Land Rover Experience in rain soaked Aamby Valley

Before most of Mumbai woke up to say TGIF, i took off on an epic adventurous getaway in Aamby Valley on Friday – to experience the new Land Rover Discovery Sport!

One of the reasons i signed up for this was because i was craving both – an adrenalin rush as well as a chance to get out of the city at the first hint of petrichor and the onset of the monsoons. Because as much as i love the rains, i think they’re best experienced in the outdoors – not trying to dodge puddles and muck splashing cars in the city.

Just a 3 hour journey from downtown Mumbai lies the lush expanse of Aamby Valley.

After a quick snack and refreshments, each one of us were assigned an expert driver who would demonstrate the finery of the vehicle to us during a one hour adventure ride called the Land Rover Experience. Aashish was a treasure trove of information and deft at handling the powerful beauty.

My instant reaction as i entered the car was… “wow, she’s gorgeous!”

Terrain-Response Settings for Stability + Safety

First off he showed me the Grass, Gravel & Snow mode which would tackle the uneven terrain with ease.

Next we experienced how beautifully the Discovery Sport handles slopes automatically – distributing braking individually across the 4 wheels, smartly sensing the terrain. This was my second Wow moment!

But my absolute favorite part of the experience was crossing this water body – i have to admit it was more thrilling than a bungee jump! To manoeuvre this, Aashish switched to the Mud & Ruts mode on the Discovery Sport. Here’s a video of our ride…

At the end of the 45-50 minute adventure ride through the lush rain soaked valley, i was thrilled like a kid and spellbound by the beautiful beast that is the Land Rover Discovery Sport!

Coming from someone who has never been much of an aspiring car owner, it speaks a lot about the capabilities of this superb offering for nature loving off-roaders as well as urban adventurers (hey, we all know Indian roads come with potholes and surprises, so comfort and safety are always welcome!).

Besides, i was also overjoyed that i finally visited Aamby Valley after years of just wanting to!

Verdict

Honestly, i signed up for a fun getaway but i returned home having fallen in love with the Discovery Sport – it would be apt to call it the ideal companion for adventure because the combination of design and technology gives you a sense of having an expert by your side, even when you’re traversing uncharted territory! Definitely my kind of vehicle, and whenever i decide to buy my ideal car – this will definitely be my first choice. (Forgot to ask them if it comes in black!)

Make it Happen

If you’d like to try the epic Land Rover Experience too, just contact your nearest JLR Retailer. Here are the dates for the upcoming experiences…

Delhi – 5th, 6th & 7th August, 2016
Nagpur – 26th, 27th & 28th August, 2016
Kolkata – 9th, 10th & 11th September, 2016

Here’s another preview of what to expect…

* For more info about the Adventure Park at Aamby Valley, check out 19 Degree North.

* My tweets about #LandRoverExperience

Bonus points to Land Rover for their credo when handling your car in uneven terrain…

“go as slow as possible, and as fast as necessary”.

That’s exactly what my style of travel is, too! 🙂

Disclaimer: This experience was made possible by Jaguar Land Rover India. Opinions are purely mine.