Volkswagen India flagged off the highly anticipated first chapter of Volkswagen Experiences (VWe) from Chandigarh. Excitement was in the air as customers and fans of the brand geared up for the start of ‘The First Chapter: An Exhilarating Expedition to Ladakh’, in a convoy of over 25 Volkswagen cars including the Virtus, Taigun and Tiguan. They drove from Chandigarh to Leh via Manali.
But VWe goes beyond just driving great cars along spectacular routes as participants get a chance to truly immerse themselves in these peaceful surroundings along with specially curated activities. Strangers became friends as the VW community grew stronger but it was the cars that played the starring role, conquering good roads, bad roads, water crossings and some of India’s highest motorable passes along the way.
As the Volkswagen Experiences journey drew to a close for customers and fans in Leh, it was the turn of the media fraternity to take over the convoy of cars and continue the expedition venturing further north. Auto Today editor Yogendra Pratap took over driving duties of a Taigun GT with the class-leading 1.5 TSI engine, starting off with an exploration of Leh’s most prominent landmarks including the Indus-Zanskar Sangam and the Thiksey Monastery.
The real adventure, though, got underway as the Virtus, Taigun and Tiguan convoy made their way out of Leh towards Nubra Valley. The first real challenge for both man and machine came in the form of Khardung La – one of the highest motorable roads in the world perched at an altitude of 17,582ft.
The high altitude makes AMS (acute mountain sickness) an ever-present concern. Spending a day acclimatizing in Leh is critical and once at these altitudes, moving slowly and as little as possible is advised. Momentary light-headedness, though, will remind you that the air up here is thin.
This story is from the June 2024 edition of Auto Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2024 edition of Auto Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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
