Southern Heights

The Hyundai Great India Drive 2022 was crafted with the idea of traversing unexplored and challenging terrain. For this trip, we put the brand-new Hyundai Tucson to the test

- Kurt Morris

THE GREAT INDIA DRIVE'S 2022 edition was officially flagged off by Hyundai India in Srinagar. For the journey, now in its sixth iteration, we departed from Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital and proceed to 17 destinations throughout the state in a fleet of Hyundai Tucson SUVs. The itinerary for this year included important locations like Sonamarg, Zoji La, and Kargil in Ladakh. The Great India Drive 2022 has been planned with the goal of conquering difficult terrain but that was just part one of the Drive for us this year, After exploring the North we wanted to go further and explore the vastness of India.

The Tucson, which is Hyundai's top-of-the-line SUV, was our choice for this iteration of the Hyundai Great India Drive. It is powered by either a 186-hp, 2,0-litre, turbo-diesel engine or a 156-hp, 2.0-litre petrol engine. The petrol engine is coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission, whereas the diesel engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic, with the option of all-wheel drive as well. The Tucson that was provided to us was the HTRAC AT, an all-wheel-drive diesel model with the highest level of equipment.

After braving the cold up north it was time for us to head down south, The journey from Pune to Kodaikanal via Bengaluru involved driving through the state of Maharashtra and the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. From Pune, on the drive to Bengaluru, we travelled through the Western Ghats across the mountain range, known for its beautiful forests and waterfalls. We reached Bengaluru and After spending the night in Bengaluru, we continued our journey south to Kodaikanal, a hill station located in Tamil Nadu. Kodaikanal is known for its stunning natural beauty, with lush forests, rolling hills, and picturesque lakes.