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Wide array of models for test drive starting tomorrow!

Economy

Apr 222014

Wide array of models for test drive starting tomorrow!

Tomorrow, April 24 is the start of a four-day dream world for car enthusiasts, those contemplating on buying a new automobile or those just plain curious to find out and experience the latest automobile models currently available in the market. For all these people all roads lead to the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds for the initial staging of the Caltex Auto Focus Summer Test Drive Festival. Organized by Sunshine Television (STV) primarily to help further perk up the local auto industry, the event earns the distinction of managing to get together in one venue keenly competing automobile importers and manufacturers for the common goal of helping the market know more intimately the present line up models by having them available for public test drive based on the common belief that there’s no better way to sell cars than having buyers test drive the vehicles and fairly give them the opportunity to compare these vehicles before finally deciding on which one to chose. A unique concept of the event is the option given to participating car companies to have their vehicles test driven inside the event venue where a test drive course has been designed and laid out to bring out a vehicle’s attributes pertaining to maneuverability, safety, riding comfort and parking ease. To test a vehicle’s maneuverability, a slalom run is included in the exercise followed by a stretch of simulated humps to bring out the vehicle’s capability to provide riding comfort despite running through an uneven road Read More …

We just have to bite the bullet

Economy

Apr 012014

We just came from a fast weekend trip to the north for our yearly pilgrimage to Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan. For a change our family decided to make a side trip to the “summer capital of the Philippines”—Baguio, which used to be referred to as the “City of Pines”, until the pine trees began to disappear. After all, my daughter Kristine, who’s more popularly known as DJ Suzy to her 89.9 Magic radio fans was having a hosting job for a grand wedding last Saturday at the Baguio Country Club. Well the trip turned out to be an eye opener for me. It made me realize that Metro Manila did not have the monopoly of motorists’ traffic woes due to road construction projects. The travel miseries are being felt all the way to the north. For starters, on Saturday morning, running smack into EDSA’s re-blocking, I left Paranaque at 10 o’clock and was able to inch my way up to Makati in record two hours and a half. I decided to take the circuitous route through Bonifacio Global City and on to C-5 to Mindanao Avenue and to the NLEX just so I would avoid EDSA and possibly more re-blocking. And NLEX was heaven, thank you to the Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) for such a thoroughfare of global standards. And travel to the north through the tollways is now seamless, from NLEX to the SCTEX (another “thank you” to MNTC) and on to the TPLEX. That present Read More …

Volvo, Ericsson cloud solution offer total connectivity

General

Mar 112014

Volvo, Ericsson cloud solution offer total connectivity

MANILA, Philippines – Leveraging extensive consumer research and industry-leading innovation, an all-Swedish partnership has focused on developing a solution that supports current and future connected car needs by combining Volvo’s driver behavior expertise and Ericsson’s consulting and systems integration know-how. “This partnership is another proof that Volvo is in the vanguard of innovation with a clear understanding of the importance of the car in an increasingly connected society,” said Lex Kerssemakers, SVP-Product Strategy and Vehicle Line Management, Volvo Cars. The Connected Vehicle Cloud is just the first step on a journey towards fully connected and integrated car and infrastructure services, and positions Volvo as a major player in the connected car arena. With the launch of Sensus Connect, Volvo reveals an updated on-board infotainment and navigation solutions. The cloud-based services allow drivers to find and pay for parking from their car, discover new restaurants at their destination, stream their favorite music seamlessly and much more. Sensus Connect also offers the first ever solution utilizing built-in connectivity supported by Pandora Internet Radio, which has more than 76 million active monthly listeners. “Technology should make your life easier. That’s why we listened carefully to our customers when creating Sensus Connect. It’s not about offering a thousand apps; it’s about giving you precisely what you need, before you even knew you needed it,” says David Holecek, Connectivity Brand Manager at Volvo. The brand new in-car experience includes a novel take on all aspects of travelling. Tens of thousands of radio stations can now Read More …

The new car experience

General

Mar 042014

Two Fridays ago, I picked up the first brand new car that I have ever personally bought in 18 years. Yes, I know what you’re thinking, but it is no weirder than a pilot saying that it’s the first time he has ever bought an airline ticket. In our line of work, there’s just no need to. And that’s both a good and a bad thing. To be honest, I was worried that after so many years having all these incredible test drives delivered to my house, I have become desensitized. But when the moment arrived, nothing could have been further from the truth. Like a love-sick teenager, I even stayed up that night staring at my new ride through the dining room window and wrote a mushy blog about the whole experience. Seriously. Like I don’t have enough deadlines already. If you want to hear what the 9-year old version of me sounds like in 600 words, just go to my website. Quick, before I gather my composure and pull it down. In a perfect world, everyone would experience the joy of owning a brand new car at least once in their life. But no world is perfect––we live in the perfect example of that. But while not everyone may get to experience the joy of driving out of a dealership with the plastic still on the seats and visors, wondering what is a reasonable time frame to leave them on, I just recently stumbled across the next best Read More …

