Breaking monotony with the Renault Triber

Renault Triber

It is rightly said - ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. In the past couple of weeks, there was barely any breather between back to back meetings and delivery timelines at work. So, on a Friday evening when most of my colleagues were busy discussing movies to be watched on Netflix, I was looking forward for something fun and adventurous. 

Sipping coffee with my colleague Kunal, we dawned upon the idea of Kayaking in Goa and to make things even more interesting, we decided to drive down for it. Destination fixed, we decided to check with a few friends to join us and before you knew it, we were five of us.

Now all we needed was a car that could seat five people in comfort and carry their luggage with ease. We needed something that was compact and able enough to take us to our kayaking spot. The Triber checked all these boxes and was our vehicle of choice. Now all we needed to see was how the Triber would perform over the next 1500 km.

Our journey began in the wee hours of the morning as we quickly loaded up the Triber and used up all its 625 litres of boot space, tanked it up and hit the highways. Now, long journeys demand a good infotainment system and the Triber’s unit did not disappoint. The eight-inch infotainment system has a crisp display and very good touch sensitivity and it also packs in apple CarPlay along with android auto to make life even more convenient.

While we effortlessly cruised on NH4 with the Triber munching miles, it was only after we crossed Belgaum and took the Chorla ghat route that the roads decided to test us. Appalling conditions and craters galore meant our progress slowed down considerably, but thanks to the Triber’s excellent suspension set-up we weren’t thrown around. The nightmare finally came to an end as we entered Goa late in the evening.

A good night’s rest meant we were ready to explore Goa. Old goa is pretty magical with the architectural landscape of the city defined by narrow lanes, open gardens, religious establishments and palatial mansions belonging to the elite residents of the city. The Triber’s compact dimensions meant it was extremely manoeuvrable and easy to park when we decided to stop and explore. When visiting old Goa, visiting the beautiful churches are a must. There are a number of famous churches in Vasco with the St. Andrew’s church being the most famous. 

Then of course, there are the various fishing docks where one can get a glimpse of the freshest catch being unloaded. If that makes you hungry, there are a bunch of fantastic places where one can gorge on the local cuisine. Our photographer just could not get enough as he went on a shutter spree. Our day one exploring old Goa was a fantastic experience as we headed back to our hotel. 

The following morning was an early wake up for us since we had decided to head to Chicalim which was almost 15 km away. But more than the distance it was the approach road that was the trickiest part. Lots of bad and non-existent roads and difficult approach angles meant a sedan or a hatchback would have definitely struggled. But the Triber’s 182mm of ground clearance meant we had no problems at all.

Getting on to the Kayaks and exploring the Sal backwaters was a sublime experience. Experiencing the thick mangroves and mini bays up close was kind of a Zen moment. But after rowing out far and then getting back meant our shoulders and forearms got a nice workout. Kayaking done, it was time to head out of the water and back onto the roads again.

But before we headed back, we had to spend time on the pristine beaches of Goa. The fine sand, clear blue skies and pristine waters are something that just need to be stared at for a while. To make ourselves comfortable we carried the last row seats with us and just plonked it on the sand. The flexible seating in the Triber allows you to do unbelievable things and this was just one of them. Getting back into the car from the hot sun, we had our beverages nice and cold thanks to the cooled central storage which is such a convenient feature to have especially in a hot and humid climate like ours.

It was finally time to head back home and as we hit the highways we realised just how the Triber surprised us with its fine tuned engine that made it effortless to drive across diverse road conditions. The gear ratios are well spaced for good drivability in city and highway road conditions. Moreover, the impressive ground clearance ensured that the vehicle cleared most obstacles effortlessly. Our journey from Mumbai to Goa involved a fair amount of driving on hills and bad road sections, and our fully-loaded Triber performed exceptionally.

Five friends made this trip to Goa, but by the end of this journey, the Triber was no longer just a car and it rather turned out to be an important part of this memorable journey. Moreover, the Triber was easy on our pocket as well as it returned an impressive fuel efficiency figure of a little over 14kmpl. After reaching Mumbai, we headed out in different directions with a promise to meet again to explore a new place, in the Renault Triber of course!