Honda Cars India Drive To Discover 12 - Scaling New Heights

Drive To Discover. Three magical words. Most people will never expect to hear them. When a lucky few do, it comes with an assortment of Honda car keys to choose from! Sounds unreal? Welcome to Honda Cars India’s #DriveToDiscover12. Every day was magical and like living a dream, as a select few journalists got to explore new routes, breathe fresh air, experience local delicacies, and experience the entire Honda Cars India fleet over perfect tarmac and rocky terrain!

Since the first edition, the overall format of the annual experiential drive event has remained similar. Journalists fly into a city, drive along a route curated by Honda Cars India that includes night halts at different locations, and get to experience the current line-up of Honda cars over a longer time frame. Sounds pretty straightforward? Well, it turned out to be an adventure that created memories for life!

The theme for this year’s Honda Car India’s annual #DriveToDiscover experiential event was #JourneyTo theEast which was flagged off on Dec 8 from Siliguri.

• Day 1 (Dec 8): Siliguri to Gangtok
• Day 2 (Dec 9): Gangtok to Nathula to Gangtok
• Day 3 (Dec 10): Gangtok to Pelling
• Day 4 (Dec 11): Pelling to Darjeeling to Kalimpong
• Day 5 (Dec 12): Kalimpong to Siliguriri

The #DriveToDiscover12 ended on December 12, with the convoy driving from Kalimpong to Siliguri.

Day 1 - Siliguri To Gangtok: Cruising & Crawling In The Honda City

Our companion for the first day was the Honda City as we exited Siliguri. Our destination was the Mayfair resort in Gangtok, around 100km away. Like the usual practice on any road trip, we checked in with Google Maps which suggested a driving time of around 3 hours. However, we ended up spending more time on the road as a significant portion of the NH10 is being revamped and widened. So, the traffic police let one side of vehicles pass at a time leading to traffic snarls during peak hours.

The road was not only narrow but also some patches were completely broken and resembled a typical trail. We wasted over an hour crawling over what remained of the NH10 and were praying for the road to open up. However, this idle time in the Honda City made me realize how comfortable the rear seat is. The sofa-like seat cushioning and generous headroom and legroom allowed me to stretch out comfortably and take a power nap.

By the time we got out of the mess, everyone was drained and we decided to take a coffee break at the Oasis cafe en route. After wolfing down multiple large plates of delicious momos, we were soon feeling energetic again! I took the wheel and accelerated towards Gangtok. This 25km stretch of the road to the Mayfair hotel is well paved with a good mix of corners! The Honda City felt at home and was the perfect tool for connecting corners making it a drive to remember!

Day 2 - Gangtok To Nathula To Gangtok: Snow Drive With The Honda Elevate

It was supposed to be a relaxed day with an around 120km round trip to Nathula. But, it turned out to be an adventurous day! After a sumptuous breakfast, the convoy started rolling and we were soon scaling new heights! The city roads are narrow but the NH310 from Upper Tathangchen is a delight to drive! Well paved, devoid of any bumps or potholes, with plenty of turns, with a mix of fast and slow corners. The Honda Elevate turned out to be a hoot to drive!

The 1.5L petrol engine responded enthusiastically to accelerator inputs and the speedo needle would climb quickly. The sharp brakes cut down speed quickly while the 220mm ground clearance meant we could carry a decent speed over undulations and broken patches. The Honda Elevate’s ability to deliver such smooth performance, with an indicated average fuel efficiency of 16kmpl, at such high altitudes, was impressive!

Private vehicles aren’t allowed to be driven up to Nathula top. Hence, we had to cover the last few kilometres in tourist taxis. However, the 12th edition of the Drive To Discover turned out to be Honda Cars India’s first experiential snow drive! There was ample snow along the roadside some 6km before the Nathuls top! At -5 degrees, everyone experienced some chills! At 14,100ft, everyone also experienced mild altitude sickness!

On the way to Nathula, lies the Tsomgo Lake, a high-altitude glacial lake, renowned for its pristine water and breathtaking natural beauty. Tsogmo lake is famous for changing its appearance along with the seasons. Visitors can experience yak rides here or simply enjoy the stunning view!

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Day 3 - Gangtok To Pelling: Narrow Roads Ft. Honda Elevate

Our destination for the day was the Elgin Heritage Hotel in Pelling, which according to Google Maps was around 120km from Mayfair Resort in Gangtok. After yesterday’s unexpected encounter with snow, we had a feeling that an adventure drive was behind us. But, we had all underestimated the mountain’s ability to throw a surprise. In the mountains, one must always expect the expected!

As we exited the city, the roads started to get narrower. The road condition also deteriorated and some patches were completely broken. Again, the Honda Elevate’s 220mm ground clearance allowed us to cruise over everything without bothering about any underbody taking any hits. What got us worried were the really narrow roads which got even narrower in the last 10km or so. So much so that some vehicles had to reverse to a wider spot, to let oncoming cars pass.

