The Delhi-Chandigarh highway is one of the most beautifully laid highways in India and a lot of people travel daily between the capital of India and the capital of two resource-rich states of India – Haryana, and Punjab. Apart from trade, commercial and business traveling, Chandigarh also serves as the gateway to many hill stations of Himachal Pradesh, that act as weekend getaway destinations for people living in Delhi-NCR. We decided to embark on a journey from Delhi to Chandigarh in a Jaguar XF and here’s our travelogue-
The Journey
Chandigarh – the City Beautiful – as it is fondly called is strategically located at 250 Km from the capital region of Delhi-NCR. Chandigarh is home to innumerous High Net Individuals, a market most suited for Jaguar. Our journey started from office in Noida, taking us through the outskirts of the capital on the NH1, passing through cities like Sonepat, Panipat, Karnal, and Ambala.
The NH1 starts from Delhi and goes all the way up to Amritsar in Punjab. The highway is immaculately built and has 6 lanes for most of the highway. It takes around 4-5 hours to reach Chandigarh, with an average speed of 70 kmph, and a stop for food. The highway consists of tolls every 75 km and gives you ample opportunity to test the comfort and driving dynamics of the Jaguar XF.
The Car
We got our hands behind the wheel of the British-made Jaguar XF 20t that is powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine producing 200hp output (hence 20t). The engine belongs to the family of newer gen in-house developed ingenium modular engines. While driving a luxury car, a lot of emphasis is put on the ride quality and posh cabin for a luxurious and relaxed driving experience.
However, for the enthusiasts like us, more than anything else, the drivability performance matters the most and only a handful of companies including the Jaguar excels at giving driving fun in its cars and the Jaguar XF is no different. This was one of the reasons we preferred doing our journey in an XF to enjoy the long stretch of perfectly laid highway.
Not just the fun-to-drive element, but the XF has a rich cabin with a leather trim used throughout and gets all the bells and whistles as far as features are concerned. While the cabin design has remained the same for many years and misses some of the new-age features offered by rivals, it’s still a desirable place to be in. The practicality is top-notch and came in handy for our road trip, be it a massive boot or cup holders for regular coffee breaks throughout the journey.
The 20t is available in Prestige trim with a 10-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, mood lighting among others. We found the infotainment system with the Meridian audio system nice to listen music on. Design-wise, the dark blue XF had a good road presence and made a mark wherever it went. The highlight is the length of the Jaguar XF that makes the stance look imposing and attractive.
However, the highlight is that the Jaguar XF delivered a mileage of 12 kmpl throughout the journey. For a car using a petrol engine and with this size and weight, it’s a commendable number.
Things to do
There are plenty of places to visit near Chandigarh and here’s what all you can do and see during your weekend getaway to Chandigarh-
-Eat food at any of the road-side Dhabas in Murthal (we will recommend newly opened Garam Dharam). Try to avoid highly over-rated Amrik Sukhdev.
-Visit the British-era Christ Church in Kasauli constructed back in 1853.
-Visit the Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh in the evening to view the majestic sunset and enjoy boating over one of the calmest and cleanest lakes in North India.
-Chandigarh is called ‘The City Beautiful’ because it is one of the cleanest cities in India. If not anything, we can actually learn from Chandigarh and try to keep our cities clean.
-Go to the Sector-17 market in the evening to explore the culture of Chandigarh and do some shopping.
Summarizing the Journey
The Jaguar XF proved to be a perfect companion for our weekend getaway road trip from Delhi to Chandigarh. Not only it glided over the neatly laid roads of NH1, the fun-to-drive characteristics, fuel efficiency, and practical cabin, all proved worthy for our little adventure. As for visiting Chandigarh, the arm-length distance and many places of interest make it an ideal destination for a weekend fun drive.
Comments
0 comment