I got my car in October and have about 2000 KM on it
(almost all city - haven't had a chance to take it on any
significat trips yet, but will come the spring). The warranty
manual says first oil change at 8000 KM or 4 months,
whichever comes first. So my 4 months is just around the
corner, and I am wondering if it has to be done in order to
keep the warranty "in order" despite being far below the
8000 KM. I'm going to do it, it's really no big deal, but this
being my first new car, I was just wondering if not having
the scheduled maintenance at the required time frame can
affect the warranty...

 

In the U.S. not mandatory to keep your warranty, but do it early anyway. I have worked for lexus and ford and most mechanics will tell you to change your oil before 5,000 miles( not sure how many km) or if it looks dirty.