Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to do stuff that most people probably dream of. We celebrated TURBOCHARGED’s second anniversary by driving across India’s length and breadth in two cars powered by turbocharged petrol engines, the Volkswagen Taigun and Virtus. And last year as TURBOCHARGED turned three, I’d driven to one of the only places in the world where human beings and leopards co-exist peacefully, Jawai in Rajasthan, in the Volkswagen Tiguan, a premium SUV that meets the test of time. As petrolheads, it’s experiences and memories that we’re always looking to create with our cars, aren’t we? Cars are in fact a medium to connect with like-minded people and create memories that wouldn’t be possible otherwise perhaps.
Which is also why we’re always willing to head out on road trips. And with TURBOCHARGED’s fourth anniversary approaching, it was time to plan more adventures. Now, driving from India’s east coast to the country’s west coast is a road trip that’s been on my bucket list. As if on cue, I happened to get in touch with Will Robinson, a British endurance runner. Marathon runs are a walk in the park for Will, as he has done cycling and running expeditions stretching weeks! And his next adventure was to run across India, from the east coast to the west coast. The idea of joining Will on one of his most challenging runs yet, in a foreign country, with the kind of weather he’s never experienced had me hooked instantly.
After all, we’re talking peak human endurance, because Will intended to run from Chennai by the Bay of Bengal to Mangaluru by the Arabian Sea, a distance of 700km, in a week. That’s 100km of running a day! As insane as it sounds, Will was doing this for a cause. He wants everyone to adopt active lifestyles and believes it isn’t just about physical fitness but mental health too. I also realised Will wanted to put across a strong message about how the human body can endure far more than we think.
With its globally renowned German engineering, I felt the Volkswagen Tiguan would be the perfect choice to join Will. The Tiguan is also an SUV that leaves an indelible mark with its comfort, performance and premium feel. It’s also a global bestseller and an SUV that aced Euro NCAP safety tests by scoring five stars. I strongly felt it would thus be the perfect SUV for me to join for Will in, matching his grit. Before seeing Will in Chennai, I had a marathon run of my own though. I had to drive the Tiguan from Pune to Chennai, a distance of over 1,200km, which felt effortless. This, despite the zillion diversions on NH48 through Maharashtra, as the highway is being upgraded.
The Tiguan’s well-tuned suspension helped me make light of the task, offering an impeccable balance between sporty handling and good ride quality. It soaked up undulations with aplomb and offered a solid, tank-like feel. The Tiguan’s 2.0-litre TSI engine had a lion’s share in helping me gobble miles too, with its creamy smooth feel and the 190PS and 320Nm on offer, sent to all four wheels (courtesy Volkswagen’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system) via the ever-likeable 7-speed DSG. I was convinced, yet again, the Tiguan is one of the best mile-munching SUVs in India. Driving to Chennai was the only leg where I was to enjoy the SUV’s excellent highway prowess though.
Will’s plan was to take country roads, soaking in the sights, sounds and experiences of smaller towns and villages, instead of running on highways. Effectively, the 700km drive from Chennai to Mangaluru that should have been a day’s work (it’s a 15-hour drive, if you take highways), was going to see me drive for a week, averaging about 100km a day. That’s lesser than my Pune-Mumbai runs which take merely 3-4 hours! That said, I was going to experience my own country, in the company of a foreign national, in a way I never have. Will intended to run 100km a day, taking pit stops every 10km or so to grab a quick bite, some nutrition and get a few minutes of rest.
Given the humidity and heat (coastal areas in South India don’t exactly experience winters), Will would start his days well before sunrise to make the most of the mornings. This meant 4am wake up calls, ensuring luggage is loaded into the Tiguan’s boot and driving 10km ahead to wait for Will. Easy to call a road trip like this one boring, but it was anything but that. Will’s support crew included Rachel White and James Poole – both endurance runners, who were running with Will in stints to ensure he was in the best state of mind. Let’s not forget, while I was going be ensconced in the Tiguan’s plush interiors, Will would be running 100km everyday, which is unthinkable for most of the world’s population!
