116 http://www.evoIndia.com | July 2019
ROAD TESTING CARS AND BIKES AND
waxing eloquent about their thunderous (or not so
thunderous) performance, that’s what most people
think automotive journalism is, right? I’m always being
barraged with the standard, ‘What a life you guys live,
man!’. To be fair, it is glamorous to an extent and if you
thrive on the Thrill Of Driving and Riding, this is the
job to aim for. But behind the scenes, things are quite
different. Road tests are not just for cars. Sometimes,
the person behind the wheel too gets frazzled and it’s
a true test of their endurance – especially on drives like
the India Diamond Trail. This is a mega road trip where
we’re driving to the extreme corners of the country in a
bid to trace Renault’s diamond logo on India’s map. And
with a car like the KWID Climber AMT, we felt confident
as the little Renault had already proven its mettle in last
year’s 29 States, 29 Days challenge. Spoiler alert: We
made it to the end. But here’s how we did it.
A few weeks ago, we were at the southernmost tip of
India in Kanyakumari, rejoicing at the incredible feat of
having traced half of the Renault Diamond on India’s
map. What lay ahead for us, then, was the longest leg
of the journey. How long? About 4200km with a strict
schedule to stick to. Half the job was done, so after a
small fete in Kanyakumari we set out to accomplish the
other half of it.
The drive from Kanyakumari to Chennai was smooth
and Tamil Nadu’s roads are worth applauding. A couple
of stretches even reminded me of the roads in Europe
with their flawlessly levelled surface and consistent four-
laned highways. Driving through India’s largest wind
farm in Muppandal village bettered the experience as
the highway snaked through hundreds of windmills.
The chock-a-block traffic while entering Chennai was
the only hurdle, but the KWID made easy work of it
thanks to its compact dimensions and light steering.
After relishing a lip-smacking south Indian breakfast of
ghee roast, uttapam and dahi vada the next morning,
we set course for Vijayawada. With the mercury soaring
past the 40-degree Celsius mark, shooting the car in the
scorching heat was cumbersome. After every stop, we
would run back to rest in the KWID’s air-conditioned
cabin. Even in this heat, the KWID’s excellent air-con
cools up the cabin in just a couple of minutes.
Facing page, top: The northeast was stunningly beautiful and it
got better the deeper we went. Right: The team that braved the
horrible roads leading up to Kibithoo