the delivery and first impressions... You inch closer to the dealer showroom with the world going mad around you. No one really knows whats happening but all shop shutters are closing down. You get a call from the salesman saying if you want you will have to do PDI at the showroom basement – you think its fair enough – but situation gets worse – so you decide to be the only non-paying customer at a three storied bookstore – you play the guitar expecting things to cool down – Telenganites may decide to call it a day – but no. Even worse there is a two day bandh in offing – you then manage to sneak into the showroom to check out the Ute.
Its there with 6 other white scorps but it’s the only 4wd. You go through basic checks but cant drive it. You see the selector is on 4H – you casually enquire whether this is how it was driven on tarmac from Stockyard to showroom – they don’t know what to say. You give them the benefit of doubt. Start the engine and listen for sounds you hear clicking – what the hell? Then you realize it is Dave Mathews of DMB playing his licks on the acoustic you put in the CD. You change it to Kings of Leon who sound like pussies of Pashtunland – you make a mental note of finding some secure slot to put in Bose Sounddock when you go out for drive because this ICE is piece of crap. You pull out the cheque book write the cheque and confirm delivery date based on whims and fancies of Central Govt and the Telelanganites.
Your bro calls you not to act like an idiot (me? – he bought Endy and everyone developed impulsive vomiting disorder sitting in the middle row!). Wait for things to cool down before taking the delivery.
So you wait – call the Yoko dealer to ensure you can change the tyres from showroom.
Two day bandh – and you are out of station. You have like 2 hours to take delivery before you go off again to Chennai. You land up there and see the Ute with Chrome plating – who asked for it? It now looks like a Politico van….. You ask them to rip it off – they do some and plead helplessness for all the stuff which has double sided tape – You say OK - You can live with that. There is a person for service center explaining the operations - he doesnt know a dime about 4 wheel drive operations. But he and the salesman beg you not to tell this to the call you would be getting from their call center. You say you will not if he can lend you the maintenance manual for 4WD for two hours - No deal boss. You are in generous mood - but you remind him to brush up his details on 4WD.
No Temp registration done so far – saar – Mahindra has not sent the details of mHawk 4WD to RTO and anyway the RTO staff is agitating for better pay. RTO needs better pay – they all have field day fleecing the 2 wheel drivers in Hyd?? They give you a TC and paste a TC number – you look at the TC – expiry date May 2009!! You crib – he says sir don’t worry no one stops a scorp – it is politicians dig. You try and remember all the Police folks names in case someone stops you. He promises to get the TR in a weeks time.
You drive out – and head to Yoko dealer – SORRY IT IS CLOSED! – Now this is not done – You fret and fume and you have very little time and kms left for the change – You do mental math and convince yourself that you will get it changed later on in life as you saved lots of cash not buying the Toyota F. What a bummer!
You drive down the open road - feel the rush – comparable to some unmentionable stuff you did in college. Take it and zoom straight to rock blasting zone on Outer ring road. Turn on 4H and climb up the slippery hillocks. Feel the 4s working – good – the truck drivers give you a weird look – don’t normally get folks drive their brand new utes up dusty hills. You make sure you can put 4L – run through the list 4x4addict and anup had given for testing 4wd. Now shift back and reverse and wait for the click to come from hubs – did it or did it not? You reverse again. You definitely heard it. One final splash through the shallow lake waters before you head home - dirty but satiated.
Now take it for family’s spin out. Wife gives it some going over - She will be the one driving whereas you will cool your heals in Delhi. You come back 3 days later and take it out again – a good Samaritan stops and says boss your car is tilted – you do notice it now. You call the salesman and he basically says it may be an optical illusion. You ask him if he reckons you do dope or what? Make an appointment to go over to big service center 30 KM away the next day and rake up the brains of people on tbph to ask them what can go wrong – it is the torsion bar setting – anup and 4x4 opine. Land up there and find No 1 mechanic measuring and saying 35 mm depressed. He goes off for Lunch leaving in hands of guys who started looking up diagrams on slx 4wd maintenance manual. You tell them to wait for the alpha mech to come back – you sweet talk him into doing the work – and he finishes off in 20 minutes.
FE: 11.3 Kms for first 500 Kms – your wife did most of the driving – no wonder
What You like - The Gear shift and the gear ratios and the power
- Road Presence (now that it is not limping to one side like Big B's shoulder)
- Are you hallucinating or what but you see some ladies in your complex throwing admiring (?) looks at the Ute when you come in to pick your daughter from the school bus – never happened in your whole life - even with that Wrangler Unlimited! Butch baby Butch
- You wear dark Tag Heur glasses which means basements are problems – this light sensor is a nice thing to have - appreciate it.
- You take calls while you drive safely with Bluetooth handsfree
- People make way on road esp the Magic/Ace/Auto drivers.
- 3rd gear does not vibrate like others' cars - but maybe once honeymoon period gets over we shall see...
- TPMS and your handheld pressure reader are within +- 0.5 psi of each other – which means all the pumps around you are wrong.
What You Hate - The ICE – the only thing for which it is worthwhile listening to is the static
- Not much otherwise...
Now for some pics.... Sorry - D90 lens has gone kaput so will make do with some substandard Sony shots. |