Cross-town excursions in Mumbai need some planning in the Wrangler Rubicon. Will there be parking when I get there? Will I be allowed to park it myself rather than give it to a valet who might find the size and width intimidating? And most importantly: will the on- and off-ramps be wide enough to access the parking levels easily? A quick phone call to NMACC, the Ambani cultural center in BKC Mumbai, confirms all of the above. “Some of our parking spaces and access ramps have been designed to house the largest and widest luxury cars,” comes the polite answer, “and, of course, you can park yourself.”
The early morning trudge up along the coastal road brings its own set of challenges. While the wide, open vistas of the sea are an absolute treat, as is the road’s ability to shrink time and distance in the city, what you do have to contend with at highway speeds is the loud hum from the off-road tyres.
Apart from that, the Rubicon feels just ice cool to drive around. For one, it’s the real thing; a true icon with a direct link to the off-roader that started it all. And a real ‘tool’ of a car with genuine functionality. And that means something. To top it off, its proportions are seriously alluring, and Jeep has given this one a massive amount of embellishments to make it ‘pop.’ Talk about being eye candy, this off-roader gets more eyeballs and attention than the Maybachs and Range Rovers at NMACC. It’s tall, however, and I was worried about all the low ducting and plumbing in the parking lot, but the Rubicon managed just fine.
Also, after having driven it for a bit, the size isn’t as intimidating as it originally was. Sure, I still crane my neck to get a glimpse of the plastic fenders that stick out when parking, and I sometimes forget just how long it is when reversing into a tight slot, but otherwise, I’m much more comfortable with the size. And what makes it even more agreeable to drive in the city is its direct, meaty steering and the surprisingly strong responses from the 270hp engine.
The Rubicon is also unique in another way; you can remove all the doors, remove the roof, drop the windscreen and drive it around with as much of an open and airy feeling as a bike. And that’s just what we’ll be doing next, subsequently finding out how well the cabin gets along with the rain and, of course, what it’s like on a long off-road trail in the monsoon. That, and other fascinating stuff, coming up from the off-roader that started the SUV craze.
Hormazd Sorabjee
Saumil Shah
Gavin DSouza
Sergius Barretto
Soham Thakur
