KA-50 to Z-026-LB: How a B’luru SUV went Dutch

Jahnavi@timesofindia.comBengaluru: Most expatriates leave India with a few keepsakes and plenty of memories. Dutch aerospace engineer Rob Bosgraaf took home something far more unusual from Bengaluru — the Indian sports utility vehicle (SUV) that had carried him and his wife on many road trips across the country.Now, it sports a Dutch number plate instead of a Karnataka registration, but some things haven't changed. Today, it continues its adventures on European roads, and a small Ganesha idol sits on the dashboard. The SUV's journey from India to the Netherlands is a story of adventure, attachment and cross-continental travel.Rob moved to Bengaluru on a work deputation. A temporary assignment soon evolved into a deeper connection with India and an ambitious road-travel dream. "We lived in India from 2019 to 2022. We are sailors by nature and used to travelling long distances without much support. At some point, we thought, instead of sailing, could we do something similar with a car?" Rob told TOI.The idea transformed into a full-fledged overlanding project. Rob purchased a Mahindra Thar and modified it extensively by adding steel bumpers, a roof rack, a winch, rock sliders, a rooftop tent and even a compact kitchen setup. Over the next few years, Rob and his wife drove extensively along the country's northern and eastern borders, ventured near Bhutan and Nepal, and undertook two six-week road expeditions. "We wanted to see as much of India as possible before leaving," he said.The couple hoped to end their India sojourn by driving all the way from Bengaluru to the Netherlands via Nepal, Tibet and Central Asia. "But Covid changed everything, with China closed completely to tourists, and alternative routes too complicated in terms of customs requirements," Rob said.So, the couple packed the SUV into a shipping container along with their household belongings and sent it across continents. "The total shipping cost was around Rs 10 lakh, but it wasn't really about money. We had travelled thousands of kilometres in that vehicle across India and created so many memories with it. That made it worth bringing home," he said.Importing an Indian-made SUV into Europe, though it was the petrol variant, was far from straightforward, as meeting local regulations required considerable effort."Even the tyres need to meet European certification standards. By the time you replace parts and complete all the inspections, the costs can exceed the value of the vehicle itself," Rob explained.He also had to secure special permission to register and drive a right-hand-drive vehicle in Europe. The unusual sight of a former Bengaluru vehicle parked in a Dutch neighbourhood recently caught the attention of Bengaluru-based industrialist Vishnu Shankar during a visit to Amsterdam."I was out for a walk when I noticed an Indian vehicle parked outside a house. I eventually got in touch with Rob. Hearing the story made me both happy and proud. Europe is known for its automobile industry, so seeing a Bengaluru vehicle find a home there was quite special," he said. Now the former KA-50 SUV continues its adventures on European roads as Z-O26-LB and has already completed road trips to Spain. Bosgraaf says he chose to retain the idol that came with the vehicle. "It feels like it belongs there. I learned that Ganapati is the God who removes obstacles from life, and that seems very appropriate for a vehicle that has taken us on so many adventures," he said.