Renault Expedition 2024: Discovering The Magical Views Of A Coastal Road Trip From Karnataka To Goa

It was an epic three-day (over 700 km) drive where I had the chance to experience three different Renault cars: Kwid, Triber, and Kiger

As a native to the Northern parts of the country, I never had the opportunity to drive through scenic routes along the coast. Despite frequently planning trips to Goa with friends, they never seemed to happen. However, fate had a different plan and it seems the popular beach destination was on the cards, though connected to my profession. So, when Renault India sent invites for a 700 km plus drive experience from Karnataka to Goa, I was quick to seize the opportunity. Not only would I be visiting Goa for the first time, but I'd also have the chance to experience various Renault cars back-to-back, with the Kiger Turbo being my favourite among their offerings.

Day 1: Bengaluru To Madikeri

I was buzzing with excitement, eager to drive the Kiger on the very first day. But to my surprise, I was handed the keys to the manual transmission variant of the Renault Kwid. My initial thought was, "It’s a small hatchback with a 1-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine which only makes 68 PS! Can I really enjoy the drive?" But remembering the age-old wise words of not judging a book by its cover, I was open to see what the entry-level Renault was like in the real world.  Turns out, it would be a lot like a customer experience as I got my hands on a factory-fresh Kwid, with just 40 km on its odometer! There's something oddly satisfying about peeling off the plastic covers from brand-new seats, don’t you agree?

Our first destination was Madikeri from Bengaluru, a 260 km stretch via Mysore. The beginning was slow, navigating through heavy city traffic in Bengaluru. As we hit the Bangalore-Mysore expressway, it became smooth sailing. This impressive 10-lane highway spans approximately 110 km, and it takes around 2 hours to reach Mysore, offering a relaxing drive. On the way I asked my colleague and companion for the day, Aniruthan, to set the navigation which was easy with the Kwid’s 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

I was pleasantly surprised by the ride quality of the Renault Kwid, which was really good for a car of its size. It handled everything smoothly, whether it was undulations on the highway or rough patches along the road. Additionally, the high-speed stability of the car was better than I’d expected. Even cruising at triple-digit speeds on the highway, the Kwid felt steady. Since it was a straight highway ascending uphill after Mysore, it was the perfect route to test how the Kwid’s small 1-litre engine would perform.

I wasn't too worried since it was a manual car, so at least I had complete control over the gearing and the clutch. The Kwid really struggled up the inclines and I had to downshift to second gear a few times to manage overtakes. The last few kilometres were like this, till we finally reached Madikeri, Coorg.

Also Check Out: Honda Drive To Discover 12: Exploring The Wonderful Views Of Sikkim

Day 2: Madikeri To Gokarna

Day 2 brought fresh excitement about driving on a new route and, of course, a different Renault car. To my surprise, I was given the same Renault Kwid again but I handed over the controls to Aniruthan this time and decided to take in the morning views from the co-driver’s seat.

The journey from Madikeri to Gokarna was the longest leg of this three-day drive, covering a total distance of 365 km. This route also included Maravanthe Beach, a place I was about to visit for the first time. The first part of the journey took us through the ‘ghats’ or mountain roads, offering plenty of elevation changes as well as curves and corners. Wanting to experience how the Kwid handled them, I switched to the driver’s seat of another entry-level Renault in the convoy. I noticed that the Kwid had quite a bit of body roll, but that wasn’t surprising considering its wheelbase and ground clearance. But the beautiful locations on this route certainly took my breath away, and stopping along the way to capture memories on our phones became a matter of extreme importance!

After the ghat section, we reached the outskirts of Mangalore where we made our first stop of the day, for lunch. With my own fuel tank brimmed, I decided to switch things up and placed myself at the helm of  a Renault Triber, and yes, luckily it was a manual. It was going to take us  a couple of hours at least from Mangalore to Maravanthe Beach, covering more than 100 km. The Triber was loaded with four people, along with some heavy camera equipment inside as it was the camera crew’s ride for the event.

