[samwagon]

Originally Posted by ashkamath

I am getting my New Maruti Jimny Alpha Automatic registered at Vasco RTO in another fortnight or so. As with all vehicles during year end, I have received some discount from the dealer and that is the reason, I was willing to purchase the car which would be deemed one year old in another 12 days (from 2024 to 2025)

The question is, when my landed price is the invoice amount (that is with discount) how can the RTO disregard the discount and levy the road tax on the additonal amount which I have not incurred in the first place (the discount amount)

Last year the Hyderabad high court has given a judgement that Life tax on the vehicle should be on the cost excluding the GST and Cess.

I quote the article (with a copy of the judgement) here:
https://www.verdictum.in/court-updat...t-1963-1484784

I quote from the above judgement,
<Quote>
The cost of the vehicle is the actual consideration paid by the petitioner on purchase of the motor vehicle from the dealer. This consideration includes Central GST, State and Cess also which comprises the total amount paid by the purchaser. As such, the cost of the vehicle cannot be seen as excluding some part of the amount (consideration) paid by the purchaser. Hence, life tax is to be collected on the total invoice cost of the vehicle.
<Unquote>

If the Vasco RTO disregards the discount, what is their justification for the tax on the difference amount that the car owner has not incurred in the first place? In my understanding the Invoice is the final amount for transaction and that is the amount paid by the customer and that's all should matter to him.

I intend to take up this matter legally with the Vasco RTO citing the Hyderabad high court judgement as a precedent and take it to a logical conclusion.

I have sent you a private message. Coincidentally, I too bought a Jimny Alpha AT at Goa in Nov 24 and faced this issue in Vasco RTO which is likely to confront you in near future.

[blueberry]

Life goes on, so does the Jimny.

I've had it in Bangalore for the last 3 months.
No masala to report here again. Boring, reliable, inefficient (as expected).

Though my GPS malfunctions every time I drive near the old airport. My location is suddenly off by 300m or so.

• Assumed it was interference, but none of the other cars I ride in have this issue.
• If I use the same phone, while sat in a different vehicle, GPS works fine. (looks like your phone uses the vehicles GPS antenna when connected to CarPlay)
• If my wife's phone is connected to Android Auto, then GPS works fine

Looked it up online

• My hunch is that the GPS antenna in the Jimny is faulty.
• Interestingly, the same malfunction doesn't appear anywhere else in Bangalore ( & all the way to Coimbatore).
  Don't know what to make of it.
• Don't think it's an Apple software problem. If it were, the inaccuracy would to be persist, irrespective of where I drive

My Honda City hasn't had much running since I got the Jimny to Bangalore (500kms in 3 months). Haven't been visiting home often.
So I decided its time to swap the Jimny for the City for a few months.

I was driving down alone this time. Decided to be a little adventurous and take the Dhimbham route to Coimbatore.
Jimny certainly would benefit it's legs getting stretched.



Looked up the Bangalore to Coimbatore Queries thread here on T-Bhp and decided to take the Dhimbham route.
Started the drive coming to reach 'Bhama Hotel' for lunch (just before you descend from Dhimhbham Ghat road).

- The small hotel has good parking, but the restrooms are poorly maintained
- I saw 7-8 cars + a TNSTC bus & a few lorries parked for lunch there
- The food was nothing to write home about though. Quite average (but hygienic)

Bangalore-Mysore access controlled express way was a breeze to drive on.
I turned off the Expressway a little ahead of Mandya to head to Chamarajanagar.

• I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of roads from Mandya to Chamarajanagar.
• Great views, Smooth topping & non-operational toll plazas

But these roads do not have a median. Neither do they have street lights. Villages are dotted on both sides of the road.

• These roads are a big NO for me, if I have to do night drives.

Post Chamarajanagar, you get to Thalavadi forest - the nicest part of the drive
- There is a 20Rs entry fee per vehicle & the forest officials were courteous.
- The Thalavadi forest road is open for motorists only from 6am-9pm daily.
- The speed limit is 30kmph

Roads inside thalavadi forest. No stopping allowed.

Caught a glimpse of a spotted deer by the side of the road.

I could snap a picture because the vehicles ahead of me had come to a halt to admire it.


