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-   -   JMD Isuzu Offroad Monsoon Drive - Treasure Trails, with the V-Cross & MU-X (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-excursions/189028-jmd-isuzu-offroad-monsoon-drive-treasure-trails-v-cross-mu-x.html)

There are some 90+ V-cross owners in Mumbai and few MU-X owners. On the Previous occasion JMD Isuzu had organized an off-beat camping experience with some mild off-roading for the select few owners. I was one of them and it was a superb experience then. The previous campaign event is documented in this thread.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ex...jmd-isuzu.html

So this year when JMD Isuzu announced a Monsoon event I was one of the first ones to confirm my participation. Unlike last year, this time registration was open to all the Isuzu owners and was limited to maximum of 13 to 15 cars. Also the previous event was fully sponsored by JMD and Isuzu but this time it was on 50:50 sharing basis. Instead of tents this time most of us wanted to stay in a proper 5 start property which I am sure added on the overall cost.

The Monsoon trail was held on the 22nd and 23rd July 2017 at a location somewhere near Karjat.

The schedule was as below.

Day 1

• Meet at Taj Lands end for Breakfast at 7 am.
• Get the radios fitted on the cars.
• Briefing on dos and don'ts .
• Flag off at 8 am and leave for Karjat.
• Get to the Off-Road path followed by the adventure and snacks at the end of the trail.
• Head to the Hotel Radisson Blu for Lunch and Relax.
• Dinner and Party later in the night.

Day 2

• Breakfast followed by Treasure Hunt for Kids.
• Mild Off-Roading and snacks.
• Reach Novotel at Khapoli for Lunch and disperse.

The over all off-Roading experience was a lot tougher this time and heavy rains made things a bit more fun. I really discovered the full potential and capabilities of the V-Cross which has surprised me. There were times when I felt the V-cross won't be able to make it but it did.

The pictures posted are contributions of various members who participated along with Isuzu official camera man and our tour guide also a Team-Bhp member Ravi Nayar.

Disclaimer: I am not associated with JMD or Isuzu, I am just a passionate V-cross owner.

At TAJ Lands end Bandra



Flag off which was delayed by an hour.






A fully Kitted Isuzu V-cross

We encountered a lot of traffic en-route since we hit the peak weekend crowd rushing towards Lonavala. The entire event started running a couple of hours late by the time we hit the off-road trail. I will let the pictures do the talking.

Stuck at the Toll



The convoy entering the Trial





Myself at the start of the Trail





The most difficult part of the Trail







MU-X in action



Some help please



MU-X Crossing the Stream



Stream Crossing, There were several but this was the deepest one





The Destination





Lets get Dirty



Convoy heading back



Me at the Radisson Blu Karjat



By the time we reached the hotel everyone was very tired, we all had a late lunch (almost evening snacks) and got some much needed rest for the evening. Later that night we had a dinner party but most of the pics will not be allowed here as per Team-bhp rules stupid:

By the end of the trail we had a few broken number plates, one car had a damaged front bumper and one bent side step. No other damage done.

The day 2 started with a leisure breakfast followed by some fun for kids and mild off-roading to reach a picnic spot. Not much action on day to so very few pictures. Also I was not a part of day 2 since my son was not feeling well and left for home from the hotel itself.

Treasure Hunt Gift though all the kids got a goodies bag



Convoy on Day 2





Some action



At the Spot





Group Picture




This was a much needed adventure for me and one of the primary reasons why I bought a lifestyle pickup truck. Over all this was a great bonding experience and as a V-cross owner I feel connected to most of the V-cross owners in Mumbai.

Some Videos of My Truck

https://youtu.be/rTud7m7JeRE

https://youtu.be/s4l703vxgO4

https://youtu.be/ligll0Ad0H0


The Tak-Tak sound in the video is the noise made by the roof mounted radio antenna.

Great to see Izuzu taking their customers seriously and following in the footsteps of Toyota, Ford and Tata with their own off-road event.

One question though, what's with the Ford Endeavour leading the pack in some pictures?

Great pictures, thanks for sharing this experience :thumbs up

^ It would be great if you can find out some more details about the location & the access to this trail.

kpower11 : The endeavour belongs to me as we were escorting the group and the convoy. This drive and event was curated and conceptualised by my company specially for Isuzu and JMD for their customers.

Seems to me there are more of these arranged in your region/Kolkata than down south. I may be wrong or unaware. These are essential to keep the brand engagement alive.

Thank you for sharing.

This was Ex Mumbai and not Kolkatta, and is the second such Experiential Drive done in this region. The first one that we did was in January 2017 and is documented in this thread.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ex...jmd-isuzu.html (Isuzu V-Cross : Offbeat Adventure Drive & Camping with JMD Isuzu)

I've been with Ravi and Carmen on multiple drives now including one in Bhutan for 2 weeks. Fabulously curated stuff for both 4x4 enthusiasts as well as regular sedan friendly drives. Worth checking out for the outdoorsy inclined. Best part is they drives are very kid friendly too.

On a separate note, its great to see how Isuzu is investing this kind of effort in facilitating the offroad use of their vehicles. A bit like what Mahindra does as well.

If you're going to sell a niche product like the V - Cross, this kind of stuff goes a long way in building a community. Its exactly what Harley did well in the biking world compared to all the other big brands.

Exactly the question which came to my mind !!

A FORD Endy leading a convoy of Isuzu Vehicles !! I think Isuzu was smoking some non-mentionable stuff, I think that is a PR / Advt disaster !! :Shockked:

I understand the organiser owned the Endy, in which case Isuzu should have "provided him" with a Isuzu SUV - that said

Great initiative by Isuzu ! Kudos to that clap: The "challenge" was not very challenging though but I guess being a family event it was better safe than sorry !!

Thanks for sharing

Yes, you have a point there Ricky, however, my vehicle is prepped up as an Expedition Vehicle and without going into details it would have been pretty much impossible to transfer all that into another vehicle. Besides, both the vehicles in question are not in the same segment and are not competitors. Having said that, that was a good point that you made.
However, I will have to disagree with you on the Challenging bit though. I presume it is pretty hard to judge obstacles and the terrain and the "Challenges" from 2,000 kms away through a Computer Screen. If you Offroad, you would know that even on the trail, a good Offroader will always walk the trail first before he attempts to tackle an obstacle :)
Also the Trail was chosen keeping in mind that there would be no threat to life or serious damage to the vehicle. No point in taking Clients most of whom are first time Offroaders into a Trail that will bruise their ego, damage their vehicles and cause physical harm to them.
This was not meant to be an Offroading Challenge or Competition, but was designed to let them test and see some of the capabilities of the machines Off The Road and away from their comfort zone, and it did that and brought man and machine safely back home.

Totally agree with your POV about ego bruising. Also appreciate that safety is priority. I've seen what a V Cross can do hence my remarks.

As for the Endy being expedition ready, agreed, my point is ISUZU could have one of their own vehicles prepared for you to use. In my mind it's kind of weird ( for lack of a better word ). It reflects ISUZU in a bad light in my books, not on you in the least.

Great effort nonetheless ! Kudos to that clap:

Cheers