I’ve never driven an automatic before. But as I slid into the driver’s seat of the Ignis on a sunny Chennai afternoon, I was far from nervous. Asif Beig, my helpful guide and the emcee for the afternoon, had just explained the workings of the car to me, and I was set for a round of Smart Car Pong. A unique initiative by Maruti Suzuki, the event was an attempt to get Chennaites to test drive the Ignis in a rather offbeat manner — by playing ping pong using the car.
Sounds intriguing? It was. A giant screen mounted outside Phoenix MarketCity looked like a ping pong table, with a ball ready to serve, and cars instead of paddles. Two spanking new cars were stationed in tracks that were strategically positioned in front of the screen. These tracks were further cordoned off with airbag-like balloons to keep participants from crashing the car. To play the game, one had to drive their car back and forth on the track, and thus get the cars on the screen moving.
So, with all the seriousness of a race car driver, I belted up and flashed a thumbs up to my opponent, and stared straight ahead at the screen for our cue to begin. As the ball was served, I tried furiously to get the car to move ahead, so I wouldn’t miss hitting it. But, the vehicle just wouldn’t budge. It just kept revving instead. Shoot! I was pressing down on the brake while also trying to accelerate (habits of a person who’s only ever driven a stick). I hastily released the brake and the car lurched forward to let me play my turn on the screen.
Soon, the game was well and truly underway, with both my opponent and me at 4 points each. Just as I thought I’d lost the game, he hastily reversed his car to get the ball, but missed it by a whisker. And, just like that, I’d won the game and a fidget spinner that, I must confess, was a great way to kill time over the weekend.
