We’d set ourselves a challenge. Drive through 29 states of India in 29 days, in the process setting an FMSCI-ratified national record with the Renault Kwid. Tick off each and every state in the country, in the peak of the monsoons, in – what everybody labels as – a city car. No half measures for us! If we were to do something, it not only had to be difficult it had to be unexpected. You expect a Kwid to work well in the city, but can it take on the length, breadth and width of our country, all its attendant challenges, the roads and no roads, and all while running against the clock and ferrying us able-bodied journos who always seem to be hungry? Here’s a glimpse of the first leg of our epic journey starting from Delhi’s insane traffic to roads snaking through Punjab’s lush fields; from UP and Bihar’s blistering heat, to Arunachal’s intoxicating mountain air; from the North East’s kaleidoscopic scenery and crazy roads to Shillong.
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- Even for us who take great pride in covering unexplored parts of the country, the North East is still a mystery
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- The brave warriors from the first leg of the trip look as energised on the twelfth day in Shillong as the first day of the drive. The fun just never seemed to stop!
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- Kicking off the drive at India Gate
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- We didn’ t mollycoddle her and she didn’ t cry for TLC. 16 states ticked off in 12 days
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- Tanking up on HPCL’s Power petrol
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- A detour to take in the incredible sights India has to offer.
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- Shillong has North East’s stunning landscape overlaid with beautiful driving roads and cheap fuel
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- Indulging in a bit of off-roading was fun!
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- A look at the food drives conducted with the Robin Hood Army in Lucknow and New Delhi
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- It took us a whole day to get to the other end of the vast state of Uttar Pradesh
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- The Coronation bridge is the best way to drive into the North East
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- Prayer flags festoon the bridge
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- We encountered some beautiful roads in the North East
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- Driving through the tea plantations in Darjeeling
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- The roads mimic that of lunar craters which would give even SUVs a scare
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- The horrific national highway that amplified the torture of getting into as well as out of Tripura
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- The cars endured an absolute beating and the tyes still came out unscathed without a single puncture which is extremely commendable
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- We were amazed by the way that they were holding up over these roads while returning a great fuel efficiency figure of 17.5kmpl!
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- Footie fever is high in the North East
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- The Renault Kwids faltered not even once after tackling roads like this
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- We got our friends at Ceat Tyres to slap on a fresh set of Milaze tyres – tyres that claim to run for 1,00,000km
Check out our blogs on the 29 States 29 Days here.