Baduy is the New Black

As regular readers of this section are aware of, each Backseat Driver’s turn at the wheel is determined largely by chance – the luck of the draw, so to speak. Andy Leuterio complained last time that he had to come up with the proverbial Christmas wish list (which he pulled off quite handsomely, nonetheless). My task, as you can plainly see, is quite challenging. I ended up with the unenviable task of kicking off 2009. For weeks I labored, weighing on the perfect angle for a year starter. Looking back at the past year, it was nothing short of exhausting with many car companies gaining momentum throughout the year and quite a handful actually making record numbers (even as fewer still limbered past 2008, barely making it – if not at all). Looking forward to the year ahead, the specter of the effects of the global economic meltdown is threatening to slow down that momentum. The positive and the negative in confluence with one another – I was confused! How was I to make this work? So I turned to where every Filipino does in times of crisis – music and humor.

For inspiration, I thought of one of my favorite local bands in the indie music scene – The Ronnies, whose unabashed “we’re a baduy 80s cover band” stance has gained them quite a following. Closet uncool people let their hair down at any given The Ronnies gig. As such, we sing along and dance and laugh at ourselves and admit that at times we can be totally ridiculous versions of our serious selves – and everything would still be fine.

What I did was come up with a soundtrack – the way The Ronnies probably would – one baduy song each for every local car manufacturer in the country. Some of the songs speak of the manufacturer’s past year, others speak of what the future might hold, all of the songs are chosen in whimsical fashion – the more baduy, the better. Sappy, saccharine sweet, cheesy, outdated or sometimes simply downright ridiculous…the choices must be read and understood with a playful and open mind. I am not, in any way, belittling the efforts of the hardworking men and women of the auto industry. Quite the contrary, in fact, I salute and congratulate them all for a job well done in 2008. It’s a funny salute, but what the heck…we really must start the new year on a happy note. Literally. Like I said, the songs are picked out in the spirit of jest. If you take the choices seriously, then you need to lay off on those illegal drugs. So here’s the auto industry’s baduy soundtrack, in no particular order…

Toyota Motors Philippines – We Are The Champions by Queen “We are the champions my friend…” Toyota has, for the up-teenth time, led the local auto manufacturers in sales numbers. Again, they hold the title of sales champs for the year. What’s the winning formula, you ask? I think we can sum it up in three simple words: something for everyone. Bravo, Toyota!

Honda Philippines Inc. – We Built This City by Jefferson Starship “We built this city…” I’d say that though Honda Cars Philippines churned out significant numbers by selling some pretty fantastic products (the Jazz and Accord come to mind), their most significant contribution to the motoring world this year has been the introduction of the Honda Safety Driving Center, their driver/rider training facility/traffic city along the Bicutan east service road. Spearheading the drive towards a more responsible road using citizenry earns top honors for this Japanese vehicle maker.

BMW Philippines – To Love Again by Sharon Cuneta “And no…It’ll never be the same without you baby…” Though I am not shutting the door on the new BMW set-up in the country, where the remaining BMW dealerships will serve also as importers, I’ll be the first to admit that it might take a little getting used to. All our efforts to communicate everything BMW to you, our readers, have been facilitated flawlessly through the BMW Philippines corporate communications mechanism, which ceased operations at the end of 2008. We have yet to see how the new set up will handle communications, but already we say we miss having the BMW Philippines crew give us the juicy bits straight from the grapevine. Here’s hoping the new importers will keep all of us just as informed!

Columbian Autocar Corporation (Kia) – Breakout by Swing Out Sister “Now you’ve found a way to make it last, the time has come to make a break…breakout…” Talk about a Korean invasion! Over the past two years, CAC has introduced such well thought out products in succession that they have garnered awards galore from practically every award-giving body in the local automotive scene. I think the break out year for Kia began in 2007, actually. It then flowed out through 2008 and with what we hear from the grapevine, might even overflow to 2009! Well done, Kia!

Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. – Growing Up by Gary Valenciano “Here’s to the old times and the best of new ones…” Did I already mention the Korean invasion? Oh yeah, that’s right, I already did. Like its co-Korean, Hyundai continues to build on fantastic momentum, which also started with a rejuvenated effort in 2007. Its steadily growing dealership network is a perfect compliment to its steadily increasing and improving product line up. Their products are gaining a reputation for reliability as well. Hyundai is growing up, without a doubt. And it’s growing up really well…

Viking Cars (Volvo) – The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats “We can go where we want to…” Volvo has been the epitome of safety in so many ways. They build and sell arguably the world’s safest cars. Locally, their business plan is so sound, so safe, that the Volvo target market is hit directly in its solar plexus. This is one car company that can go where they want to because they know where exactly that is. And they plot out the course – safely.

CATS Motors (Mercedes Benz, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep) – Solid As A Rock by Ashford & Simpson “We built it up and built it up and built it up and now it’s solid…solid as a rock…” From a mere distributor in the 1990s, CATS Motors bravely jumped into the importer bandwagon and went on to represent the Mercedes Benz brand with such aplomb, the effort would put many a bigger company to shame. Today, they represent not just MB, but the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeeps brands as well. They’ve been doing a heckuva job. And we don’t see that changing any time soon.

