Day One
Pune to Halaga – 342 km | Sanjay Raikar
We set out on our adventurous 10,000-km-in-10-days challenge from Mercedes-Benz India headquarters and soon we were on our way to the outskirts of Pune. The CLA 200 CDI behaved well on the highway even in spite of bad roads and a number of diversions, because of which we managed to cross over into Karnataka in less than five hours with no problems.
Halaga to Davangere – 250 km | Ryan Lee
Let it roll, baby, roll! Finally, I got behind the wheel of the CLA. I was awaiting my turn since early morning and, voilà, it was time to make my first contribution to the 10,000-km challenge. The moment I stepped on the pedal, the CLA raced forward, and that smile on my face lasted until I stopped for the next change of drivers.
Davangere to Bengaluru – 250 km | Ravi Chandnani
My stint for the day started on a high note. We were on the fabulous highways of Karnataka when we stopped just before Davangere to swap seats. I took over from Ryan and soon we were on our way to Bengaluru. After a quick 250 km, we stopped in Bengaluru for grub and that was where I handed the CLA over to Aninda for his stint of the day.
Bengaluru to Salem – 203 km | Aninda Sardar
We drove out of India’s information technology capital through pouring rain, taking over an hour-and-a-half to get to the road leading out of the city. Beyond Electronic City, the roads get better (emptier) and we made good time. We were in Salem at 9.00 pm, by which time we had been on the road for 18 hours.
——
Day Two
Salem to Karanodai – 377 km | Aninda Sardar
Despite an early start from Salem, it took us over six hours to cross Chennai – 2.5 hours having been spent in peak traffic. The roads were excellent and we made good time. In the interest of time, breakfast/coffee was fused with an impromptu photo shoot. Beyond that, all’s a blur. All too soon I was told that my stint behind the wheel was over.
Karanodai to Chilakaluripet – 351 km | Sanjay Raikar
After an eventful morning, during which we encountered the rush-hour traffic of Chennai, which delayed us by two-and-a-half hours, we were finally through the toughest part of the day. I took over from Aninda just after crossing Chennai and continued driving for the next 351 km, when everyone felt hungry and we had to stop in Chilakaluripet for a quick and spicy Andhra Pradesh lunch.
Chilakaluripet to Elluru – 137 km | Aninda Sardar
My second stint came post lunch. By then the sun was baking the highway at a scorching 40-plus degrees Celsius. It also meant few vehicles on the road, which, in turn, meant we could keep up the desired pace. Close to Vijayawada we were slowed by the evening traffic. Beyond Vijayawada I handed the wheel over to Ryan. Post Elluru lay Visakhapatnam and overnight rest.
Elluru to Visakhapatnam – 295 km | Ryan Lee
The sun had already set by the time I took over from Aninda and I must say the projector headlamps of the CLA were a blessing for me. Nocturnal driving is not something I relish. This time, however, it was easy to stick to a decent cruising speed because the road ahead was well illuminated by those projector headlamps.