Rachel is also Will’s nutritionist and was ensuring his calorie intake was optimum as he was burning calories at a very high rate all day, and was keeping Will’s supplements ready, making the most of the Tiguan’s ergonomically positioned parcel tray. James was also helping Will’s followers across the globe stay updated about his run by posting content online. Day 1 was a shocker for me though: Will started running from Chennai’s Edward Elliot’s beach at 5am and only ended the day around 9pm, after running nearly 118km! Most of us would have collapsed well before noon but Will was off to quite the start, despite facing challenges due to the humidity and heat.
The next morning, he was out running before 5am again! His grit and determination were noteworthy, because while I was driving for 10km and waiting for an hour or so for him to get to the pitstop, Will was pushing himself to the very limits of human endurance. Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but reflect on the fact that I was driving the Tiguan, a world-class SUV that comes from a manufacturer like Volkswagen, known to push the very limits of engineering to create world-class products like it. The slower than usual speeds also meant I was forced to take it easy, which was helping me soak in the places we were passing through.
I was also striking conversations with locals – for food, water or tea. What made this all the more interesting was the language barrier! I’m not familiar with South Indian languages save for few words in Tamil and Kannada, but being an interpreter for Rachel and James was interesting! Will was also looking forward to the pit stops, to enjoy the Tiguan’s comfort. He even compared the Tiguan’s seat comfort to that of business class seats in aircrafts and mentioned the SUV felt like a luxurious caravan with its premium interiors, comfort, excellent audio system and massive panoramic sunroof.
Things got interesting for Will and me both as we approached Bengaluru. Some of the villages bordering the city – and their cooler weather – had Will skip the road and head into one of the off-road stretches passing through fields. My quest to follow him had me put the Tiguan’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system to use and the Tiguan impressed through the tricky stuff, as the system was metering the amount of power going to each wheel, besides which its 200mm ground clearance meant I was able to drive without a worry. And then of course, Will and I both experienced the infamous Bengaluru traffic!
Will also quipped about how the tranquil fields and villages had been replaced by tall skyscrapers and hordes of cars. Heck, Bengaluru was the only place where Will was faster than me – on foot! But the Tiguan helped me keep my cool even through bumper-to-bumper traffic with its smooth throttle response and progressive power delivery. Will and I were both relieved as the traffic thinned out on Bengaluru’s outskirts, and we even had a good laugh at our experiences! Bengaluru was also the halfway point and egged Will further, despite his mounting fatigue.
There were times when the pain in his shins was excruciating, without enough time for muscle recovery, but he was determined to continue. Daily distances thus varied, and calculations told us we’d only make it to Mangaluru on day 08. The last day was the most energetic one though, despite Will’s fatigue, as we had just 70km to the finish line, which was the beach in Mangaluru. As we got to the beach, Will ran into the water to celebrate. He had just accomplished something nobody has done before – running over 700km from Chennai to Mangaluru, to create awareness about mental health and active lifestyles.
As Will and I sat by the sea, I joked about Will being a ‘Running Machine’ and his ‘Will Power’, but I was also moved by his grit and determination. On the other hand, Will was more than impressed by the Tiguan’s comfort. For the matter, this one had turned out to be a road trip unlike any other and also helped me think and reflect on a lot of things in life. And the Volkswagen Tiguan had proved to be a great companion, once again, and was helping me enjoy a sense of accomplishment too. To draw parallels, while the Tiguan is an SUV that’s born tough and built like a tank, Will Robinson had just proved how tough the human body can be. And just like he was pushing the boundaries of physical human endurance, the Tiguan had yet again proved itself as a brilliant example of how Volkswagen pushes the limits of engineering capabilities to create an SUV like it that can stand the test of time, and also endure the toughest of driving conditions. As I was driving back I was beaming with pride, because I was driving a world-class SUV that had helped me create memories of a lifetime, yet again!
