The new cars
AFTER the rain of confetti had settled and the smoke had cleared, the motoring public was treated to a slew of new auto models that made their Philippine debut at the 2nd Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) ongoing at the World Trade Center in Pasay City until August 24.
On opening day last Aug. 21, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo walked the main exhibit hall accompanied by the country chief executives of the 15 participating global auto brands, inspecting first-hand the fresh car models soon to hit Manila’s streets, and a number of concept vehicles straight from the future.
This year’s motor show featured some of the glitziest vehicle unveilings as member companies of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) pulled all the stops in elaborate
presentations to launch their latest offerings. Top singing diva Regine Velasquez descended in a harness from the ceiling of the massive Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. display area, her thunderous voice filling the 11,000-square World Trade Center exhibit hall during the unveiling of an all-new luxury sedan and two hatchbacks Hyundai officials described as “industry challengers.”
With Ms. Velasquez and other dancers emerging from cocoon-like canopies, Hyundai revealed the Genesis, a luxury sedan powered by a 3.8-liter, six-cylinder engine; the i30 hatchback with a 1.6-liter power plant; and the tiny i10 with its fuel-thrifty 1.1-liter engine.
More Power
Noted musician Jay Cayuca raised the heat on his violin as PGA Cars slid the cover off the all-new Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, a 550-hp, 4.8-liter eight-cylinder luxury sports utility vehicle (SUV) from the German carmaker. Boasting of more power, the new Cayenne can do 280 kph and sprint to 100 kph in 4.8 seconds.
Audi, in an adjacent booth, showed off the sleek R8, a 420-hp, eight-cylinder roadster whose first batch of 20 units is soon to arrive in Manila’s ports.
Not to be outstaged was Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp., uncovering the much-awaited iteration of the Lancer Evolution X sports sedan. The Evo X is how Mitsubishi defined power: 291 hp squeezed out of a 2-liter lightweight turbocharged aluminum engine under an aluminum hood. It’s a street racer’s dream in metal form.
Mitsubishi also launched the 2009 Galant 240M executive sedan with a 2.4-liter, 162-hp powerplant, and a “concept” SUV derived from the stylish Strada pickup. Dubbed the Concept MS, the new SUV will make its Philippine debut end-August following its global launch at the Moscow Motor Show this August 26.
Mitsubishi’s main attraction was the iMiEV, which stands for Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle. Still a concept car, the miniscule hatchback showed President Arroyo during her visit a glimpse of the shape of things to come in the electric motoring age.
Toyota Motors Corp. displayed its A-BAT, a truck-car hybrid concept vehicle, a compact version of a pickup truck. The A-BAT will have a 4-cylinder gas engine that works with Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive, a powertrain that enables the car to run on both electricity and gas.
Toyota also unveiled a new Land Cruiser powered by a 4.4-liter turbocharged diesel V8 and a six-speed automatic transmission. Also showcased was a limited edition of the bestselling Vios sedan decked with 17-inch wheels, high-intensity discharge headlamps, rear spoiler and ipod interface. The branded version came with exclusive floor mat and keychain.
Design Driven
Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. launched the all-new 2008 Jazz. The second-generation Jazz featured a sleeker cabin-forward design, drive-by-wire, and paddle shift and 16-inch wheels on the 1.5-liter variant. The 1.3-liter model featured 15-inch wheels and a five-speed automatic transmission.
BMW publicly launched the X6 xDrive30d, a sleek, muscular luxury crossover SUV powered by a 235-bhp, 3.0-liter, six-cylinder diesel engine. Its newest SUV yet, the X6 joins the BMW X3 and X5 SUV lineup. The X6 came in three variants, with a model powered by a V8 engine.
Suzuki came up with a 2.4-liter version of the Grand Vitara 4x2 which was P300,000 cheaper than the 2.7-liter, six-cylinder model. A four-speed manual version of the Swift hatchback was also displayed.
Volvo debuted its XC60 all-wheel drive SUV powered either by a 2.4-liter, five-cylinder turbodiesel engine or a 3.0-liter six-cylinder twin-turbo gas. The Scandinavian-designed XC60 is certified all-road capable.
Kia brought in a Sportage SUV demonstrator that runs on electricity produced from hydrogen. The fuel-cell electric vehicle can do 150 kph and has water only for emission. Kia also launched an all-new SUV called the Mojave powered by a 3.8-liter six-cylinder gasoline engine.
Entrepreneurial
Nissan focused on entrepreneurship and launched a version of the popular Urvan van that seats 21 people. Dubbed the Pangkabuhayan van, the Urvan is being positioned by Universal Motors Corp., its assembler, as the vehicle for starting a business.
Isuzu presented a mobile theater setup in the Alterra SUV. Isuzu redefined auto entertainment by mounting a 32-inch JVC LCD screen for the rear passenger. The setup, however, does not come standard.
General Motors brought in a collection of vehicles under the Chevrolet badge that runs on alternative fuel. Displayed were the Tahoe SUV and Malibu sedan hybrids, as well as an Optra sedan that run of compressed natural gas. GM is considering offering the vehicles locally. Also displayed were diesel versions of the Captiva SUV and the Epica sedan.
Mazda showed off its well-designed collection of vehicles with the recently launched Mazda 6 and Mazda CX-9 crossover SUV. Mazda boasted of its gasoline-powered engines capable of taking in 20% ethanol using E20 fuel.
Ford launched its all-new Escape SUV with new lights and cleaner lines. The new Escape still carries a 2.3-liter gas engine and automatic transmission with options for four-wheel and two-wheel drive.
