Nissan's On & Off Weekend

MANILA, Philippines - I seem to have developed quite a fondness for off-road driving lately, and it has been nothing but a pleasure, learning to drive further into the less-beaten paths of Luzon. Frankly, I had never imagined that it would be my cup of tea, having to go through bumpy, muddy trails with the potential of getting stuck. But the secret –– I have discovered –– is that the “fun-factor” is amplified a hundred times when you are the driver. Only then does it become a cranial game of figuring out how to effectively traverse a pseudo-obstacle course of rough road, rocks and river, given the capabilities of the vehicle you are driving. So no, this is not a mad chase for speed –– off-roading is an IQ test in action.

The fun began two weekends ago, when Nissan Motor Philippines invited some members of the media to join them in their idea of a unique “Weekend Getaway”. They officially called it the “Nissan On-Road/Off-Road Weekend Experience”, wherein each participant was given the chance to experience both the luxurious comfort of the new Nissan Teana, and the tough 4x4 capabilities of the new Nissan X-trail CVT.

The Nissan Teana: luxury with 4x4 capabilities

The trip began with our departure from Manila riding in Nissan Teanas. It was a rather delightful drive, experiencing the power of its 3.5L engine while laughing away as we watched episodes of “The Big Bang Theory” on DVD, via its new multimedia system. The Teana also had a fantastic topload sunroof, which gave us a nice tickle of the warm morning sun, and a reinforced feeling that we were definitely on vacation. It was also quite amusing to know that the car we were riding in, was made of 980 MPA Ultra Steel –– similar with the stuff used to build French nuclear submarines. Certainly, there is nothing more reassuring than knowing the equally dependable safety features of a car, parallel to its performance capabilities.

The long drive gave us a nice sampling of the Teana’s VQ-V6 engine, one of the world’s award-winning engines for 14 years now. It also gave us ample time to fondle around with the car’s other amusing features, such as its ventilated Ottoman seats, which presented passengers with an alternative way of cooling down; and its reverse camera with a night-vision feature, to help when backing up in tight, dark spaces.

As soon as we got to our destination, Clark, Pampanga, we were greeted with different rough-road obstacle courses prepared for us by Beeboy Bargas, that were designed to: a) challenge our off-road precision skills, and b) test our speed when it came to both 2x4 and 4x4 dirt-road driving. The former was perhaps the most difficult of the three, as we had to drive X-trails up and down steep hills, through ruts, streams and rocks, and be at the finish line in exactly 12 minutes –– all while balancing a beaker filled with water (mounted with suction cups) on the hood, and trying to spill the least water possible.

It was quite a task to accomplish –– a very fun one, at that! But, ahem, yours truly finished in second place. Perhaps testament to the fact that it doesn’t take an expert race-car driver to get you through a challenging off-road course, just a reliable 4x4 vehicle, and a few tips from an off-road instructor.

The new Nissan X-trail CVT treading rough terrain

The next day we ended our weekend adventure with a casual drive up Sapang Bato, the area in Pampanga filled with Mt. Pinatubo’s ashes that starts with a riverbed and leads up to a waterfall and numerous hot springs. And yes, there is absolutely no way you could get through here, with anything less than a performance-packed 4x4.

It was a nice demonstration of how the new Nissan X-trail with XCVT (Xtronic Continuous Variable Transmission) offered a very stress-free drive, minus the “shift-shock”, and with all the necessary power required via its 2.5L engine that offered 170 peak horsepower and 230N-m maximum torque. And to make the ride more luxurious, it also has amenities such as 6-way power seats, trunk drawers, cup coolers and all-mode configuration seats. It also boasts of a multimedia system that is iPod- and DVD-ready, and with a reverse camera for backing up, just like the Teana.

NMPI President and CEO Allen Chen says, “Similar to our other vehicles, the Teana and X-trail CVT are built to take the position of an enabler. Whatever your getaway might be ––executive or active –– the Teana and X-trail CVT will take you there and enable you to do what you want to do.”