Driving from Bengaluru to Goa
A road trip is something that I’m ready to pack my bags for at the drop of a hat, so when Renault India offered the opportunity, I lapped it up before anyone in the team could get an inkling. The plan was to arrive at Bengaluru and spend some time at each of the scenic destinations including Madikeri, Gorkarna, and Goa over three days. At our disposal would be all cars sold by the French carmaker in India, spread across various permutations and combinations.
Our journey started with a flag-off in Bengaluru where I was handed the keys of a freshly minted Renault Kiger Turbo CVT. This was from the convoy that offered MY24 iterations of the Triber, Kiger, and the Kwid. The first day was nothing short of dramatic after we gobbled up a few 100 kilometres, courtesy of the weather going from hot and sunny to rainy and windy, in a matter of time. What first seemed as a passing drizzle was up and about into a short storm, taking down electricity poles, wires, hoarding, and come what may in its path. We had a few narrow escapes, but wading through waterlogged roads and slushy patches with arguably mild off-roading seemed like a piece of cake for the Kiger. Before the change of hea(r)t from the weather gods, the AC did keep us comfortably cool as I fiddled with the display while in the passenger seat on the lookout for wireless mobile connectivity. Mid-way, I switched seats with my co-driver and learned much more as I took hold of the steering.
The Kiger had a lot going for it, be it the suspension, which takes almost everything in its stride, the leather-wrapped steering wheel which felt good to hold (coming from a fabric-finished unit back home), or the auto-dimming IRVM that was not only handy but also looked very premium for a car in this segment. While the rains didn’t allow us to get out and soak in the surroundings, I took every chance to glance at the scenery. The one thing that the rain gods managed to keep at bay was the sunset, leaving the Opacarophile in me disappointed.
After calling it a day in Madikeri, we woke up to some beautiful vistas all around, and before we knew it, we were off to drive to Gokarna with our partner for the day, the Kwid, but not before taking up some views en route. Having occasionally driven a friend’s Kwid back home, I was pleasantly surprised by the updates made to the MY24 version, with some things taken from a segment or so above too.
I was welcomed by a familiar steering and overall dashboard design, which was in line with the Renault family traits, but what stood out for me was the scroll wheel for the steering-mounted controls, something that was the norm only with luxury cars until recently. The folks at Renault have got the space utilisation part well, and this can be seen with the speakers too, which are mounted on the dashboard, thus making way for cubbies that can accommodate larger water bottles and the like. One thing that spoiled us in the Kiger (and we missed in the Kwid) was the multiple pockets to store the odd wallet, mobiles, and some loose change.
Renault claims that the Kwid is the most affordable hatchback to come equipped with a touchscreen unit, and this is available starting from the RXL (O) variant, priced from Rs. 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Despite having a light foot on the pedal, we were the first few to make our way to the first stop for the day, Marvanthe Beach. This gave us some extra time to soak in the surroundings, which, in case you didn’t know, has a water body on either side of the road. While the AMT could’ve been tuned a bit better, the current tuning allowed for good fuel efficiency, MID-indicated 14.4kmpl in our case. Post our following stop at the Murudeshwara Shiva temple to seek the blessings of the almighty, we ended our day at Gokarna.
The last day felt like a summer vacation in school coming to a close, Goa was just a few hours away and we were handed the keys of the Triber. This Renault showcased its versatility en route as the camera crew kept all their bags and then some more in it, while occasionally shooting from other cars as well as this one too. It is safe to say that there was still some space left (possibly for our last-minute souvenir shopping) before the Triber’s boot was packed. The rains made a guest appearance on this day too, even as the pristine coastline of Karwar left a certain sparkle in my eyes and a promise in my mind that I’d be back here soon, just for the beaches alone.
Before our departure late on Sunday morning, I grabbed the keys to the Triber yet again, exploring the bright and cute little streets of the otherwise bustling areas of Goa, making this seven-seat MPV a pretty model in front of some picturesque churches. The road trip certainly came to an end shortly after, but the memories and attributes of each Renault car will continue to stay with me for some time to come.
