It’s not often that an experiential drive is so grand that it needs to be recounted in three parts, but Volkswagen Experiences is one of those rare ones. Volkswagen Experiences is an initiative to bring its customers and enthusiasts together with the help of curated tours and experiences.
The Volkswagen Experiences tour of Ladakh was the first such experiential drive. This five-day expedition started from Chandigarh and had customers drive in a large convoy consisting of the Volkswagen Virtus, Taigun, and Tiguan through the picturesque valleys of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh before finally reaching Leh. The Volkswagen Experiences tour had a lot of curated experiences for customers, from picking apples from the Palchan Apple Orchards in Kullu to a memorable dinner along the banks of the Indus River.
The self-drive experience also had customers experience Volkswagen cars and SUVs outside of ‘usual’ conditions. For example, Mohini Chawla, who owns four Volkswagens, had never been to Ladakh. In fact, it was her first trip to Ladakh, and she chose Volkswagen Experiences to do it. The curated arrive-and-drive program is specifically tailor-made for such customers and enthusiasts who get to witness what their Volkswagen cars are capable of. In fact, the journey was concluded without a single vehicle needing repairs, which goes on to affirm the famed reliability and toughness of Volkswagen vehicles.
The drive culminated in Leh, but that was not the end of Volkswagen Experiences. It was the start of the second leg, the Volkswagen Experiences Partners drive. Our goal was to reach the Siachen Base Camp. Before that, we got a day to acclimatise in Leh given its altitude of 11,000 feet above sea level.
The Taigun GT Plus is the sportiest avatar of Volkswagen’s first made-in-India SUV. It covers the sporty part both in terms of design and performance. The true hallmark of a driver’s car is that it puts you at ease within the first few kilometres of driving. The Taigun belongs to that rare breed. The driving position is spot on with a fantastic view from the windscreen. The precise steering and great all-round visibility also made it easy to cut through Leh’s narrow bylanes.
The plan for day two was to reach Nubra Valley, our halfway stop between Leh and Siachen Base Camp. But to reach there, we had to cross the mighty Khardung La, one of the world’s highest motorable roads and a formidable mountain pass to cross. It isn’t just the dizzying 18,380 feet elevation or even the freezing sub-zero temperatures up there. Getting to Khardung La requires you to drive steep inclines on narrow roads in a perpetual state of disrepair despite the Border Road Organisation’s round-the-year efforts. Driving across Khardung La has always been an experience, but this time, driving the Volkswagen Taigun GT Plus up there, I am all smiles.
It is a true Volkswagen after all, and the German manufacturer is known for making some of the best driver’s cars in the business. The Taigun, especially the GT Plus, has been one of our favourite driver’s SUVs in its segment, thanks to its powerful 1.5 TSI engine that’s mated to the brilliant 7-speed DSG. When you’re 18,000 feet above sea level, the lack of oxygen in the air can make breathing difficult—not just for human beings, but for engines as well. But with 150 PS and 250 Nm on tap, the Taigun made sure there was no dearth of power on my way up to Khardung La. The turbocharged petrol engine has more than enough grunt to not only power through the steep inclines but also overtake slow-moving trucks and other vehicles that seem to struggle at such altitudes easily. This, while feeling butter smooth and sounding sporty, as you would expect a Volkswagen with the GT badge to! It also has impressive ground clearance, so you can simply drive over small rocks without the worry of damaging your underbody. The Taigun GT Plus is a true-blue SUV in that sense.
Given that we had an early start and skipped the crowds that ascend to Khardung La, the rest of the journey was acquitted in double-quick time (TSI power for the win!), and our convoy reached Nubra Valley in time for a hearty brunch. A quick conference suggested that we head straight to Siachen Base Camp today instead of tomorrow. It’s a seven-hour long round-trip journey that should see us back in Hunder way after nightfall. Everyone was keen on the idea, the sentiment of adventure running high as well as the confidence in the Volkswagen cars we were driving.