Owing to the relatively compact dimensions of the Honda Elevate, it managed to pass through the narrowest of trails comfortably. Also, the rear seat turned out to be a comfortable zone as the seat cushioning was perfect, neither too hard nor too soft. The Honda Elevate’s ride quality was also impressive, especially over the broken and some of the not-so-well-paved stretches. The suspension always did a good job of soaking up the road imperfections and keeping the occupants comfortable.

Also Read: Check out the 2023 Honda Elevate First Drive Review

Day 4 - Pelling To Darjeeling To Kalimpong: Unexpected Twists Make Honda City The Hero!

This day turned out to be the most exciting! So much so that it even made the 12th edition of the Drive To Discover the most adventurous one to date! The convoy started rolling early as the plan was to reach Kalimpong via Darjeeling, where we would visit a tea estate and get to explore a tea factory! The road to Pelling was the narrowest and most challenging so far. However, the climb to Darjeeling had us tread over even narrower roads with super steep inclines!

The road to Darjeeling isn’t for the faint-hearted and not for those who are new to driving on mountain roads! If you intend to drive to Darjeeling someday, then you must get some experience driving on moderately challenging and steep hill roads first! This one will test your nerves and capabilities behind the wheel! Or you could take a taxi with an experienced local driver.

We relied on Google Maps to take us to the tea garden destination. But, it instead took us on a route which doesn’t seem to be frequented by cars! Definitely not by sedans! The road was not only super narrow, it resembled a rough trail, covered by large rocks, but there was no chance of turning around! For it would mean reversing the car for a couple of kilometres before finding a place wide and safe enough to attempt a U-turn in a sedan! So, there was no option but to carry on forward, with the two occupants now taking on the role of trail spotters, to avoid any underbody hits!

Full marks to the Honda City for reaching the tea estate without any underbody/bumper damage! The engine managed the climb to 6,500ft effortlessly without breaking into a sweat. Inside the car, everyone was hardly bothered by the road conditions as the suspension was doing a good job at soaking up the undulations. The sofa-like seats and impressive NVH levels meant the unexpected trail couldn’t rattle us!

This challenging route did end up making our day, making memories for life and making the Honda City the hero for the day for conquering a broken trail without any issues or damages! Everyone also learned an important lesson: Google Maps cannot be blindly trusted in mountain regions and it's always best to check route options with locals! After reaching the tea estate, we got to witness what makes Darjeeling tea unique and how they make it.

After we exited the super narrow roads of Darjeeling, the route to Kalimpong was well-paved with not-too-aggressive gradient, and a delightful mix of fast and slow corners. I was now behind the wheel of a Honda Elevate manual, which on this road was engaging to drive. The driving position delivers a true SUV-like feel and ensures good visibility. The ride remains comfortable over varied surfaces while the braking and handling inspire confidence.

Also Read: Check out the 2023 Honda City First Drive Review

Day 5 - Kalimpong To Siliguri: Mountain Getaway To Urban Commute!

The drive was going to end today with us driving down from our stay in Kalimpong to the hotel in Siliguri from where the drive started. After a beautiful sunset in Kalimpong, the convoy started rolling early, as there were apprehensions about the tourist taxi traffic increasing the journey time. We did get caught up a few times in long queues of slow-moving trucks, but the superb driving etiquette of the locals meant faster cars were always allowed to pass through. We wish everyone in India drove as patiently and diligently as the people of Sikkim.

We managed to reach the outskirts of Siliguri in around two hours. However, the entry into Siliguri was like any morning city commute. We had to deal with unruly traffic as the slow-moving traffic seemed to have drained the patience of the local drivers. I wasn’t complaining in the back of the Honda Elevate; it didn’t feel as bad as it looked in the back seat of the SUV.

The 12th edition of the Drive To Discover turned out to be a well-deserved break for a few lucky journalists as one doesn’t often get the chance to spend multiple days in the mountains in the company of multiple cars! This experiential drive allowed us to live with the current fleet of Honda Cars India and experience them over varied terrains and altitudes.

One bit that stood out was that the senior management and communications team of Honda Cars India were part of the drive too! It was heartening to see Kunal Behl, VP, Marketing & Sales, HCIL along with Takuya Tsumura, President & CEO, HCIL and Toshio Kuwahara, President & CEO, Asian Honda Motor, get into a car and join us on every single day of the drive!

“Drive To Discover is a unique format that we have been executing for 12 years. We intend to let journalists live with our cars, test them to the limits, experience them exhaustively over varied terrain, and have a learning and engaging experience. This year's Journey To The East has been a wonderful experience owing to the scenic views and challenging terrains,” said Kunal Behl, VP, Marketing & Sales, HCIL.

Honda Cars India’s Drive To Discover 12, which was a Journey To The East, wasn’t supposed to be an unforgettable adventure. We thought it would be a little bit better than a usual work day for me. But, I walked away with memories for life and I’m already waiting for the next edition!