Our Maruti Suzuki Jimny, our companion its rugged silhouette hinted cheekily at the adventure that lay ahead. The sun was beginning its ascent, casting a golden hue over the city and started to light up the neon of our Jimny as the team and I prepared for an unconventional road trip. Our destination? The enchanting town of Shimla. Our chosen path? Only the trails that through the Himalayan foothills. The 90 km between Chandigarh and Shimla usually takes about 2 hours. Our route was 10 km shorter at 81, but it would take at least 10 hours. I had intended to do a recce before the drive to ensure none of the routes had been washed out by the savage effects of this year's monsoon, but Yogen had shot down the idea. "Make a way" he suggested in his usual calm dismissive tone, "you're driving the Jimny, you never turn back." So with those words of encouragement, and uncharacteristic faith in my skills, we set off for what would be one of the most challenging drives of my life.
The anticipation was palpable as we settled into the familiar seats of the Jimny. The 1.5 litre K15B engine purred to life, a subtle reminder that this journey was not about speed but about patiently navigating the untamed trails that awaited, and making it out the other end before the sunset. The tires crunched on the gravel, and we left the urban landscape behind, heading into the wilderness.
Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av Auto Today.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av Auto Today.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
MG Comet
The Comet continues to be a workhorse for the entire Auto Today team, and this was proved quite clearly when the team head out to a celebratory lunch.
Dirty Dancer
Does the Yezdi Adventure live up to its name? Can it be all the ADV you'll ever need? We headed out to Pune to hit up some trails, highways and twisties to find out
Linea Urus
While on a visit to Lamborghini HQ at Sant'Agata Bolognese, Yogendra Pratap got close to the production line that has helped revolutionise the brand and produced over 30,000 Urus super SUVs
MUSEO LAMBORGHINI
At its headquarters in Sant'Agata Bolognese where it also has its production facilities, the super car manufacturer, Lamborghini also runs a small museum that houses some of the most iconic names in automotive history. Yogendra Pratap dropped in to check out not only the iconic names but also some of the concepts and art that draws thousands of car lovers to this sleepy little town just outside of the Italian city of Bologna
#OdeToOutstanding - south
The longest leg of the #OdeToOutstanding drive had Dhruv Saxena drive the dynamic Mercedes-Benz GLA from the literal edge of the Indian mainland surrounded by the Indian Ocean across the heart of the country to the national capital marveling at the incredible natural beauty, diversity and history of south and central India
#OdeToOutstanding - west
The western leg of the #OdeToOutstanding drive had Anagh Bhaskar take on the mighty desert region with the electric Mercedes-Benz EQB 350
#OdeToOutstanding - east
The eastern leg of the #OdeToOutstanding drive starts in the lush green forests of West Bengal. But there is more than just that. Rahul Ghosh tells you all about the outstanding drive in the Mercedes-Benz GLC
#OdeToOutstanding - north
The northern leg of the #OdeToOutstanding drive saw Dipayan Dutta take on the mighty Himalayas with the equally intimidating Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4Matic+ Coupe
Dirt magnet
The Lexus NX has a new trim called the Overtrail. We took the SUV to a few trails and drove through mud to put its name to the test
MORE FIREPOWER
Alongside the EQA that featured in the last issue, Mercedes-Benz also launched the facelifted EQB. Here is how the updated SUV holds up