Exploring Different Worlds

Undertaking a road trip up north in the MG Hector: how much of a different experience would it be? Apparently, a considerable one

- Gaurav Davare

IT'S THE MONTH OF MAY AND SUMMER IS AT its peak. It has been a particularly scorching one, with heat waves in many parts of the country, especially around my home turf, Pune. Normally, I would be going down south to a coastal area like Goa, but, frankly, unless you're around water all the time, the relief from heat proves short-lived. Enter MG Motor India with the "MG Experience Drive" that involved taking the MG Hector from Chandigarh to Manali and beyond. Considering it was an opportunity for some relief from the heatwave and exploring a different part of India for the first time, I did not dither and was on the first flight to Chandigarh at the crack of dawn.

My companion for the MG Experience Drive was the MG Hector, with a 143-hp, 1.5-litre petrol engine and continuously variable transmission (CVT), travelling with a convoy of six other Hectors and one Gloster as a support vehicle. As we set off for Manali, the first thing I noticed was that Chandigarh is no stranger to after-market car modifications compared to southern India, the common modifications being some crazy high stances and equally large wheels on many cars. There was an impressive network of four-lane highways with smooth surfaces which allowed the SUV to be a comfortable mile-muncher.