Unpopular Weekend Destinations From Delhi-Mandawa, Rajasthan w/ Jimny

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In this edition of Un-Popular Weekend Destinations (from Delhi), I got stuck in dunes near Jaipur and traversed some narrow streets of Mandawa in the Jimny.

A Solitary Escape In The Timeless Sands

With the Good Friday long weekend approaching, I had my eyes set on exploring some dunes and sandy trails of Rajasthan. A quick search for dunes led me to finalising Kalpana Nagar dunes as my destination for this adventure. It’s one thing to drive through sand pits deep enough to get even a burly SUV stuck at an off-road track. It’s another to drive through endless sands where you could not only get stuck, but also get lost.

But, I wanted some privacy. Privacy to explore my limits. Privacy to get stuck and not have someone remind me that I’m a newbie. After all, I was looking for places to get stuck. Because how you get out of it is what matters. That’s how you gain experience.

I spent a few hours there playing around with the various combinations of 2H, 4H, 4L and electronic off-road settings. I wanted to learn how to get rolling when I dug my wheels in too deep. After playing around with the Jimny, it was time to head back home. Time well spent!

Change Of Plans

When I was done, I noticed that I had several missed calls from Piyush, who was in Mandawa at that time and I called him back to apologise. But I had a damn good excuse!

He insisted I visit him, and knowing that I had a 4X4, recommended I take a detour wherever possible to absorb more of the local vibe. I think he just wanted me to get lost in the vast desert or get stuck in some narrow passages with a dead end and no way to reverse out of.

Along the highways, and via Sikar, the drive to Mandawa from the other side of Jaipur is almost 200km and about 180km from my hotel in Jaipur. “Do hell with it. Let’s see what the Jimny can do.” — I thought to myself and promised to meet Piyush the next day.

To make sure I don’t turn my back on him, through his connections, he allowed me access to a privately-owned forest reserve near Jaipur. Before wrapping up my day, I spent a few hours in the reserve where I saw deers and nilgai. When I had dunes on my mind, forests were nowhere near my plans. Yet, I ended up playing in the sands and meditating in a mini forest, all in a matter of a few hours.

Tales Of Trails

The next morning, I started my drive from Jaipur to Mandawa a little early. I took a few detours and picked lines that look like they’re barely a pixel wide on Google Maps. Till dusk, I held my horses and decided that I shouldn’t stray too far from the wider roads. I didn’t want to disturb the locals with bright lights and leave them covered in dust. But once it got sunny, I had greater visibility and I could better evaluate the risks when going off the road.

I engaged in enough trail hunting to lose my way. In the desolated regions of Rajasthan, not only did I lose the data and cellular connection, even the GPS started acting up. With intermittent GPS disconnections and poor accuracy, if I wanted to reach Mandawa the same day, I had to do some old school navigation. For the Gen Z, that means performing the tough task of getting out of the vehicle and asking people for directions. In person, no less.

Via Kamalsar, I finally reached Mandawa. I should have been drained by this time but the caffeine flowing through my system kept me energised and awake at the wheel.

Now that I have had time to think it over, I guess it was probably the itch to gradually keep moving towards the Jimny’s limits and keep pushing my own in the process that kept me going. I think it was adrenaline, but I’ll let caffeine take the credit for this one.

A Needle Does What A Hammer Can’t

Driving through Mandawa, once again, had me thanking my stars that I had the Jimny. Its narrow body granted me the freedom to drive through the open air art gallery. As fun as it would have been to walk through it all, after so much driving in the last 2 days and a lot of physical and mental exertion, having the option of bringing the car with me felt like a blessing.

We met at the Mandawa Castle, which, back in the day, used to be the accommodation for the royals. Now, a good part of it is turned into a hotel. So, it’s a nice way to experience the royal life and get a feel for travelling back in time – some 250 years or so.

Loyalty Amidst Royalty

After a lavish lunch, Piyush took the keys and we started moving again. He said something about experiencing ‘horsepower’. “Petrol engines are known for horsepower and I have been experiencing horsepower for the better part of the past day and a half. How else might I experience horsepower?”, I thought to myself. Through some trails, we arrived at the Mandawa Safaris stud farm, which is owned by one of his acquaintances.