You enter Sathyamangalam reserve forest once you enter TN side. (Best I understand, Thalavadi forest and Sathyamangalam reserve forest are the same - What man made lines do animals recognise anyway)

Couldn't snap any pictures inside, as no stopping is encouraged (elephant crossing zone)

Once you cross the reserve forest, there are a few roadside shacks for a bite of food.
Though hungry, I soldiered on to Bhama hotel (which ultimately disappointed me)

Few snaps from the buffer area near Sathyamangalam Tiger reserve.

More than shops on the road / Electricity board employees working on the side, I trust presence Cattle / goats as a measure of how safe the area is

Jimny pointed to the next milestone (you can see Dhimbham Ghat ahead in the distance)


There are a few resorts which have opened up in the Buffer zone of Sathyamangalam reserve forest.
- I'm not aware of the legalities around this. But to me it feels like buffer zones need to be kept as buffer zones, & not make them tourism friendly.

Keeping my scepticism aside, I still went out to check the roads to these resorts hoping to stumble across a good photography spot for the Jimny.




Found a relatively open field with a good background. But didn't spend too much time there.
It was eerily silent (It could just be that its mid-day on a hot summer day; but I didn't want to overrule my gut).


By peak mid-day and post a mediocre lunch, I was in no more mood for stopping or photography.
Crossed Dhimbham ghat and paid my respects at the Bannari Amman temple. (Noticed that every bus & Lorry driver who passes through the Dhimbham route ahead stops here for the lord's blessing).

• Interestingly on the Dhimbham Ghat, I chanced across a line of drool worthy cars going up.
  - a Red Lamborghini Sterrato, a White 530d, a Blue B7 RS4, a District Green S5. (Instagram tells me this is a group from North Kerala)

No more pictures, pushed onto Coimbatore. Uneventful last leg of the journey.


In retrospect

• The route from Bangalore via Chamarajanagar, Dhimbham, Annur to Coimbatore is faster than taking NH544 (via Hosur, Krishnagiri, Salem, Erode, Avinashi)
• The roads are also smoother and there is hardly any lorry traffic. (Saw a max of 15 lorries in the Dhimbham stretch, 10 years ago - you'd see a few hundred)
• Paid a toll of ~200Rs instead of ~700
• Average speed is higher on the Dhimbham route & the Jimny was more efficient.
• Restroom facilities for ladies are significantly better on NH544
• Hospitals / access to healthcare is also better on NH544

[Pancham]

Originally Posted by blueberry

Life goes on, so does the Jimny.


[indent]Though my GPS malfunctions every time I drive near the old airport. My location is suddenly off by 300m or so.[list]

I have the same issue in my Zeta MT. There is a software update - hopefully that should fix this issue.

[blueberry]

Originally Posted by Pancham

I have the same issue in my Zeta MT. There is a software update - hopefully that should fix this issue.

Is that available at service centres already?
Any DIY solution available from Japan / elsewhere abroad?

The 8" screen in Jimny Zeta has been around for quite some time now, doing duties in other MS cars as well.
Surprised to see that this is still an ongoing bug.

[Passatman]

Originally Posted by blueberry

Life goes on, so does the Jimny.
[*]The route from Bangalore via Chamarajanagar, Dhimbham, Annur to Coimbatore is faster than taking NH544 (via Hosur, Krishnagiri, Salem, Erode, Avinashi)[*]The roads are also smoother and there is hardly any lorry traffic. (Saw a max of 15 lorries in the Dhimbham stretch, 10 years ago - you'd see a few hundred) [*]Paid a toll of ~200Rs instead of ~700[*]Average speed is higher on the Dhimbham route & the Jimny was more efficient.
[[/list]

Hi
You should try the Kollegal Dhondeling Dhimbam route if you loved the Kollegal - Chamrajnagar route! It completely byepasses Yelandur, Chamrajnagar and passes through a lovely winding shade laden route. Quaint villages dot the route and nary a smoke belching truck on these roads.
I have always prefered this route over the Hosur Salem route over the past 30 years. The tree cover in the late 90s was unbelievable requiring driving with headlights even on sunny afternoons ; plus ➕ the prospect of an encounter with a certain mustachioed pachyderm hunter always made it a shade riskier!!
The tree cover + the mustachioed hunter are history now, but still traces of tree cover longer. Try it once.

[blueberry]

Originally Posted by Passatman

Hi
You should try the Kollegal Dhondeling Dhimbam route if you loved the Kollegal - Chamrajnagar route!

Thank you for the recommendation. Your words & Maps satellite view paints me a picture of how scenic the drive is going to be!
Will take this route next time