Getting to the Siachen Base Camp is no easy task, as besides crossing the mighty Khardung La, I had to also drive on narrow roads, a lot of which were unpaved. This is besides the steep drops and landslide-prone rocky faces, which all add to the challenge, along with the extreme weather and lack of oxygen in the air. The 1.5 TSI engine made the drive effortless, while the well-tuned suspension ensured I enjoyed the drive in great comfort.
We thus made it to Siachen Base Camp with ease, and making the achievement feel special was the fact that it is also the world’s highest battlefield! We were at 12,000 feet, where temperatures dip to minus 50 degrees Celsius in winter. This was my second time at the Siachen Base Camp, but it felt as special as the first, as I was part of the first Indian media contingent to reach here, which is a record in itself. Thanks to Volkswagen Experiences!
The drive back, post sunset, with just the Taigun GT’s bright headlamps to guide me through the narrow twisty roads, was engaging too. Of course, the Volkswagen Taigun also scored five stars in the Global NCAP safety tests, which was making for a reassuring feel. It is not very often that you get to travel to and drive to such exotic places, but then that’s what the Volkswagen Experiences program is all about. It lets you enjoy driving cars like the Taigun, Virtus, and Tiguan, all hailed for their striking designs, besides the world-renowned German engineering that makes them stand out.
The next day was a leisurely one and was spent exploring Hunder. It’s home to both the coldest desert in the world and Bactrian camels. The Nubra Valley is, in fact, one of the few places in the world where you will find Bactrian camels. These are a rare breed of camels made special by their two humps that allow them to survive in extreme weather like in the Nubra Valley, where it gets freezing cold for several months. And just like this ‘ship of the desert,’ the Taigun GT Plus I was driving was also adapting itself to the harsh surroundings without breaking a sweat. It would thus not be wrong to say the Taigun was passing the acid test of being driven in some of the toughest driving conditions in the world with flying colours.
We drove back to Leh that evening, but there was no time to rest because the next morning, I was to head back the way I’d come—to tick an item off my personal bucket list. I was heading to the village of Thang, the northernmost village in India and a place with interesting tales to tell. And to get there, I had to cross Khardung La again!
Driving in Ladakh, especially to Khardung La and beyond, is a dream for enthusiasts, and thanks to Volkswagen Experiences, I’d gotten really lucky, driving across the mountain pass twice in quick succession. The Taigun GT Plus was letting me make the most of the experience too. It was making sure I was enjoying my time behind its wheel as it is equipped with cutting-edge technology and features. The GT Plus version I had been driving is the top-of-the-line version and is equipped with a 10-inch touchscreen display that’s bright and crisp, while also offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
I soon crossed Khardung La, and an hour and a half later took a left towards Nubra Valley. The valley feels more special than the rest of Ladakh with a more desert-like feel, but its natural beauty is so stunning, it’s hard to resist the temptation to stop by the road, pull out your phone, and click photographs!
By late afternoon, I crossed Nubra Valley and reached Thang. The village sits just 2.5 kilometers from the international border that was divided overnight in 1971 when the new Line of Control was defined. Thang consists of Balti-speaking people who belong to the Baltistan region, and meeting them is an interesting experience. A lot of people here have relatives in villages across the international border, which you can see from this village!
I stayed in one of the homestays in Thang that night and also met locals, who regaled me with tales about their relatives from across the border and their interesting lives, given the unique geographical positioning of Thang. The bonus is the natural lush green beauty surrounding the village, including the mountains, making for some breathtaking views. After days of driving around Ladakh, it almost felt like time had come to a standstill in Thang, given the easy-going lives of the simple village folk.
It’s a different world, and to get there, you need a reliable SUV like the Volkswagen Taigun. It is a testament to Volkswagen’s engineering—tough and reliable. This demeanor and self-drive expeditions like the Volkswagen Experiences ensure not only can you drive to faraway places but also experience them firsthand. I’m already curious as to where Volkswagen Experiences will take me next!