There, I got up close with true bred Marwari horses. These are said to be part of Chetak’s bloodline. For those who barely stayed awake in the History class, Chetak was the legendary steed of Maharana Pratap. He trusted Chetak with his life when he led his army into the battles during the late 1500s. And the horses paid for that trust and love with an unmatched loyalty.

I can say with pride that I have had the honour of riding some of these horses, though not galloping at their full strength. Having that much power at your command and keeping it under control at the same time takes a lot of training and practice. I certainly didn’t possess either of those but a short trot did feel like I was starting to get in the rhythm with these magnificent beings.

By the way, if you have a long weekend to experience a royal lifestyle, horseback riding in the timeless sands of Rajasthan and dune bashing, then you don’t need to go through Jaipur like I did. You can skip the Pink City, which gets even more crowded on long weekends and head straight to Mandawa.

The drive is considerably shorter than Delhi-Jaipur but it’ll take about the same time to reach this un-popular weekend destination from Delhi. You don’t even need to bring your own 4X4. They have their own collection of ATVs and off-roaders.

Mandawa Safaris

A Memorable Experience

After a good long sleep, I started my journey back home. Driving along the highways to Delhi, I had a sense of satisfaction that the Jimny afforded me. If I had something bigger, I would have had to leave it at the gates of Mandawa and explore the art on foot. If I had something without 4WD, I wouldn’t have had so much fun playing around the sand dunes.

Since Piyush has a lot of experience driving around in the sands of Rajasthan, I engaged him in a conversation about the car we were driving. While we were discussing 4WD vehicles, we also discussed the importance of having a heavy vehicle. You see, when a vehicle gets stuck, putting extra weight on it, helps it find grip where we have none and get out of a sticky situation. This led me to believe that a heavy vehicle should be ideal to traverse the sands of Thar desert.

Then he dropped on me a profound piece of nugget, which I’ll never forget. He asked me:

 

Do you want to ride on the sand or in the sand?

There was no back and forth between us on the topic after that. But there was a lot of pondering to do on this subject on my way back. I used the peace and quiet while driving on the highways to think of situations where extra weight would be helpful in the sands. I couldn’t come up with any. Could you?

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Nexa Jimny 4WD First Drive Review – City & Highway

April 2024: Maruti Suzuki Car Offers On Baleno, Dzire, Swift, Vitara

Note: Calculate Car Fuel Cost with V3Cars for India and Other Countries

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Audi Q7 On A Family Comfort Test – Long Drive Delhi-Uttarakhand

by with No Comment Insurance Todays

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I believe the mountains do not call everyone. Some visit them out of compulsion. I have my reasons to go to the highlands of Uttarakhand; my wife has her extended family there. Unfortunately, she’s not fond of long drives, and particularly dislikes the twisty mountain roads. Yes. Such people, even with their origins in the hills, do exist. We also had our daughter along for the ride. She neither minds the twists nor the smooth highways as long as she has some source of entertainment and her ‘papa’ and ‘mommy’ by her side.

Monday being a Holi-day, we had our long weekend planned with the extended family in Mussoorie, and I had the task of driving my people up the mountains without any complaints.

Almost a year back, the V3Cars Team drove the Audi Q7 from Mumbai to Delhi via the Statue of Unity in Gujarat. The car left us impressed with its comfortable seats, superbly insulated cabin and the powerful 3.0L turbo petrol engine. There are very few cars that my wife approves of when it comes to comfort, and I knew the Q7 would get her approval.

“Are you sure we have the right car for this drive?” asked the wife, and added, “It’s going to take us more than 6 hours to reach, and it’s a long weekend for everyone else too. We need something comfortable when we are stuck in traffic.” The Q7 is plenty capable in this aspect.

We usually pack more than what is required. While it was just the three of us, we had two large bags, a laptop bag and a tote bag with some essentials for the weekend. The Q7 is a three-row car, and with the third row completely folded, the space was more than adequate. We always tell our daughter to help us with our chores. She played her part by pressing the button to lower the Q7 to help us stuff the boot!

And off we went, leaving early in the morning so that we could beat the rush. We started from Gurgaon and passed through Delhi, Ghaziabad, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar to reach Dehradun via Haridwar so that we could avoid the twisty roads. The Q7 is a mile muncher of the highest order — the front seats are particularly well-cushioned and accommodating.

