Part 1

I have been in rally cars regularly over the last couple of years. Although I never was at the wheel, I thought I knew a lot about off-roading. I suspect that is why my first off-road challenge with Tata Motors Full Throttle in Dehradun ended with me stuck between two partially visible boulders in flowing water with a flat tyre. And this was just start of the day; there were five other challenges, with people who lived with these vehicles, unlike me. Still, knee-deep in a mountain stream, I knew this was going to be a hell of day – whether or not both the vehicles and me lived up to the challenge.

Like the Americans, we also love our utility vehicles or as we call them “Badaa gaadi”; they might not be as big, powerful or fuel guzzling as the average American pickup truck, but they do sell in big numbers. The demand is growing everyday but not for the same reasons – here they are used as people carriers, to muscle auto rickshaws and taxis out of the way, negotiate bad roads and to feel some sense of safety in country that does not have stringent road safety standards.

Part 2

The people from Tata Motors Full Throttle have a simple concept – make utility vehicles do what they are actually supposed to and in the most fun way possible. The location was a big advantage in setting the right stage; in the foothills of the Himalayas, Dehradun has scenic mountains in the background that also host many small and big tributaries of some of the most important rivers in the country.

The Tata Motors Full Throttle Trail in Dehradun was at one such virgin location on the bank of a river, where even the locals had not ventured before. Tata’s organizing partner, Cougar Motorsport, did a commendable job in planning and executing the event. Everything including location scouting, tasks, F&B, licenses, safety and permissions were well organised. The FMSCI (Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India) stewards were around for safety scrutiny and to add legitimacy to the event.

Part 3

With help of local dealers Tata trails have received good response and this one was no exception. Over 25 utility vehicles were ready for flag-off at 0930hrs, these included both two-wheel and four-wheel-drive Safaris, Xenon XT pickups, Arias and few Grandes. The pack moved together flagged off by local dignitaries, reminding me of the entry scene of choice of villains from South Indian movies. Not that I watch too many of those.

The Dehradun trail was split into six challenges which were tough for amateurs but possible even in the two-wheel-drive Aria, the weakest link. The objective of the trail was simple - complete as many hurdles as possible and since most were using their personal cars, without too much damage.

Part 4

The first challenge was a river crossing. It looked pretty simple; a few feet of flowing water had to be forded. The complication lay in a few invisible boulders on the riverbed and jumping over them was certainly not a good idea! One of the sharp ones punctured my front tyre and my confidence. In my defence, the four-wheel-drive had stopped working on the way to the venue. The rest of the vehicles made it across cleanly, learning from my mistake.

Another very interesting hurdle was a steep rocky ascent. Participants were asked to drive up a small hillock, reach the top and return in reverse. Very few managed to reach the top, and sadly I wasn’t one of those.

The rest of the challenges included a slush bed, boulder fields, narrow forest roads and a water logged low-lying area. While the Xenon XT looked at home in most places, the Grande was the surprise package that worked without a single hiccup. But the highlight of the event was the united effort of the participants, who did their best to help every car finish all hurdles.

Part 5

The statement from the company at the Full Throttle was simple: ‘to not only demonstrate the capability of Tata Motors vehicles, but also enhance the experience received by each of our customers’. And they succeeded. When the convoy returned for lunch, I could see lots of smiling faces, happy banter and demand for a few more events in Dehradun. If Tata Motors manages to capitalise on this, it will certainly improve their perception tremendously.

The Tata Motors Full Throttle trail is one of the smartest events from the Indian car manufacturer; it is not for those who plan to buy Tata vehicles, but for those who already own them. The harsh fact is company is going through tough times; the ‘taxi vehicle’ image is not easy to get rid of, and they are perceived by and large to have old designs and nothing extraordinary that is not offered by their competitors. It is not very easy to grow with these issues, especially in a market that is seeing new developments every other day.

The Full Throttle events display that Tata’s Utility vehicles are well built and can be fun to live with. More importantly they create satisfied Tata customers, as they get a chance to not only meet other fun-loving Tata owners, but also company officials who take notice of their grievances. In short the event is successfully building Tata loyalists in the SUV/MUV segments, which happen to be one of the fastest-growing segments not just in India, but the world over.

As for me, I’m just itching to get another shot at taming mother nature in a Tata. Bring it on!