a peak to your adrenaline. When marching towards an unknown terrain, you must pick a luxurious, feature-packed, and reliable car. And when it comes with a three-pointed star of German reliability, then it’s a bonus. After all, you are entering the country of Mount Everest!

The distance from Delhi to Kathmandu is 1230 km, via Lucknow, another capital city of the largest Indian state, Uttar Pradesh, another reason for calling this “The Capital Drive.”

As we traversed through the city, some roads were congested, and the MercedesBenz GLA sprung into action, meticulously navigating us through the busy, bustling streets with a view of the iconic Rumi Darwaza. Soon, we were in Gorakhpur, followed by the border town Raxaul, and finally, the Mercedes-Benz GLA was on Nepal roads.

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