Our daughter found her sweet spot in the rear bench with the Q7’s entertainment system playing her favourite content on YouTube. I liked her using it more than the iPad – this way the screen is farther and she could sit more comfortably with a lower risk of neck pain.

The Q7 is a large 5m car and it feels like it’s taking up more than just a lane on the highways. But, its 3.0L 340PS engine makes sure you can move from one cluster of slow-moving cars to the next pretty quickly. Before I even had a chance to have some fun with the acceleration, we were in the twisties leading up to Mussoorie.

Hill stations these days are heavily commercialised, but we reached before the narrow uphill roads got congested. Nevertheless, our average speed for the entire trip was around 40kmph only, such was the traffic.

While I didn’t get my chance to floor the pedal and enjoy quick acceleration, I got more than enough time to truly connect with the Q7. The Mumbai-Delhi drive was mostly on wide, flat highways where we have little opportunity to get a good sense of the Q7’s handling. Climbing up the hills, steering out one curve into the other suddenly made the car feel far more compact than it is. I never expected a car as large as the Q7 to feel so nimble.

With the car’s responsive handling, my natural tendency led me to push it a little further. Thankfully, neither the wife nor the daughter felt enough discomfort to even notice that we were keeping a good pace. Until then, I did not know if the Q7 would pass my wife’s comfort test, but I was heavily impressed with the fact that I could enjoy my mountain drive while the occupants experienced barely any inconvenience.

And so, we reached Mussoorie. Without any complaints from anyone this time around.

“Are we here already?”, asked my wife. This was probably the first time ever that she felt that the drive ended earlier than expected. I immediately knew that the Q7 had passed the test with flying colours. As I parked the car, I felt relieved as my choice got my family to Mussoorie in utmost comfort. I’m also thankful to the wonderful team at Audi India for arranging the Q7 on such a short notice.

Also Read: Audi Launches Pre-Owned Car Facility In Guwahati

Audi Q3 Drive Review – Interior, Exterior, Mileage, Features

Note: If You Want to Buy a New Car, Calculate Car Loan EMI with V3Cars

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Toyota Taisor Expected Price Variant-Wise Calculation (Updated)

by with No Comment Insurance Todays

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In this article, we’ll estimate the variant-wise ex-showroom price of the upcoming Urban Cruiser Taisor SUV — Toyota’s upcoming small SUV to compete against Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger and Maruti Fronx. We’ll explain the logic behind the calculations in the Taisor expected price table and support our conclusions. As and when we get more information affecting our estimations about the Toyota Taisor price, we’ll update our estimations to accommodate new findings.

Important Note: Toyota haven’t yet confirmed the Taisor for the Indian market. Considering the rumours that the Taisor could be Toyota’s version of the Maruti Suzuki Fronx, we’re fairly confident that the Taisor may materialise sometime before the 2023 festivities start. In fact, it may just pop out of nowhere on a fine day like the Rumion did. So, with the assumptions out of the way, let’s dive into the price estimations.

Toyota Taisor Expected Price Summary

If you’re not interested in getting to know how we arrived at these numbers, then the following table will quickly give you our estimates of the Toyota Taisor price:

TOYOTA URBAN CRUISER TAISOR

EXPECTED EX-SHOWROOM PRICE (SEPTEMBER 21, 2023)

Variant

CNG-MT

Difference

Petrol-MT

Difference

Petrol-Auto

E 1.2L

Rs. 8,55,000

Rs. 95,000

Rs. 7,60,000

–

–

S 1.2L

Rs. 9,45,000

Rs. 95,000

Rs. 8,50,000

Rs. 50,000

Rs. 9,00,000

S Plus 1.2L

–

–

Rs. 9,00,000

Rs. 50,000

Rs. 9,50,000

Difference

–

–

Rs. 1,00,000

–

–

S Plus Turbo

–

–

Rs. 10,00,000

–

–

G Turbo

–

–

Rs. 11,00,000

Rs. 1,50,000

Rs. 12,50,000

V Turbo

–

–

Rs. 12,00,000

Rs. 1,50,000

Rs. 13,50,000

Toyota Taisor — Powertrain/Engine Options

So far, we have seen that any Maruti Suzuki car that ends up with a Toyota badge retains the same powertrain options. In fact, in these cars, even the variant lineup has significant-to-full overlap with Maruti Suzuki cars. Only the variant names are different. The most prominent examples are Baleno-Glanza, Ertiga-Rumion and Vitara-Hyryder. In these cases, we have also noticed that the Toyota cars even retain the same feature distribution making it operationally efficient for the 2 brands to serve different customers with minimal overhead expenses besides the visual touch ups.

