[RajaTaurus]

Well, my 1000 km service came up last week after about a month of driving around in Chennai city. Almost raining everyday, driving over muddy pot holes, flooded T.Nagar streets, detours at road repairs and I have been driving a bit rough to test the suspension's ability to cope up with pot holes and road-digs/ mounds.

The car rides like a four-wheel drive. Many say it is bumpy over rough roads, but if it doesn't bump, it's suspension would give way or the bottoms will hit the stones.. so, bumpy ride was ok for me, as long as the car cleared over the bumps and mounds without any scratch below or touch on the side-air dams. The individual suspensions did well over pot-holes.

I fixed up appointment with ACT India, Thiruvanmiyur and the driver picked up my car from my home, (about 10 km away from the show room). The service was done before 3.30 pm and car was promptly delivered by evening at home. No compaints. They gave me some guidelines to clean the car, what cloth to use etc., overall they gave me a clean-chit for keeping the car clean and neat.!!!

Post service ride: The engine seemed to be a bit more silent and gear shifts was smoother.

One of the shorcomings I felt was the horn. Its in the center and you have to lift a hand either form the wheel or from the gear stick to use the horn. It might be to deter the driver from using horn too frequentely, but in Indian city conditions, nobody can drive without honking... can they?

Another was the silent remote key. They key locks and opens, but no audible alarm is fitted. So, one must make sure he locked the car by hearing the feable cluck of the lock itself, or the visual alarms through the blinkers. Even lil-bitty Santro's have audio-visual confirmatin of remote, Mitsubishi should think of providing this in their cars too...

I already have few scratches on my side view mirrors and got it hit / tilted forward by quite a few cyclists / auto rickshaws / two wheelers and I have kind of accustomed to it by now... Otherwise, I have been driving through with much ease through Chennai city roads. I am really surprised the drivability and control in this car, to maneuver turns, negotiate U turns, accelerate and brake wherever I got a bit of free-road, the Cedia seems to leave everyothee vehicle else behind.

If you are in Chennai and try watching my Red Cedia SPIRIT winding through the traffic, you will know for yourself.

Not surprisingly, Ihave spotted M Red Cedia Sports, Blue Cedia Elegance, Gray Cedia Sports, and all of them too seemingly swomming through the sea of traffic just like Fish in Water..