After covering almost 2,000 km, we made it to Guwahati and were ready to put the Maruti Suzuki Swift through its paces in the hills and mountains of the North-East. We started from Guwahati at about 5.00 am. This section of our journey was extra special as the surroundings were phenomenal. There was greenery all around us, including rolling tea gardens, mountains that had a cover of green, and beautiful roads. In fact, the surrounding was so mesmerising that we felt like simply stopping by the side of the highway to take in as much beauty as we could. However, I was also enjoying driving the Maruti Suzuki Swift here as the roads were simply too good.
The latest-generation Swift’s handling was highlighted as we made our way to Shillong, Meghalaya. The twists and turns of the mountain highway gave me a chance to push the Swift harder around each bend and make it through without having to worry about anything. The grip from the tyres was phenomenal, the steering input was amazing, and yet the Swift was comfortable for all the occupants. I was left spellbound by the way the Swift handled. Our drive from Guwahati to Shillong was quite an epic one thanks to the Swift’s superb handling and the picturesque surroundings of Assam and Meghalaya.
Shillong was only a stop-over point for us on the way to Mawsynram, this being the last major town on our way there. We filled up the Swift’s fuel tank and headed south to the wettest place on the planet. Until now we had encountered rain, drizzle, and hot and humid weather, but once past Shillong, the weather gods decided to close in on us; however, that did not dampen our hopes of reaching our extreme destination. We forged ahead, climbed a mountain in the Swift and were just 60 km from Mawsynram when thick fog rolled in, hampering visibility. The fog turned out to be simply a blindfold that revealed spectacular scenery once it lifted. We were left in awe of Mawsynram, where heaven meets earth, creating a perfect setting for an epic backdrop for our Swift. We couldn’t believe our eyes when the fog drifted away and the entire valley was lit by varying shades of green.
An interesting fact about Mawsynram is that it has been receiving more than 10,000 mm of rainfall per year on average for the past decade, thus making it the wettest place on earth. So much rain creates an ecosystem that is filled with all kinds of flora and fauna; and although we did see a lot of flora, in terms of fauna we weren’t so fortunate.
Mawsynram is a quaint little village in the Khasi hills of Meghalaya and the surroundings are picture-perfect. However, the drive wasn’t as smooth as one might think of it to be as the real challenge starts once you cross Shillong. The roads become narrow and once you are off the main highway, the conditions deteriorate. Nevertheless, the Maruti Suzuki Swift stayed strong throughout this section. Its well-set-up suspension handled the potholes on the road quite easily, keeping all of us comfortable inside. Everything from the brakes to steering and engine performed beyond our expectations and we were surprised that the Swift was able to conquer the extreme with such minimal effort. This goes to show how brilliant Maruti Suzuki’s engineering is. Their cars are among the most capable products out there.
Even on our way to Mawsynram, we saw a number of Maruti cars dominating the mountainous terrain. The Swift, too, belongs to this phenomenal clan and we were glad it became a part of our epic adventure to conquer the extreme. This adventure proved that the Swift can be at home on almost any terrain. Hats off to Maruti Suzuki for giving India such a versatile product that allows one to be limitless and conquer the extreme.