For the Taisor, we’re expecting to see the same wine in the same bottle with only a different label. This means that we are likely see the following 5 powertrain options for the Taisor:

  • 1.2L normal petrol with 5-speed manual transmission
  • 1.2L normal petrol with 5-speed AMT automatic transmission
  • 1.2L normal CNG bi-fuel with 5-speed manual transmission
  • 1.0L turbo petrol with 5-speed manual transmission
  • 1.0L turbo petrol with 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission

Also Read: Toyota Rumion Price Reaction — Expected Vs Launch Price

New Tata Nexon 2023 Price Reaction — Expected Vs Launch Price

Note: Check your Car EMI with our – Car Loan EMI Calculator

Toyota Taisor Variants

Just like the Baleno, we’re expecting to see 4 main variants of the Taisor besides the one Plus variant. It’s also fairly safe to assume that Toyota will follow the same variant naming as the Glanza as the Fronx itself is based on the Baleno hatchback.

We’re expecting to see the following 5 Toyota Taisor variant names:

TOYOTA TAISOR VS FRONX VARIANTS

Taisor Expected Variants

Fronx Equivalent Variants

E

Sigma

S

Delta

S Plus

Delta Plus

G

Zeta

V

Alpha

Toyota Taisor Price Range

To derive the expected ex-showroom pricing of the Taisor, we’ll first have to look at the prices of the Maruti Fronx in the following table:

MARUTI SUZUKI FRONX

EX-SHOWROOM PRICE (SEPTEMBER 21, 2023)

Variant

CNG-MT

Difference

Petrol-MT

Difference

Petrol-Auto

E 1.2L

Rs. 8,41,500

Rs. 95,000

Rs. 7,46,500

–

–

S 1.2L

Rs. 9,27,500

Rs. 95,000

Rs. 8,32,500

Rs. 55,000

Rs. 8,87,500

S Plus 1.2L

–

–

Rs. 8,72,500

Rs. 55,000

Rs. 9,27,500

Difference

–

–

Rs. 1,00,000

–

–

S Plus Turbo

–

–

Rs. 9,72,500

–

–

G Turbo

–

–

Rs. 10,55,500

Rs. 1,50,000

Rs. 12,05,500

V Turbo

–

–

Rs. 11,47,500

Rs. 1,50,000

Rs. 12,97,500

Rumion Effect

With the Rumion prices, we have seen that Toyota are lightening the demand side to balance the supply-demand equation as it’s too heavy right now. With the Fronx, we have seen that the car is in high demand and beginning to consistently hit a 10,000+ units sales figure every month despite carrying considerably higher than expected prices. So, Toyota have a good amount of breathing room to hike prices further to puff up their profit margins and pay Maruti Suzuki the royalty for borrowing their product and R&D.

Nexon Effect

With the Nexon, we have seen Tata push the envelope further as it became the first B2 segment SUV to cross the psychological barrier of Rs. 15.0 lakh. Hence, even if Toyota push the prices of the Taisor beyond where the Fronx’s stand right now, they will come across as value for money in comparison to the Nexon’s. At Rs. 12.0 lakh for the top model with the turbo petrol-manual powertrain, the Taisor will have a strong footing to challenge the Nexon Creative Plus. Even with an ex-showroom price of Rs. 11.70 lakh, the Nexon Creative Plus petrol-manual, it still feels incomplete as it doesn’t get front and rear armrests.

Toyota Effect

There are a lot of buyers who value a smooth ownership experience and long-term reliability a lot more than the fancy features and styling. The moment the Fronx gets the Toyota badge, it brings along Toyota’s trust in the product and their support throughout the ownership.

