Jaguar gets stuck in Mumbai floods: Mahindra Bolero drives through like a BOSS [Video]

A low slung sedan and flooded roads don’t go together. A Jaguar luxury saloon found out the hard way earlier today, in a flooded underpass at Airoli, Navi Mumbai. The Jaguar stalled and got stuck in the flooded road. Repeated attempts by the driver to restart the car didn’t help matters, and the Jaguar remained stuck in rising waters. At the same time, a Mahindra Bolero pick up truck nonchalantly drove through the same stretch of flooded roads, making it look very easy. Check out the video we’ve lined up for you.

This brings out the sharp contrast in how a low slung sedan and a pick-up truck perform in a similar situation. While luxury sedans and hatchbacks perform very well on good roads, bad roads and difficult conditions require a vehicle that’s a lot tougher and sturdier. This is the reason why most Indian car buyers are now opting for SUVs in a big way. Luxury sedans like this Jaguar here offer a luxurious cabin, capable engines and enjoyable driving pleasure but are not meant to be trodded on non-asphalt surfaces. Taking such cars in deep waters or other such conditions can result in what this video depicts so accurately.

Talking about the Mahindra Bolero pick-up, it may not be an off-road vehicle but it comes with a high ground clearance along with a high torque producing engine that enables it to go over the flooded underpass. In fact, the Bolero pick-up is a pretty rugged vehicle that can easily take up a lot of beating without any complaints. Do note that one should always avoid driving through high waters no matter how capable a vehicle is. Except if the vehicle has been fitted with a snorkel and a few other such bits which enhance its water wading capacity, going over high water levels is dangerous. In the worst-case scenario, this can result in the engine getting hydro locked which basically means that water has entered the insides of the engines.

In case of high-end cars like the Jaguar here, the engines use big turbochargers to churn out more power from a small displacement engine. However, this makes them even more prone to water damage as the turbo can suck in the water and get damaged. Replacing a turbo is something that you won’t be looking forward to as it costs a bomb and needs skilled technical assistance. The availability of parts is another issue. Also, more expensive cars come with a lot of electronic circuits for the creature comforts and other functionalities. Water can easily wreak a havoc with a car’s electrical system and render several functions useless.

Floodwater damaged cars then end up in used car markets where they are sold off at low prices. However, a car which has once been damaged due to waterlogging will never function the same and hence one should always make sure to check an attractively priced car for any water damage.

In case you are unfortunately stuck in a car with water all around you, the first thing you must do is to try getting out and leave the car where it is. If a car is badly stuck in water once and the engine has stopped, chances are low that it will start again but staying inside can endanger your life if the water level rises. If the doors get locked and can’t be opened, try breaking the side window using the headrest by hitting towards the edges.