BE PREPARED for a bumpy ride.

Participants at this weekend's The New Paper SUVival Challenge better strap their seat belts tightly: This year's route promises to be more challenging.

"We're taking more kampung-style roads which are bumpy, unlike previous years when we had more driving on the highway," said Mr Danny Yeo, assistant vice-president, product branding and promotions of Singapore Press Holdings' marketing division.

The two-day, one-night road trip will flag off at 6am tomorrow.

Participants this year will drive all the way to Kuantan and back, covering a distance of 700km.

Previous Challenges have taken drivers to Desaru, Malacca, Port Dickson and Bukit Tinggi in Pahang.

This year, The New Paper has planned some exciting games and off-road challenges for the participants en route to Kuantan.

Malaysian professional drivers will meet the participants on the second day of the trip and show off their prowess with daring off-road stunts.

Despite the prospect of a more difficult drive, participants are not daunted.

Indeed, some of them have been taking part since the series started in 2006.

Mr Eugene Toh, 30, manager in an insurance firm, said: "The challenges only increase the excitement. If I were afraid of my SUV getting stuck in the mud, I wouldn't be taking part every year."

He will be going for the challenge with three colleagues.

Another regular participant, Mr Magasavara T, 34, a civil servant, said: "Every year, the routes change and that carries a sense of adventure. We don't want to drive on tarred roads as we're already doing that in Singapore. It's also good getaway for me and my wife."

This year will also see the biggest-ever convoy of sports utility vehicles (SUV) - 130 SUVs with 360 participants.

Last year saw 110 SUVs making the trip to Bukit Tinggi in Pahang.

That turnout too, was a record, beating the 86 SUVs that took part in 2007.

Due to the overwhelming response, registration had to close earlier than planned.

To avoid disappointing enthusiastic readers, organisers decided to allow 10 more cars to join, making a total of 130 cars.

But the limit of four people per team per vehicle remains.

Said a delighted Mr Yeo: "The SUVival Challenge has built up a reputation for itself over the years with an ever-growing fan base.

"It has a unique appeal to SUV drivers because they don't get the chance to drive in rough off-road terrain in Singapore."

Participants will stay at the Swiss Garden Resort in Kuantan, along the pristine shoreline of the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Over $20,000 worth of cash and prizes will be given away, including prizes for two winners of the Best Decorated SUV competition.

The event will be flagged off at 6am from Raffles Marina and the race will officially start once the SUVs cross the immigration counter at the Second Link.

Drivers will have to hunt for answers to encrypted clues and take on challenges planted at four different checkpoints.

The team with the highest points after completing the challenges will be the winner.

The winner will win a cash prize of $2,500 and a Pioneer in-car entertainment DVD unit with touch screen panel worth $1,000.

The two best-decorated SUVs will each get a Holux GPS navigation device, which costs $499 each, and $250 worth of shopping vouchers.

East Gear, the distributor of Holux GPS navigation device, and Champion Motors, distributor of Suzuki cars, are the main sponsors of the TNP SUVival Challenge.

Co-sponsors include Pioneer and YHI Yokohama.

SPH's AsiaOne portal is the online partner and Radio 91.3FM is the event's supporting radio station.

This article was first published in The New Paper.