Yes, it's powered by the same 1-litre non-turbo petrol engine, which might seem a bit small for a 7-seater MPV. But since I was now faced with just smooth highways, it was up to the task. The Triber is heavier than the Kwid, so it did struggle a bit with overtakes though the calmer highway stretch was less stressful. What really impressed me about the Triber was how it handled all sorts of road irregularities. It felt not just comfortable, but stable at higher speeds as well.

As I approached Marvanthe Beach, my heart was beating with excitement as it was my first time driving along a coastal route. The golden hour light and the seaside road created a moment that will stay in my heart forever. 

After witnessing the sun dipping into the sea (or so it seemed), it was time to head to our next stop for the day: Murudeshwara Temple, located in Murudeshwar. If you're not familiar with this temple, let me tell you: it's known for having the second-largest Shiva statue in the world. What a sight it was! After seeking blessings from this magnificent temple, I set off towards Gokarna, which was the final destination for day 2, just an hour away from the temple.

For this last stretch, I finally got the keys to the Renault Kiger, and guess what? It was the turbo-petrol variant with the CVT automatic transmission. At last, I was behind the wheel of the most powerful Renault car available in India! The Kiger’s 1-litre turbo petrol makes 100 PS and 160 Nm, and it also gets driving modes: Normal, Economy, and Sport. But here's the thing, I only got to drive it for about 55-60 km when we pulled up at our final stop of the day in Gokarna, so I naturally wanted more.

Day 3: Gokarna To Goa

The final day of the drive had the skies bless us with the soothing sounds of rain. It brought much-needed relief from the scorching heat of the past two days. I spent my morning happily exploring the venue we were hosted at  – Gamyam Resort – and the private beach was even more magical in the rain.

Gokarna to Goa was not only the final leg of our drive, but also the shortest at just 132 km and was expected to take around two and a half hours to complete. Fortunately, that still offered me ample time to get to know the car for the day, which luckily for me was the Renault Kiger turbo-CVT once again. Initially, I decided to capture some tracking shots with some media friends along the way. While bountiful, it did put us behind schedule and so I decided to put the pedal to the metal until we reached our destination. The top-spec Kiger I was driving came with features like wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless charging, and auto-dimming IRVM. The wireless charging was a lifesaver as I forgot my phone’s charging cable in another car.

I decided to play with the  modes along the way, switching into Sport mode. The response from the throttle was impressive given the performance figures, and the Kiger felt very stable even at triple-digit speeds. This time, I was not only driving a car with a good suspension setup, but also with an engine that felt more ‘alive’. After crossing the Goa border, I encountered more ghat sections and drove uphill. The final stretch to North Goa was uneventful but certainly scenic.

Finally, Goa: famous for its beaches, booze, and food. Following the dinner hosted by Renault, a bunch of us media folk headed out to explore the beaches at night which was a pretty good way to mark the end of the whole adventure.

Final Thoughts

During this three-day drive adventure, I covered over 700 km along the scenic routes of Karnataka and Goa, all of it a whole new experience. The route included picturesque locations like Marvanthe beach and, of course, the unforgettable Murudeshwara Temple. The tarmac on the route selected, featuring a fair mix of straight highways and twisty bits through the Ghats, offered a smooth ride for the most part. While both states had some impressive sights to offer, the drive itself was more enjoyable for me than the destinations.

I had the opportunity of driving three different Renault cars consecutively: the Kwid, Triber, and Kiger Turbo. Thanks to the good suspension setup of all three Renault cars, I never felt out of my comfort zone, even when driving on rough road patches. The Renault Kiger Turbo CVT, the brand’s current flagship offering in India was my favourite, not just for its smooth performance but also for the feature-packed cabin. 

Finally, I can say that it was an epic first driving experience from Karnataka to Goa, and I eagerly await the next chance to explore more cars and more of the country.

Read More on : Renault KWID AMT