It’s a good thing Delhi has some very nice roads that make driving a real pleasure. I’m talking about the type of road that dips and rises, curves and banks, dropping sharply suddenly and then rising up again to give a mini ‘Eau Rouge’ effect. Like the road to and past the Bahai Lotus Temple, which is a short but sweet drive, though it can be crowded during the day. Then there is the inspiring forested Tughlakabad to Surajkund section ? winding and dipping, rising abruptly, with almost hairpin-type corners, it’s the sort of road that brings a smile to a driver’s lips. Aruna Asaf Ali Marg near Vasant Kunj is another good stretch, not the dual carriageway but the twisty bits. Finally, there is the road from Gurgaon towards Faridabad, which is simply awesome to drive on. However, to enjoy these roads to the fullest, one needs an appropriate car ? something like the Mitsubishi Lancer Cedia, perhaps.

Well, it was just my luck to have a Cedia (I’ll call it that to differentiate it from the earlier Lancer, which is still available) at my disposal, not for one but for five whole days. No, I didn’t take it out of town, but I more than made up for that by driving close to 400km on the four roads I just mentioned. And boy, did they compensate or what! I even had people turning around to look at the car while I passed. At one time in a parking lot, as I was getting out of the car, the passenger side door was yanked open and a pink turban poked itself in, fortunately just to ask about the car. The person attached to it was a Lancer owner and wanted to know what the Cedia was all about.

The Cedia, as I was able to tell my newfound friend, is a very purposeful-looking machine. Seen head-on, the looks dictated by the combination of the lower edge of the bonnet, the ‘nose’ with the Mitsubishi badge and the grille on either side of it is very Star Wars-like, reminding one almost of Darth Vader and the Storm Troopers.

The Cedia is going up against the likes of the Toyota Corolla, the Hyundai Elantra and the Chevrolet Optra 1.8 and to take them on, the Lancer has had to move up a segment. So, it is now 190mm longer and 5mm broader than the Lancer. The wheelbase is longer too, at 2,600mm to the older model’s 2,500mm. However, the initial effect is that of a smaller car, which is good or bad depending upon where one prefers to sit.

Having made my customary round of the car, and taken note of the different styling ? fish-eye halogen lamps, six-spoke alloy wheels, black door sash, wrap-around tail-lamps and chrome door handles, it was time to have a look at the interiors. As I got into the car, I smelt leather and good leather at that ? the seats are upholstered in Italian leather and perforated to give a sporty look. The entire fascia is done up in a B&T effect ? that’s black and tan for the uninitiated ? and a simulated wood-finished strip runs across it.

As I settle into my seat, I take a look at what’s in front of me ? a leather-trimmed four-spoke steering wheel with tilt facility. The instrument binnacle behind it is flanked on the left and in the centre of the fascia by AC vents and controls, sandwiching a single DIN music system. To the left, on top of the fascia is a panel cover with SRS Airbag embossed on it and these words are repeated on the steering wheel. The gear lever is at hand, but it’s a little awkward to hold thanks to the high storage bin between the two front seats. I get around the irritation by resting my elbow on top of the bin so that the top of the gear lever knob ? also leather-trimmed ? nestles gently in my palm.

Looking through the windscreen, I see the ridge in the centre of the bonnet, going down to where the ‘nose’ is. But it’s what under that bonnet that gets me quite excited ? a four-cylinder, 16-valve SOHC engine with a displacement of 1999cc. Running on unleaded petrol, it has a max power output of 115 PS @ 5250 rpm and a max torque of 175 Nm @ 4250 rpm. That torque is transferred to the tarmac via a five-speed gearbox and 195/60R15 tubeless tyres fitted on 15-inch wheels.

Now for the main event ? driving the Cedia. I’ve already mentioned the car’s handling ability on swooping, dipping roads, so let’s talk about other things. The engine for example, is very torquey, and can pull from as little as 30kph in fourth gear albeit with a slight murmur of protest. Redline it in first and second gears and one has already got to a three-digit speed. The variable assist steering feels good ? it’s light at low speeds but tightens up as the speed gradually increases. So on the highway, it’s not like twirling a ship’s steering to little effect (I exaggerate). The car feels tight and takes on bad roads with ease. It’s a pleasure to see the car go in the direction one points it.

It was not possible to take the Cedia up to its rated maximum speed, which is 180kph, but I did take it to a very stable, very easy 140kph briefly. Safety is enhanced by the airbags certainly, but what is superlative is the braking, effected by 15-inch ventilated discs at the front and 14-inch discs at the rear. Hard stops had the ABS kicking in with the pedal pulsating away merrily, but what really impressed was the straight line braking ability, even when the wheels on either side of the car were on different surfaces. Whether it was two wheels on the mud and two wheels on the tarmac, or even two on dirt and two on the tarmac, the Cedia stopped straight and true each and every time. Very reassuring to know!

For Rs 9.87 lakh (ex-showroom) all over India, one can get the Cedia in a range of colours ? Pearl White, Black Forest Green, French Claret, Nordic Blue, County Beige and Ashton Gray. In conclusion, I can say that the Cedia is what a car should be. It has frills but not too many, it handles well and the engine is good ? as smooth as silk. The only sad part about the entire time spent with the Cedia was being fined Rs 400 for driving on a public road at a stupendous speed, which no man has ever done before and survived ? 63kph!

Photograph by Anamit Sen

My favourite long drive

Sanchita Biswas
classical dancer

My favourite long drive would have to be driving down to Boston in the month of October because that’s when the shades of Autumn colour the landscape in brilliant hues. As you drive down the highway, you’re surrounded by the contrasting colours of Fall. If some trees are bright orange and yellow, others take on peculiar shades of green and maroon. It’s really a feast for the eyes.

I visit Boston almost every year as I perform in concerts there and in some neighbouring cities. Sometimes I’ve driven from Rhode Island to Boston or even made the trip from Connecticut. And each and every time, it gets better. Also, never mind who is in the driver’s seat, I just have to sit up in front ? so that I can see the beauty of the place as it approaches.

This year too, I will be visiting Boston in October and I can’t wait to get into a car and take that long, beautiful drive all over again.