March 2014: Continued Love Affair

MANILA, Philippines - With summer already looming in the horizon, March saw the first of many trips, both local and domestic, to exotic locales. And while not traveling, carmakers busied themselves by introducing new models or even new variants to expand their business. The biggest news, however, is the return of a storied Japanese brand—one that promises to shake the automotive industry in the coming months.

Isuzu D-Max conquers Ilocos Norte

The Isuzu D-Max 4x4 made Ilocos Norte its personal playground as it conquered the famous Paoay sand dunes. Proving that it’s more than just a workhorse or a pickup built to take on the urban jungle, the D-Max 4x4 showcased its durability, reliability, and go-anywhere capability. Fitted with standard tires, it tackled the Paoay sand dunes thanks to Isuzu’s 4WD Terrain Command Select system. Aside from the advanced 4WD system, the D-Max also has one of the highest ground clearances in its class and a commendable approach/departure angle. The D-Max also features a new over-slung rear suspension system for more articulation. Powered by the tried-and-tested 3.0-liter 4JJ1-TC engine, the D-Max also toured sites around Ilocos Norte including the Marcos Museum, the Paoay Church, and the Malacañang of the North.

Suzuki Grand Vitara

Suzuki Philippines updates its compact crossover offering, the Grand Vitara. It now receives a new grille and front bumper for a much rugged look. New side-mirror turn signal repeaters complete the exterior changes. Inside, the Grand Vitara gets a much needed auxiliary input jack to go with the luxury of the automatic climate control system. The Grand Vitara continues on with the longitudinally-mounted 4-cyliner engine (J24B) with 168 hp and 227 Nm of torque.

Honda Cars Calamba opens

The city of Calamba in Laguna plays host to Honda Cars Philippines, Inc.’s 31st full dealership in the country, Honda Cars Calamba (HCCL). The dealership has an elegant and contemporary structure with a well-designed interior. The opening of HCCL is part of Honda’s continuous quest to bringing its products and services closer to its customers.

Nissan “reenters” the market

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., the Japan-based mother company of Nissan, takes the lead of managing the automotive brand in the Philippines by introducing Nissan Philippines, Inc. as its national sales company. With this new structure, the company remains to recognize Nissan Motor Philippines, Inc. (NMPI) and Universal Motors Corporation (UMC) as their important partners in the Philippines, as both will continue to assemble Nissan vehicles for the Filipino market. As one cohesive entity, all will work together to successfully achieve Nissan’s global standards.

Nissan Altima

Right after announcing its return to the Philippines, Nissan is readying its assault in the midsize executive sedan segment by resurrecting the ‘Altima’ nameplate. Built and shipped from Nissan’s assembly plant in the United States, the all-new Altima replaces the ‘Teana’ nameplate. Nonetheless, the Altima continues what the Teana started by offering to raise the bar when it comes to styling, comfort, fuel efficiency, and innovative features. The Altima is powered by a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine good for 180 hp or a 3.5-liter V6 good for 270 hp. Both engines are mated to a responsive and shift-shock-free Xtronic CVT. The Altima features a sharp, arrow-shaped exterior and a lounge-inspired cabin.

Nissan Sylphy

Sold in more than 120 markets worldwide, Nissan is introducing a new nameplate for its new foray into the C-segment (compact) market: the Sylphy. The Sylphy combines a dynamic and premium look outside with a sophisticated and luxurious inside. On the range-topping model, it comes with HID headlights along with LED accent lights. The horseshoe-shaped rear combination lights create a unique effect, especially at night. The Sylphy enters the market with a value-proposition powered by a 125 hp 1.6-liter or 138 hp 1.8-liter engine.

Anne Curtis for Audi

PGA Cars, Inc. welcomed the “Princess of All Media”—Anne Curtis to be Audi’s newest brand ambassador. Like Curtis, Audi prides itself as a cutting-edge automobile manufacturer with a powerful presence and unmistakable star power. She took home an Audi A6 to bring her around her myriad of appointments and engagements.

