Beyond the Roads: A Jimny Adventure Club Expedition in Nepal

Exotic cars come few and far between in Nepal. The import tax structure will not allow it, so seeing a sports car or a car that will irk the interest of car enthusiasts is scarce. Those are the cards we have been dealt and there is little we can do about it.

Having said that, it is also important to note that the lack of exotic cars has not completely stifled the fervour of car enthusiasts. Whether it is the resurrection of vintage vehicles, monsoon mudslinging adventure drives, 4WD clubs, or car meets, there has always been something or the other to keep the car culture of Nepal thriving. As ardent lovers of all things on wheels, we feel that what we have now is something we can be proud of. 

One of the cars that have brought joy to the car community of Nepal of late is the Suzuki Jimny, and for good reason. The small but capable off-roader has received a lot of love, albeit with a little pushback on the pricing. Nevertheless, we were grateful to have had the chance to drive it last year and when CG Motocorp sent us an invite to get behind the wheels of the Jimny again, we did not have to think twice. 

As part of an event of the Jimny Adventure Club, we were asked to join them in their Shivapuri Trails One Day Drive, organized and marshalled by the good folks from Genesis Cafe. The day started early with 6 Jimnies arriving at the Genesis Cafe at 7 am where we were fed a hearty breakfast and debriefed about the day’s itinerary.

The plan was to drive to Nagarkot via Sankhu and Jhule, stop for lunch, continue driving to Dhap Dam and make our way back through Chisapani. 

Our first stop was at Kartike Dandagaon Marg, and the only reason our convoy stopped was because we were greeted with a beautiful view of the mountains and we had to get out of the car and admire it. This would also mark the beginning of the off-road section of our drive. 

The trail began with a few easy rocks— “A walk in the park for the Jimny,” we thought. Moments later, we had to eat our words.

It turns out, the monsoon rains had wreaked havoc on these trails and the dozers were still trying to mend the paths. This meant that the only other vehicles driving this road, apart from our convoy, were heavy-duty construction tippers. As you might expect, these trucks, churning through the slush and mud, left tracks that all but obliterated the road for ordinary cars.

Their immense weight gouged deep ruts on either side, leaving a treacherous ridge of mud piled high in the center. The workers on the roads warned us that we would be in for a tough time. Following the instructions of the marshals in the lead car, we switched to 4WD and carried on.

All six Jimnies carefully navigated the slushy twists and turns, being careful not to scrape our underbellies too badly. The slim tyres of the Jimny worked well to help the vehicle crawl over the slippery mud. The availability of the 4wd system ensured precision on these very necessary trails. Slowly, but surely, we passed the difficult slippery bits and finally reached our lunch spot in Nagarkot. 

A quick daal-bhaat recess later we felt recharged and ready for the next challenge. The second leg of the journey took us to Dhaap Dam, a stunning man-made lake on the edge of Shivapuri National Park. This part of the drive was less strenuous, in the sense that it was mostly rocky trails; something the Jimny could eat for breakfast. 

And so it did. The Jimny exhibited a meticulous manner of tackling the trails, something that has been engrained in its DNA for decades. Not once did we have to switch to four-wheel low, that is how well the Jimny is adapted to offroad terrain. Its small dimensions are also perfectly suited for driving in the narrow forest paths and the notoriously tight turns of our hillside trails.

We reached Dhap Dam with relative ease. Looking at the state of the trails we thought we would be in for a much more difficult time. That just goes to show how capable the Jimny truly is. 

As we unwounded by the scenic dam side beach, we realized something had happened. This trip was a small but poignant example of the car culture in Nepal. Here we were—families and enthusiasts, united by a shared love for the Suzuki Jimny and the thrill of off-road trails.

What started as a group of strangers had become a circle of friends, laughing together and already planning their next journey.  Indeed, Nepal may not be home to the world’s most exotic cars, but the community we’ve built around our passion more than makes up for it. At the end of the day, it’s not the cars we drive but the roads we share that define our community