Not only is the new Nexon far from achieving quality levels comparable with a Toyota product, their 7-speed DCT is also a piece of first gen hardware. Toyota Taisor, on the other hand, will bring a tried and trusted torque converter type automatic with refinement levels you won’t find in a Tata R&D transmission anytime soon. Despite an inefficient torque converter automatic, the Taisor will deliver far better fuel efficiency figures than the Nexon in the real world. It’s, after all, a Maruti Suzuki product behind the Toyota logo. Moreover, it has the torque to offer similar drivability as the Nexon as it has less weight to haul.

To know more about how the weight of a car relates to the safety, you can watch the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCnJNjLdlnw

Maruti Fronx Vs Toyota Taisor – Price Comparison

Before I go off the rails on an unrelated tangent, let’s pivot back to our Taisor’s expected prices and compare them with the Fronx. Just like the Baleno-Glanza and Ertiga-Rumion, we can expect the Taisor’s starting prices to remain closer to the Fronx while higher variants could deviate a fair bit like the Rumion did.

MARUTI FRONX VS TOYOTA TAISOR

EXPECTED EX-SHOWROOM PRICE COMPARISON (SEPTEMBER 21, 2023)

Variants

Fronx Price

Difference

Taisor Exp. Price

Exp. Variants

1.2L Normal Petrol-Manual

Sigma

Rs. 7,46,500

Rs. 13,500

Rs. 7,60,000

E

Delta

Rs. 8,32,500

Rs. 17,500

Rs. 8,50,000

S

Delta Plus

Rs. 8,72,500

Rs. 27,500

Rs. 9,00,000

S+

1.2L CNG-Manual

Sigma

Rs. 8,41,500

Rs. 13,500

Rs. 8,55,000

E

Delta

Rs. 9,27,500

Rs. 17,500

Rs. 9,45,000

S

1.2L Normal Petrol-Automatic (AMT)

Delta

Rs. 8,87,500

Rs. 12,500

Rs. 9,00,000

S

Delta Plus

Rs. 9,27,500

Rs. 22,500

Rs. 9,50,000

S Plus

1.0L Turbo Petrol-Manual

Delta Plus

Rs. 9,72,500

Rs. 27,500

Rs. 10,00,000

S Plus

Zeta

Rs. 10,55,500

Rs. 44,500

Rs. 11,00,000

G

Alpha

Rs. 11,47,500

Rs. 52,500

Rs. 12,00,000

V

1.0L Turbo Petrol-Automatic (TC)

Zeta

Rs. 12,05,500

Rs. 44,500

Rs. 12,50,000

G

Alpha

Rs. 12,97,500

Rs. 52,500

Rs. 13,50,000

V

We expect the Taisor 1.2L petrol-manual variants to cost between Rs. 7.60 lakh and Rs. 9.0 lakh. The 2 AMT variants of the Taisor could cost Rs. 9.0 lakh and Rs. 9.50 lakh (ex-showroom). The Taisor turbo petrol manual range could start from Rs. 10.0 lakh and stretch up to Rs. 12.0 lakh. With the turbo petrol engine and an automatic transmission, the Taisor’s top 2 variants could cost Rs. 12.50 lakh and Rs. 13.50 lakh. Finally, the Taisor E and S CNG variants could carry an ex-showroom price tag of Rs. 8.55 lakh and Rs. 9.45 lakh, respectively.

With these prices, the Taisor will have at least one turbo petrol variant (barely) under Rs. 10.0 lakh. Moreover, it’ll have the 2 petrol-AMT and CNG-manual variants well under Rs. 10.0 lakh (ex-showroom) price. The turbo petrol with the manual and automatic transmission will have no trouble maintaining its premium appeal as it’ll mostly hover well over the Rs. 10.0 lakh limit.

Most importantly, with the Taisor, Toyota will once again have a presence in the B2-SUV space. It’s one of the hottest segments right now and if they bring the Taisor ahead of the festive season, then they can capitalise on the festive shopping spree and steal some sales from other brands as well.