Ford EcoSport Thailand drive

Ford proved that its all-new EcoSport is not your ordinary vehicle by flying a number of media to sample it on the roads of Hua Hin in Thailand. The EcoSport was run through its paces by going through the city streets of downtown Hua Hin (where its agile handling and small frame came in handy) to the surrounding highways where features such as the Drift Pull Compensation and highly-tuned suspension were put to the test. Throughout the day’s drive, the EcoSport also showed off its high ground clearance as well as stellar fuel economy. And of course, drivers were all entertained via the Ford SYNC system.

Subaru Impreza 2.0i

While Subaru unveiled a mid-grade Forester, it introduced a new entry-level Impreza that becomes the brand’s most affordable model. Although it does give up a bit in terms of luxury features, the Impreza 2.0i still is reasonably loaded with automatic climate control, steering wheel mounted controls, USB audio input, and of course, a complete suite of safety equipment from six airbags to ABS to Vehicle Dynamics Control. It’s powered by the next-generation 2.0-liter Boxer engine that it shares with the Forester 2.0i-Premium.

PGA Cars Driving Experience

The exclusive Philippine distributor of Audi and Porsche held its first PGA Driving Experience at the Clark International Speedway. Customers and some members of the media were treated to driving thrills at the 3-kilometer track. Aside from the Porsche Cayman and Cayenne, everyone was treated to a surprise when the last of the air-cooled 911s, the 993 Turbo made an appearance. Audi was no less represented with an impressive range of cars including the 450 hp RS5. PGA Cars also used this event to formally inaugurate the Audi-Porsche Motorsports Lounge—an air-conditioned hospitality suite on the second floor of the pit area.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines acquires former Ford plant

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) announced the acquisition of Ford Motor Company (Philippines), Inc.’s former factory site located in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. MMPC will ramp up production at its Cainta, Rizal plant before shutting it down at the end of 2014. The move is expected to be completed by January 2015 and is a reflection of MMPC’s continuous growth in the market.

Rear Entertainment System for Honda Pilot, Odyssey

Both the Odyssey and Pilot is now kitted with a rear entertainment system that includes a 10-inch roof-mounted DVD entertainment monitor for 2014. The system also has AV inputs and comes with wireless earphones and a remote control. Along with the rear entertainment system, both models get spiffy genuine accessories. The Odyssey now gets standard splash guards while the Pilot gets running boards for easier ingress/egress.

Subaru Forester 2.0i-Premium

Subaru added a new variant to its bestselling Forester with the 2.0i-Premium. It’s essentially got 90 percent of the range-topping XT’s goodies but at a more affordable price point. Differentiating it from the entry-level 2.0 i-L model, the 2.0i-Premium has leather seats, a push-button engine start/stop, power driver’s seat, power tailgate, and even a moon roof. Outside, it also runs on the XT’s 18-inch alloy wheels.

Ford Everest Concept

Ford is clearly inching towards introducing the production version of its all-new Everest by unveiling the Everest Concept at the 35th Bangkok International Motor Show. The Everest Concept is essentially the same one that the company debuted in Australia and is clearly almost production-ready. Ford believes that 60-70 percent of its growth will come from the Asia-Pacific region and vehicles such as the all-new Everest will undoubtedly lead that charge.

Toyota Yaris

With the right size for drivers that need an agile yet functional vehicle, the all-new Yaris arrives with a new sense of style, outstanding safety features, and of course, Toyota’s stellar reputation for reliability, durability, and value for money. It is a no-compromise vehicle that features excellent attention to detail and ends up being a smart and hip yet functional and practical at the same time. Completely redesigned from tip to stern, the Yaris is funkier, sportier, and much more fashion-forward than ever before. Under the hood, it shares the same engines found in the Vios: an 85-hp 1.3-liter and a 107-hp 1.5-liter engine both equipped with VVT-i. The 1.3-liter can be mated to either a manual or automatic transmission while the 1.5-liter model is purely an automatic affair.