How should one test an SUV? Take it to the limit, for one. So the
Renault Koleos was driven 1,700 km non-stop from Mumbai to Kochi in a test d’endurance, as the French would call it.
Dec 18, 4.45 am. O.O km: At the hour of delta sleep, some souls were trundling to their chores on the Western Express Highway in Goregoan East; the road looked busier than usual. What’s with the people in the metro? With a full tank, the Koleos was warming up quickly, behaving like a light car as it took off towards Bandra, turned left with panache towards Sion and in about 35 minutes flat from standing start, it was crossing McDonald’s at Panvel, entering the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Not bad at all, for the loooooong run ahead.
5.44:50: At the Khalapur toll plaza. Put the Koleos into sport mode, and let rip. In normal mode, the transmission seems a little reluctant to shift to a lower gear when needed, but there’s no such hesitation when in sport mode. With the transmission doing exactly what was needed of it, the Koleos was an unbeatable tourer. We soon crossed the Khedshivapur Toll Plaza.
8.24:36: At Taswade toll booth. Have done 313 kms. An absolutely smooth run so far. We’ve escaped the city traffic, tunnelling through Katraj, past Mahabaleshwar Phata and Satara Flyover 1.
The SUV is speeding along NH 4 towards Kolhapur. The roads are fantastic, barring a small patch after the Pune Expressway and before the beginning of the highway to Satara. Like its smaller sibling Fluence, the Koleos also has best-in-class suspension, nary a doubt. It handles big and small bumps beautifully. The highway is mostly four-laned (two on either side), paved perfectly, with wide median decked with colourful explosions of bougain villea. The trip meter shows 380 kms. We’re doing 130-140 kmph for long, long stretches, something unthinkable on Indian highways some years back. That’s quite a revolution happening on Indian roads.
9.55: We enter Kolhapur bypass, gunning towards Sarnobatwadi. Suddenly, we sight the famous golden arches — yes, McDonald’s. Unfortunately, it’s on the other side. The belly ached for fuel — it was running on two cups of hot tea at predawn. We slowed down, took the first exit, u-turned to order burgers and French fries — yes, at 10.12:13, says the Hardcastle Restaurant bill.
10.45: Refreshed, we head for the Maharashtra border and into Karnataka, pay toll at Kognoli (Rs 25), Hattargi (Rs 15). Hit the Nippani bypass at 180 kmph. The onrush of wind and slipstream can be gauged only when the windows are open. And the roads... are we in India? Beautiful. The bucolic bounties enchant, where life moves at a soporific pace.
12.30: Heading to Belgaum bypass. The Koleos has clocked 535 km so far in seven hours, 45 minutes. Time to tank up for the second time. Coughing up toll at Kittur, we head to Hubli-Dharwad. Reaching the toll booth at Hubli-Dharwad bypass, we pay Rs37 to Nandi Highway Developers, the toll operator, and ask the attendant for a good chow place. We’re directed to turn inside and under the bypass towards town, head to Gokul Road. We pass Big Bazaar, and are directed by a vigorously gesticulating Hubliite to Veg Hut. It was simple fare, but the ice-cream was suspiciously smooth. What have they put in it? There was no time to find that out. Rush, rush, ‘beat the clock’ is our mantra.
2.25 pm: Bankapur looms. There is very little traffic, but we are beginning to see giant trucks carrying windmill blades. Motebannur and Ranebannur flash by, the Harihar-Davangere bypass looms. Speedo hovers around 140 kmph for loooong stretches. Soon, Kool Koleos is Kruising towards Chitradurga.
The windmills on the hills present great imagery. The highways are wide, the contiguous land showing signs of sparse industrial activity, the greens rolling towards the hills, even as more trucks amble through, carrying massive blades marked with the insignia
of GE, the American megacorp. Do they manufacture them?
5.35: At Tumkur KM 65 toll run by Jas Toll Road Co. Rs15 is sought, paid. We’ve hit 1000 km! No groans from the mill when the accelerator is floored, though it takes some time to come a-kicking because of low torque at 1500 revs or under. Ergo, shift to sport mode to extract more punch. At Dobaspet, a quick stopover at Kamat Upachar for bottles of packaged water and at the adjoining HPCL pump for another tank-up.
6.30: Had some fabulous Mysore Bajji, Rava Masala and tea at the Bangera Family Restaurant at Kasabanijagal, Neelamangala Taluk. We are in the Bangalore Rural District. The sun was setting quickly, and the temperature was a pleasant 20 degrees Celsius.
Should we stay put at Hosur for the night at start-off again? We have never driven in these parts in the night but the experience so far has been terrific — both with the car and the roads.
7.01: The debate was raging when we entered Tumkur Road. Paid Rs100 toll for the Bannerghatta Road exit. We skip the Garden City, taking the Bengaluru Bypass/NICE through Magadi Road, Mysore Road, Kanakapura Road. Soon, the Electronic City/Madivala Elevated Road ends. Indeed, fabulous highways ring the software capital.
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