matroska

Correct! Over to you @iRage

ok then have a go at this

I was going to go with a brand that has a LEGACY in the rallying circuit. But I realize it's not the same. Next guess is deduct 40 from the number of the beast and you have the model? Maybe he was driving slow cos he was a bit nervous? What if you are driving a hearse and suddenly someone taps your shoulder and says 'malli drop me off here thank you' ?

This sadly is the Honda agent's mentality - they are still living in the EK3/EG8 age - I may have said this before but when you take it to them they are always like this is normal The "Hub" and Sta****d are at two ends of the spectrum. I personally have not been to the 'hub' but my friends have. And from their experience, they are somewhat paranoid . Customer : 'I noticed the oil level has dropped slightly' Hub : 'Your engine is done for replace the Engine. Replace the gearbox and replace the windshield wipers' at the agents Customer: ' My engine oil level is at zero, the engine is overheating and there's smoke coming out of the engine bay' St****d : ' Aiyo that is normal sir, here pour some kerosene into the oil filler' and proceed to throw a bucket of water to cool down the engine. To replace my brake pads and the coolant tank I went to this place in Yakkala who mostly deal with Honda's - I'm generally happy with the little work they did will not mention names as per forum rules.

Correct both of you. It's an X-Class Merc (X250d)- based on the Navara chassis. there are a few in Sri Lanka. I'll give it to @sathyajithj99 ! Take the floor.

visually very similar but the small clue is in the mirrors. Triton Mirror our suspects mirror. I will add another clue - the marque is not quite famous for pickup trucks and this particular models' chassis is based on another very common pickup truck.

Here we go - I can start dropping clues as we go along

The State owned manufacturer would be BAIC. the car in your pic would be a BAIC X55 ?

This is the biggest clue. Simca took over Ford Europe's factory and started making the Vedette which was also marketed as a Ford.

@iRage - please do the honors and take the stage. Gummy and I discussed this car before so me answering it would not at all count 🙂

You will probably not get 15KM/L on a normal Internal-combustion petrol car. Maybe in a tiny kei-car but those come with very little rear leg space. If you do mostly weekend outstation driving the best option is to go for a slightly large(ish) Sedan. A corolla 141 will be a safe and solid bet - will do 10-12 KMPL on a long drive. Hybrids make sense for daily drivers but why go through the hassle for a mostly weekend driver. Allions Premios are a bit overpriced but if you can find one in your budget then it's a good choice. Other options - Bluebird Sylhpy G11, Lancer CS3/Maybe an EX. If you must go for a hybrid - The FIT GP1 feels a lot more nippy and fun compared to the Prius. - The Prius is comfier, and has more rear leg space and the rear seats are better - the GP1 has the magic -seats that can be lifted up so they're not the most comfy. But it's a very practical car specially to haul stuff and it has insane interior space for its size. - Things that commonly go wrong in the GP1 are *usually* cheaper and easier to fix than in the Prius. [please focus on the words commonly and usually - I don't want to be sued ] -Prius is better on fuel.

from a particular maker who is more known for their reliable diesel engines, specially in a local context.

as others have mentioned above something around 8-10 kmpl will be what to expect. Will be better outstations/highway driving.

My lips are sealed

I have noticed this - my current combination of yokohama blue earth's and brembo's are a tad bit noisier than the original Michelins and the OEM brake pads.

mine is a pic of the car itself that I took

I assume you do a lot of city driving? if my memory serves me correct yours is the sonic-grey one that's there in the office parking lot at Dematagoda? Break pads do wear out relatively soon. I've gone with Brembo for my 2nd set. Also the braking on this model is next level. Maybe a trade-off Well yeah - It's always a matter of choice isn't it? I mean I've had to replace the A/C condenser at just 3 years into ownership (that's more to do with the gas and the local conditions). If we look at the fairly newish models (less than 10 years) all the variants available in Sri Lanka have some sort of niggle - Aquas,Axios,Vezels,Graces,Fits (and the Tiny turbo-engined Euro's.) If you want to have a taste of a newish car with some bells whistles some fancy techie bits and good driving dynamics, (yes the 1L turbo and CVT combo is nothing to write home about but throw this into a winding road , sharp bends and you'll be grinning ear to ear) , is still budget friendlier than a euro to maintain, returns acceptable fuel figures( albeit on octane 95), and doubles up as a very practical family car - the choices are rather limited AFAIK the 1.5 L Variant does not have this belt issue. - the 1.0 engine is a wet belt.

and those dashboard cracks are quite prominent as well - I've seen many fleet cars with this issue.

Yes yes for some reason I have not seen that reply 😕 @sathyajithj99 - floor is yours.

Hey bro sorry I seem to have missed it my bad! You're absolutely correct. Mahindra Cosmo it is!

any clues needed?

Diesel swaps were a common practice in the 90's so first of all check if the car was an original diesel.(even if it was not - a proper swap will not be an issue but advised to practice caution) I'd assume the engine is an CD17 if it were original. Check for the usual, check for blow by (google for it), check if the vehicle pulls well, gear shifting. Ideally get a diesel mechanic to check it. When it comes to body the usual checks need to be done : corrosion, interior etc.

when was the battery replaced in the Aqua? The biggest pain points with the Aqua is the battery and the ABS. The GP1 is more of an old school mild-hybrid that has lesser troubles (oil burn issue aside) Aqua will be more economical on fuel, be a bit more faster on a straight line. The GP1, will have a bit more bells and whistles, larger with more cabin space and storage space. Less fuel efficient.

Ok then have a go at this

The visual clue was a bit confusing but this probably was the best clue. Ludwig Kraus would be the designer - and the parent company he saved was later involved in a massive emissions scandal in the previous decade