Land Rover Experience in Aamby Valley

‘A Car is an aspiration buy’, I have heard this phrase probably a million times in numerous meetings ranging from research presentations to launch positioning discussions & what not. And when the car in question is a high end luxury SUV, then even ‘aspiration’ seems to be a small word. To get a dream car drive into your garage usually means a long wait, every option chosen meticulously and all of it often accompanied with a slight stretch of the budget to accommodate the best you deserve. A love-at-first-sight affection & an extremely caring attitude towards your favourite machine is just a by-product then. Now the question really is would you want to drive this car into the unruly wild jungles, climb over some rocky terrains, through dense bushes with no sign of tarmac for miles, or plunge it into a river stream laid with mud & slush all throughout…? Deep in your heart you do want to do it all at some time though, isn’t it.. Read further to know more about the Land Rover Experience.

Fortunately, some manufacturers understand this constant dilemma well, and come up with exciting customer events like the Land Rover Experience Drive. MotorOctane team recently had an opportunity to participate in one such drive experience organised by Land Rover for its customers at Aamby Valley, Lonavala.

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Land Rover Experience India

Land Rover Experience – Aamby Valley

Once at the venue, we saw a fleet of company owned Land Rover Discovery Sport vehicles ready to be pushed for a test against the elements of nature. These SUVs are loaded with some very interesting high end safety features to support extreme off-roading endeavours with utmost ease. A hefty yet agile two and a half tonner powered with a 2.2-litre 190bhp engine churns out a massive 420Nm of torque capable of grinding the earth beneath.

The Land Rover Terrain Response System customises the vehicle effort to tackle varying ground conditions including General Driving, Grass/Gravel and snow Driving, Mud & Ruts Driving and finally Driving on Sand. We started our journey on a dusty foot trail down into the valley in the Grass/Gravel mode, the track however was waiting for us to experiment with all modes (barring the snow & sand of course).

Size of the rocks in front of the hood looked intimidating at first, a few hundred meters later it didn’t matter as much though, thanks to the 212mm of ground clearance & excellent approach & departure angles making it look super easy to crawl over a big boulder every time, without an exception. Hill Decent Control system is of great advantage as well, especially when the driver is busy planning his next manoeuvre on a steep rock-ridden incline. The few seconds of automated brakes supported with ABS & EBD ensures that the vehicle doesn’t roll back with slightest shift of driver attention.

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Land Rover Experience in Water

Land Rover Experience India red water

Last leg of the drive involved wading through deep natural river stream with a muddy bed. The Disco Sport can easily take on water bodies with up to a 600mm depth. Exiting the river was rather tricky due to a steep hill on one side & a narrow gorge on the other tilting the vehicle to an almost 45 degree side incline on a slippery rocky surface beneath. The car went through the whole rigmarole with unexpected ease and finesse. The specially engineered body design & appropriate vehicle weight distribution did not let the car tumble even when driving with an extreme sideward tilted stance.

Speed and acceleration may be a virtue on smooth paved roads. On these rough grounds it’s the slow n steady which wins hands down. Correct use of vehicle equipment & features with careful manoeuvring can lead you to places beyond access for most. Although, the thrill involved in reaching there is really priceless.

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So this was our day with a British marquee brand with rich heritage and a formidable reputation of being a truly versatile car fit for both city & the jungle. A day spent with the Land Rover Discovery Sport in its natural habitat proved that it’s a fabulous combination of a desired lifestyle, comfort and status. Land Rover Experience Drive is a must attend for anybody owning a Land Rover & yet planning for his first proper off road adventure.

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