Land Rover Experience

Very few companies these days make vehicles for a specified purpose. Land Rover is one of them. Firstly, they make only SUVs. Secondly, they make vehicles that utterly define being a Sports Utility Vehicle. Talking about purpose built, Land Rovers purpose while making cars : Make the cars that’ll take you everywhere in utmost comfort, or you could say, ANYWHERE, in utmost comfort.

We had a chance to check that out in their event Land Rover Experience, which gives their customers and also everyone else a chance to take Land Rovers in their natural habitats ; offroad.

The Experience:

The event was held at 19 Degrees North, Amby Valley, Lonavla.

And the track selected was an all natural one. No artificial set-ups or goodies. As we entered the venue, there was a whole line up of Land Rover Discovery Sport and the gorgeous Evoque. Before we clambered in the cars, there was a training and instructions session wherein we were briefed about the cars and rules and etiquettes of the offroading events. At the end of this session, an instructor is assigned to each participant, who’d assist you and guide you through the drive.

We got keys to a Red Discovery Sport. Let me tell you folks, the moment you get in the car, you wouldn’t think this thing is made to clamber rocks. Its such a  luxurious and beautifully laid out interior, the kind that ballers would like to be carried in to their casinos. Well, but we’re out on an offroad trail, so here we go.

All the modern Land Rovers come with the Terrain Response System, which, to put in easier words is a program that makes the car aware of where it exactly is! Mud & Ruts , Grass Gravel and Snow,Rock Crawl are some of the modes that you can select through, depending upon the Terrain you are going to tackle. The cars are also equipped with Hill Start Assist and Hill Decent Assist systems. Hill start prevents the car from rolling backwards if you happen to stop completly while going up a hill/road.

Hill Decent Assist uses individual brakes at all four wheels to control the car and avoid wheel locking while going down a slope.

On the path at the Land Rover Experience, we took our cars on all types of terrains, Grass, Mud, Rocks, wading through water. And ,its utter wizardry the way the car behaves. It feels solid and composed and you can feel the car being one tough thing.

 

Another surprising thing about these cars is the minimal secondary movements and all the wobbling around that SUVs generally do while tackling such extreme terrain being absent in Land Rovers. The controlled body movements really give you all the confidence around the world to push the car further to its limits. You can feel the car grab the indiviadual brakes and keep you from slipping and sliding or losing traction.

Imagine some of the best supercars at race tracks ; its the same kind of performance a Land Rover gives over crazy big rocks and wheels-off-the-ground angles. And all this, on stock Rims and tyres! Very few vehicles could dare to do all this in stock condition. The Discovery Sport has a water wading capacity of 600mm, but the waters we put it through had a slightly more depth than the 600mm limit. And the Discovery waded through it, no fuss at all. We had another Discovery Sport right behind us and that gave me the chance to see what it looks like from the outside. And it looks incredible.

The drive in these extremely capable vehicles is a lot thrilling. The cloudy weather, lush greenery around accentuated the whole experience to another level. At the end, it leaves you grinning and astonished. I’m alot eager now for the event next year (secretly hoping they have the upcoming Velar and the Discovery 5). You can drive them too; just get yourself registered at your nearest showroom or go to landrover.in

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An utter car guy, he’s the guy on the keyboard. Driver’s seat is his place for solace. Apart from talking cars and driving, Kedar also spends a fortune on die-cast miniatures of them, especially old American Muscle. He loves to understand his ride fully and once he does, he loves to explore its limits. American Hotrodder David Freighburger is his icon, while he dreams to daily drive a 68′ Dodge Charger some day.