Also Read: Hyundai Creta 2024 Expected Price Range – With Logic

Citroen C3 Aircross Expected Price Calculation – With Logic

Note: Check your car’s fuel cost with Fuel Cost Calculator in India

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New Tata Safari 2023 Facelift Mileage, Engine Specs

by with No Comment Insurance Todays

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In this article, we’ll look at the mileage or fuel efficiency of the 2023 Tata Safari facelift. Tata have also confirmed the engine specs of the Safari, which are also listed out in this article.

The following table lists down the engine specs of the new Tata Safari 2023 facelift:

2023 TATA SAFARI FACELIFT

ENGINE SPECS & MILEAGE

Engine

2.0L Turbo Diesel

Displacement

1956cc

Power

170PS @ 3750rpm

Torque

350Nm @ 1750 – 2500rpm

Manual Transmission

6-speed

Manual Mileage

16.30kmpl

Automatic Transmission

6-speed TC

Auto Mileage

14.50kmpl

The new Safari 2023 retains the same 2.0L Stellantis-sourced turbo diesel engine with the same power and torque output. It makes 170PS of power at 3750rpm and 350Nm of torque from 1750 to 2500rpm. The transmission options of the 2023 Safari facelift also remain identical as before and it gets 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic.

In terms of mileage, there is a slight change but a nominal one at best. The Safari diesel-manual earlier offered a claimed mileage of 16.14kmpl while now it offers 16.30kmpl. The claimed fuel efficiency of the Safari diesel-automatic is now 14.50kmpl while the previous version had a mileage of 14.08kmpl.

The Safari competes with large 3-row SUVs like the Mahindra XUV700, Scorpio N, MG Hector Plus and Toyota Hycross. Unlike its rivals, it doesn’t get a petrol engine option, which is gaining popularity in the recent past because of the demonising of the diesel engines.

The 2023 Safari also gets a bunch of new features, about which, you can read in the following article: 19 New Features Of The 2023 Tata Safari Facelift

In terms of colour options, the new Safari 2023 also gets a few new exterior colours including bold options like gold and bright copper brown. Find out which one looks best on the Safari facelift and which one is our top recommendation from a safety and style point of view in the following article: New Tata Safari 2023 Facelift — All Exterior Colour Options

Note: Instantly Sell Your Old Car With V3Cars Sell Used Car Platform

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New Tata Harrier 2023 Facelift Mileage, Engine Specs

by with No Comment Insurance Todays

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In this article, we’ll look at the mileage or fuel efficiency of the 2023 Tata Harrier facelift. Tata have also confirmed the engine specs of the Harrier, which are also listed out in this article.

The following table lists down the engine specs of the new Tata Harrier 2023 facelift:

2023 TATA HARRIER FACELIFT

ENGINE SPECS & MILEAGE

Engine

2.0L Turbo Diesel

Displacement

1956cc

Power

170PS @ 3750rpm

Torque

350Nm @ 1750 – 2500rpm

Manual Transmission

6-speed

Manual Mileage

16.80kmpl

Automatic Transmission

6-speed TC

Auto Mileage

14.60kmpl

The new Harrier 2023 retains the same 2.0L Stellantis-sourced turbo diesel engine with the same power and torque output. It makes 170PS of power at 3750rpm and 350Nm of torque from 1750 to 2500rpm. The transmission options of the 2023 Harrier facelift also remain identical as before and it gets 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic.

In terms of mileage, there is a slight change but a nominal one at best. The Harrier diesel-manual earlier offered a claimed mileage of 16.35kmpl while now it offers 16.80kmpl. The claimed fuel efficiency of the Harrier diesel-automatic is 14.60kmpl and it’s the same as before.

The Harrier competes with large 2-row SUVs like the Mahindra XUV700 and MG Hector. Unlike its rivals, it doesn’t get a petrol engine option, which is gaining popularity in the recent past because of the demonising of the diesel engines.

The 2023 Harrier also gets a bunch of new features, about which, you can read in the following article: 18 New Features Of The 2023 Tata Harrier Facelift

In terms of colour options, the new Harrier 2023 also gets a few new exterior colours including a bold yellow. Find out which one looks best on the Harrier facelift and which one is our top recommendation in the following article: New Tata Harrier 2023 Facelift — All Exterior Colour Options

Note: Instantly Sell Your Old Car With V3Cars Sell Used Car Platform

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