Nissan Motors Philippines Inc. and Universal Motors Corporation – Magkasisa by Virna Lisa “Magkaisa at magsama, panahon na ng pagkakaisa…” The Nissan brand is represented in the country by two different entities – one for passenger vehicles, the other for commercial vehicles. Over 2008, the corporate entities stayed true to their promise of representing the brand with more synergy. The result is a better streamlined effort that put them right smack back in the game. Just ask the proud owners of Livinas and Navaras out there.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation – Back To Life by Soul II Soul “Back to life, back to reality…” Another car company that’s back in the game is Mitsubishi. Putting their mainland woes behind them, the Mitsubishi entity in the Philippines has introduced two very significant products in the Lancer and the Montero Sport – both of which are currently making some pretty big waves in their respective segments. Yep, it’s back to reality for Mitsubishi.

Iseway Motors (Chery) – New Kid In Town by The Eagles “There’s talk on the street, it sounds so familiar. Great expectations, everybody’s watching you…” Chery is easily the country’s most recognizable Chinese automotive brand. The brand has the largest dealership network and has been in operation the longest, after all. In 2008, the company laid down expectations for both themselves and their would be clientele. I wouldn’t say they’ve answered all questions thrown their way. But they are definitely trying.

Jaguar Philippines (Jaguar, Land Rover, Ferrari) – New Life by Depeche Mode “Operating…generating…new life…new life…” After a number of so-so years punctuated by so-so products, Jaguar came alive in 2008 with the introduction of the all new XF – a beautifully crafted car that jumped out of the traditional Jaguar box to surprise just about everyone. The result is renewed vigor in both sales numbers and perspective. There’s more to come too from Jaguar Philippines, count on it!

Ford Group Philippines – Body Rock by Maria Vidal “We’ve got the hearts to win, we’re gonna turn this town upside down tonight…they can’t stop us now…” As perhaps the country’s only manufacturer to concentrate on both local and international sales and production (via their Sta. Rosa manufacturing facility and the Asia Free Trade Agreement), Ford Group Philippines has always had its hands full. Moreso now with its American parent company experiencing its own troubles. But the show goes on for Ford. The company has proven itself to be much too resilient. And they insist that they can’t be stopped at all. In truth, we believe them!

General Motors Philippines (Chevrolet) – Staying Alive by The BeeGees “Everybody’s shaking and we’re staying alive, staying alive…” GM, like Ford, is getting the same kind of doubtful pessimism from what would otherwise be unruffled customers. But GM, like Ford, insists that their Asian investments have made them strong enough to withstand the current economic storm. They’re staying alive indeed.

Motor Image Pilipinas (Subaru) – Macho Gwapito by Rico J. Puno “Macho gwapito raw ako, kinagigiliwan dahil may pangalan…” Motor Image Pilipinas came storming into town with one solid battle cry: give the Subaru brand the respect it deserves. The company has done an admirable job in living up to its promise. Nowadays, there is not a single company that represents its cars more aptly. Mention the word Subaru and the word swagger naturally follows – rightfully so.

PGA Cars (Porsche, Audi) – Umagang Kay Ganda by Ray An Fuentes and Tillie Moreno “Basta’t tayo’y magkasama, laging mayroong umagang kay ganda…” Porsche and Audi are German brands that speak to a niche market. They can’t be sold by just about any car salesman on the street. But they are both represented well by PGA Cars. Once upon a time the home to different brands, PGA has done an admirable job of building up its corporate image around the products that they peddle.

Focus Ventures Inc. (Chana) – Give Me Just A Little More Time by Angela Clemmons “Give me just a little more time, our love will surely grow…” As the second Chinese brand to make it to Philippine shores, Chana has some catching up to do. To their credit, the people at Focus Ventures Inc. have been relentless in this task. They may need a little more time to achieve their goal, but their passion to reach it is almost boundless. We wish them all the luck on this commendable effort!

Isuzu Philippines Corporation – I Just Can’t Stop Loving You by Michael Jackson “I just can’t stop loving you…And if I stop then tell me just what will I do?” No new product? No problem! With the two-year-old Alterra being the last brand new product to come from the Isuzu stables, you’d think this company would be gasping for air. But trust Isuzu to know their target market well enough to keep them interested all the time. With timely product updates, the company has kept customers coming in and out of their showrooms – with most leaving them with new vehicles in tow.

Suzuki Philippines – Shades by Timbuk3 “The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades…” While Suzuki has always been primarily known as a motorcycle brand, the fact that they do have vehicles of the four wheel variant makes them one of the most versatile players out in the market. They’re targeted a specific niche, too. Which is a very good strategy considering the wealth of competition out there. And ever since the debut of the Swift they’ve come up with one sexy vehicle after another. Simply put, I like how they position themselves. The future is bright for such a wily business entity.

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