Mountain Trail

There’s something deeply addictive about the smell of pines and the crispness of the mountain air. You know immediately when you are getting close, it’s one of the few times when you willingly roll down your windows because a simple whiff seems to have the power to take away all your troubles and worries, and relax your soul. Let’s not take away any credit from the weather either, since it’s always the promise of cool air that we travel higher up for. And the other essential bit is to give your favourite SUV a break from the shackles of city traffic and explore winding back roads in the mountains.

One good car to take along is the Mahindra XUV 500 and one good place to head out to is Dalhousie, in Himachal Pradesh. The drive past national highways is dealt with comfortably with the XUV’s respectable on-road manners and pliant suspension. It is arguably the best handling Mahindra that you can buy and with a 2.2-litre diesel engine producing a healthy 140PS, you have the power to go with it too. The kilometres are dispensed with easily and cruising at triple digit speeds isn’t a problem at all. Moreover, it’s a good opportunity to explore the many options that the XUVs cabin comes with. The touchscreen entertainment system may not be the most refined unit on the market, but it sure does pack a lot of goodies including the option to control your air-conditioning. With your phone synced in via Bluetooth and your USB device plugged in to play your favourite tracks, the drive to Dalhousie sure was entertaining. And did I mention that you can use the preloaded maps on the GPS to navigate your way there too!

Add to this the seven seats that are available in the XUV and you can make a party out of the trip with family and friends. The second row of seats is fine for long journeys, but the passengers in the third row may need a few breaks to stretch out their legs along the way. The only downside to having a full house for a long road trip in the XUV is that you are left with very little boot space. So, it’s up to you to decide between seven mates packing light or ditching a couple for a big picnic basket and a cooler in the boot.

However, the best part about driving the XUV into the mountains has to be the fact that it manages every sort of road surface so well and truth be told, it is essential because you never know when you are going to hit a stretch which has suffered the wrath of a landslide. The higher ground clearance is a bonus as well. There’s also the case of the big boot (sorry, but I’d leave the last row passengers out) which can be opened up by the side of the road with staggering views (and this happens a lot in the mountains) to become an impromptu picnic table for a quick snack and a lot of sighing at the incredible landscape.

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