CEAT MILAZE X3 TYRES
Slowly as we got closer to Kashmir, the hot sun that
was beating hard on us seemed a lot milder. There was a
definite chill in the air and soon the dry plains gave way
to beautiful mountains. That’s when the climb started
getting trickier. But the KWID only needed a downshift
and there was enough power in store for even the most
difficult overtakes. The 350-odd kilometres to Srinagar
were dealt with by the end of the day and a chilly night
later, we were just a few hours away from Kargil, the
northernmost point on the India Diamond Trail. We
had to cross the Zojila pass though. Melting snow had
made the pass slippery and littered with huge potholes.
It took a lot of manoeuvring and every millimetre of
the KWID’s ground clearance to avoid them but rather
surprisingly, even to all of us on the drive, it didn’t
scrape even once.
The climb and the high altitude weren’t a problem
for the KWID and soon we were in Kargil. The Kargil
war memorial was where the India Diamond Trail
was completed and after paying our respects to the
martyrs of our country, it was time to head back to
where we started the India Diamond Trail – Delhi. We
had successfully taken the KWID to the four corners
of the country in just 30 days – a truly monumental
feat. But this drive wasn’t about the numbers. It was
a continuation of our efforts to truly get to know the
length and breadth of the country in a car that finds
homes all over the country. Three lakh homes so far,
to be precise. Even before the drive actually began, we
had a gut feeling that the KWID would sail through all
these challenges. The fact that it did so effortlessly only
reinforced our belief in this small hatchback. And that
begs the question, what can the KWID not do? L124 http://www.evoIndia.com | July 2019
Facing page: The KWID conquering the challenges of the Zojila
pass. Below: The finish lineThe distance to cover on the India Diamond Trail was about 15,000
kilometres. Knowing that the Ceat Milaze X3 series rubber can last one
lakh kilometres, we were confident about its performance. Regular
tyres come with a lifespan of half that distance, and the Milaze series
rubber offers twice as much tread life. Our car was shod with the
155/80 R13 Milaze X3 series tyres. And they just master every possible
parameter you can think of. They have received high ratings for ride
and handling, mileage, noise, grip and strength load. Moreover, they
have been specifically designed to offer long tread life and superior
performance. So, how does this translate into real world performance?
Soon after the flag off, we headed into Rajasthan. On the highways,
in scorching heat, tyres tend to heat up a lot, increasing chances
of over-inflation and tyre burst. But not once did we sense poor
feedback from the tyres while driving long hours in the heat. On wet
and slippery roads of Arunachal Pradesh too we didn’t need to worry
as its wide circumferential grooves make for superior wet grip and
braking. There were times when motorists ahead of us would suddenly
jam their brakes. And during such scary situations, the Kwid halted
with supreme control thanks to the grippy rubber. In the mountains,
the twisties are unavoidable and it scared many of us, especially
at high altitudes. But the
rigid shoulder blocks of the
Milaze X3 series tyres offered
an extremely stable and
comfortable ride.
At times, situations were very
challenging as we had to go
water fording and drive past
large pits of mud and slush.
But thanks to the innovative
and abrasion resistant tread
compound and high rubber
content on the tyres, we could
overcome such difficulties. So,
if you’re thinking of buying a
new set of tyres for your car,
you shouldn’t think beyond the
Milaze X3 series rubber from
C E AT.