The idea of an inter-country road trip will make any auto enthusiast jump on his seat and, at the first opportunity, tightly fasten his seat belt. As they say, “Focus on the journey, not the destination.” If that journey is going to be in the company of Mercedes-Benz GLA, along with one of India’s most prominent Travel influencers, Larissa Dsa, then the recipe is more than perfect. Our mission was to drive from one capital, New Delhi, to another, Kathmandu, the capital of the Kingdom of Nepal, exploring what comes in between and beyond. The Mercedes-Benz GLA will stroke your adventurous side, and Larissa had planned an itinerary that was bound to give a peak to your adrenaline. When marching towards an unknown terrain, you must pick a luxurious, feature-packed, and reliable car. And when it comes with a three-pointed star of German reliability, then it’s a bonus. After all, you are entering the country of Mount Everest!
The distance from Delhi to Kathmandu is 1230 km, via Lucknow, another capital city of the largest Indian state, Uttar Pradesh, another reason for calling this “The Capital Drive.” As we traversed through the city, some roads were congested, and the Mercedes-Benz GLA sprung into action, meticulously navigating us through the busy, bustling streets with a view of the iconic Rumi Darwaza. Soon, we were in Gorakhpur, followed by the border town Raxaul, and finally, the Mercedes-Benz GLA was on Nepal roads.
As we entered Nepal, we realised that some roads were ‘work in progress.’ We encountered a stretch of 50-60 km where we were driving at 20 km/h across challenging terrains, yet the 183 mm of ground clearance was massive enough to go over boulders, keeping us relaxed. Soon, we reached Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital. It was the first time for all of us: Larissa, Me and the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA. So, naturally, we were very excited to see the vibrancy & nightlife of Kathmandu by starting with Durbar SQUARE, a UNESCO World Heritage site. On narrow roads, the 360-degree camera and active blind spot assist in the Mercedes-Benz GLA, taking care of all rectangles and squares. We also walked in Thamel, which is the shopping district. Larissa provided some great insight into the artefacts and local cuisine. We could pack the Mercedes-Benz GLA’s 427 litres of boot space, which was enough to accommodate all the shopping.
Kathmandu is known as the City of Temples because of its many ancient pagodas and stupas, with more than 3000 temples. After a blissful day, we decided to gear up for some adventure. Larissa had planned for us to leave in the dead of night, so we put the Mercedes-Benz GLAs’ high-performance LED lights with high beam assistance to test. Our First Stop was Chandra Giri Hills, which had a cable car ride, and as they say, the view from the top is always the best. The initial plan was that she would take the Cable car ride, and if the roads were open, I would drive up. Since off-roading was no problem with the Mercedes-Benz GLA, which offers 4MATIC all-wheel drive and off-road drive programs just in case we encountered broken roads or wanted to get on the adventurous side of things. Our Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 Petrol would have also made the drive without breaking a sweat. It never felt short of power or performance anywhere and also returned decent fuel efficiency.
When asked about an anecdote for one of her favourite trips, Larissa says, “At the top of my head, the things that I can remember in Switzerland called Canyoning. Canyoning is basically an activity that has a bunch of activities. So you’re rappelling down water bodies and in them. Keep in mind, this is in Switzerland, so it’s in the water of the Alps. It’s freezing cold, and you’re sailing down rocks, jumping off cliffs, in ice-cold water. It’s exciting and thrilling, rappelling down 20 meters. It’s truly great.”
Thus, Larissa, with her infinite travel experience, is the perfect guide for some new one-in-a-lifetime adventures. What lay ahead was a 7-hour drive to the scenic Pokhara. While I enjoyed my driving gaming, she took to mobile console gaming in the Mercedes-Benz GLA. And finally, her plan later was for us to jump off the mountain cliff 1650 feet above sea level to where the Mercedes-Benz GLA would be parked. It’s called paragliding; for me, it would be a first; while Larissa was a P1 certified paraglider who could do solo jumps, I happily clad myself with my pilot, took a deep breath, and jumped. I was excited and nervous at the same time. I let the wind and gravity guide me through the thrilling adventure, a scene to remember for the ages to come. While I would have preferred the 170 HP over the wind power, it’s one life, and sometimes you have to “Jump” to a conclusion.
Larissa also concluded that she had made countless trips, but road trips like this were her first, and she was incredibly impressed with the Mercedes-Benz GLA, especially its 10.5-inch crisp widescreen display, which was refreshing all along. The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA, did look sharp with its redesigned exteriors, new bumpers and trims. The multi-touch steering wheel does elevate the driving experience, and the new lighter alloy wheels look gorgeous and have also been getting a lot of attention in Nepal. Undoubtedly, redesigned exteriors with new bumpers and trims of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA looked sharp. Usually, I like to snap the keys and press the open button as it is very satisfying. However, for the first time, the “Key Less Go and Hand’s Free Access” of the Mercedes-Benz GLA came to great use when we were all suited up and hands gloved up. The drive was long, and the roads in the Nepal part are still a WIP, but the memories are permanent.
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