Took my modified Thar 4x4 Petrol AT on a 500 km road-trip to Nashik

The Thar drove beautifully & the sheer fun factor this car offers is enormous for its 15-20 lakh price tag. The Thar truly punches above its weight.

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Before the summer heat began, a drive to the Vineyards was planned with friends. The last two times I went on the Bombay-Nashik highway, it was in a deplorable state, so kept the 530d at home and took the Thar out instead.

Must say, things have significantly improved since my last drive. Surprisingly, I didn't hit one major pothole on the way to Nashik. The minute you clear the Bhiwandi bypass, it is more or less smooth sailing all the way. Not a driver's road like it was a decade ago, but not horrible either. Things are now acceptable. In fact, I quite enjoyed the 30 km before Igatpuri.

The single pain point is the Bhiwandi bypass, so we left early'ish to beat the traffic. Reached Sula Vineyard in 4-hours driving time. And thereon, the drive to Chandon Vineyard is also enjoyable (+1 hour from Nashik).

At the main Igatpuri junction, we saw the new Expressway to Mumbai almost ready, with signboards et al . Loving all these new links, connectors, bridges & expressways in & around Bombay! If you haven't seen my post on the Atal Setu & Safari Facelift, you should now. And of course, there was the recent opening of the Coastal Road.

The Thar drove beautifully & the sheer fun factor this car offers is enormous for its 15-20 lakh price tag. The Thar truly punches above its weight. She made us smile, laugh & giggle on the 500-km road-trip like no other, and every person in the 6-member group just had to get their hands on the wheel. Of course, no Thar report can be complete without reporting a new niggle, so sharing the 6th bug in 5500 km. The rear tail-gate refused to open when the boot was loaded with luggage. This has happened once or twice before too. You can read about the 5 earlier niggles here.

Started off with a sundowner on the terrace. Talk about a buildup to the road-trip!

Finally, on the road again . There were many parts of the Mumbai-Nashik highway which were enjoyable. These old-school 2-lane highways are so much more fun than boring straight expressways, but only when they are well-paved:

Drove the Thar hard at some points and man, the way the turbo-petrol pulls is unbelievable for a 4x4 Jeep! Its acceleration & power delivery are very addictive (by BOF SUV standards):

A little known vineyard by Chandon – this is a must-visit destination! The final 20 minute countryside drive to Chandon is beautiful, with vineyards all around you. You need to book your table in advance and compared to Sula, the Chandon experience is very exquisite, quieter, classier (although I love Sula & Chandon equally):

Other items in the curated menu were samosas, fresh pizzas & mini-burgers. All wow:

At the lavish, tastefully done property of Chandon. It’s really one heck of a place to just hang:

While everyone else was busy, the petrolhead in me couldn’t resist stepping out to just check out the cars. What timeless designs, both:

On the drive to the bungalow. The gang sure didn’t want to leave Chandon, but I prefer not driving on the highway after sunset, so we left in time:

As luck would have it, we found a scenic spot by the lake, so engaged 4x4 & took the Thar down:

A spectacular find:

Continue reading GTO's travelogue for more insights and information.