Up to freezing Baguio on a hot Mirage G4

Economy

Jan 212014

Up to freezing Baguio on a hot Mirage G4

Aside from the lure of being able to experience the much-publicized freezing temperatures of the country’s summer capital, members of the motoring media who joined last week’s Fuel Eco Run of Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) were also curious to find out the fuel performance of their latest market offering—the Mirage G4. That includes me. A total of 34 motoring journalists representing 16 media outfits joined the Mirage G4 Fuel Eco Run, which was made up of 10 Mirage G4s, divided into 5 with Manual Transmission and the rest with CVTs or Continuously Variable Transmission. The equal representation of the variants was obviously designed to demonstrate each model’s fuel efficiency. The meeting place for breakfast and distribution of uniforms, route notes, junk food snacks etc., was at the Mitsubishi Balintawak dealership in EDSA. The route to Baguio made us traversed through the NLEX, SCTEX and into the newly opened but partially finished TPLEX, which when finally fully-completed would run through Tarlac, Pangasinan all the way to La Union. To ensure that the test run to determine fuel performance would closely approximate normal driving conditions, all the Mirage G4s, after being filled by gasoline fuel “up to brim,” all aircon switches were sealed to make sure air-conditioning was on all throughout the trip, a major factor in fuel consumption. The journalists were divided into 10 teams with a Mirage G4 to drive for each team. Aside from determining the normally differing fuel performance of those with manual transmission from those with Read More …

A southern drive with the new Volkswagens

General

Dec 032013

A southern drive with the new Volkswagens

MANILA, Philippines – The last time I drove a Volkswagen, the car had its engine way out back and it emitted a very distinctive chugga-chugga sound. It was the family van known in various parts of the world as “Microbus,” “Kombi,” or just plain “Bus.” To VW cognoscenti, it was also known as the Type 2. I was in high school then, and I remember my father being particularly proud of the fact that our 1979 Kombi was the last of the German-made VW’s—subsequent local VW’s being sourced from Brazil. Even earlier than that, I carpooled with a schoolmate who lived one block away. Even if they were several houses away, I could hear him and his mom driving up in their pristine white Beetle. Years after that Beetle and our Kombi, I restored a friend’s Brasilia. I was in college and I had a small car painting and body repair shop. The Brasilia underwent a “body lift” restoration—“body lift” then being the oft-used term for a body-off-the-frame repair. (VW’s of that time had body-on-frame construction—as opposed to today’s unit body or monocoque construction.) Fast forward 25 years. It’s 2013 and the cars from Wolfsburg, Germany are certainly not my father’s Volkswagens. The wizards from Wolfsburg turned everything 180 degrees. The rear-wheel-drive/rear-engine layouts have become front-wheel-drive/front-engine ones. The new VW’s have also graduated from their humble “people’s car” origins and now bristle with state-of-the-art drivetrains and heretofore higher levels of luxury and equipment. Which is why I looked forward to Read More …

Audi flaunts innovation in Guangzhou

General

Dec 032013

Guangzhou, CHINA – The Hai Xin Sha Tourist Park Island is a master-planned showpiece of art and culture that had famously hosted the Asian Games in 2010. Today, it hums with local and foreign tourists who take in the cool air and sprawling, manicured sights. At its heart beside the Pearl River stands an exhibition hall. Beyond it are four immaculate white spheres a short distance from each other. This is the inspiring venue of the Audi Innovation Exhibition. Even as Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Guangzhou itself bannered its respective motor shows, Audi chose to highlight its affinity for creative automobile solutions through technology—giving credence to its famous tagline “vorsprung durch technik” (advancement through technology). Audi China brand marketing head Rene Köneberg remarks that it is the first time the Ingolstadt-based car manufacturer has staged something this large in Asia, and adds that the four large spheres are actually exhibit pavilions that highlight Audi’s advancements in motorsport and vehicle technology (not to mention reflect its iconic four rings). One of them houses “The Conference of Birds,” an art installation conjured by New York-based French musician and visual artist Sebastien Leon Agneesens. Inspired by the aforementioned Audi mantra, Agneesens filled the room with hundreds of silver foil balloons on the ceiling and the floor. Dangling small speakers resonate with the sound of chirping, and at the center is a dissected version of an R8 E-tron’s chassis. This, says Audi, “presents a new stage in Audi’s development of its ultra-lightweight construction technology—a Read More …

Share a pic, drive away in a Spark

General

Oct 152013

MANILA, Philippines – It does pays to share. In fact, it pays big. Chevrolet Philippines recently launched its Share a Spark campaign where photo uploaders can get a chance to win a brand-new Chevrolet 1.2L Spark LT. Participants just need to sign into their Facebook (FB) account and register in the Share a Spark FB application. Once registered, simply follow the instructions on how to upload photos. The promotion runs until November 15, and participants can share one photo a day. The winner will be chosen via electronic raffle. Chevrolet Philippines said the campaign aims to promote “Filipinos’ inherent positive attitude and optimism.” In an exclusive interview with the STAR, The Covenant Car Company president and managing partner Atty. Alberto Arcilla, and SVP and director for marketing and customer services Lyn Buena said the Spark is a car that appeals largely to the youth. Hence, the brand keeps abreast of what the demographic is into. Despite the growing number and competition in the subcompact segment, Arcilla expressed confidence that Chevrolet has a distinct edge because of its 102-year history of making great cars. Still, he insisted that, “After more than a century, Chevy is still driven by a youthful spirit.” The 2014 Spark has been updated aesthetically with enhanced fog lamps; 14-inch, 10-spoke alloy wheels, a rear spoiler-mounted LED brake lamp (in the 1.2 LT), and interior design refinements. New colors are available, too: Honey Mellow Yellow, Urban Titanium Grey, and Luscious Pink. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, Read More …

Jaquar unleashes the F-Type

Economy

Oct 082013

MANILA, Philippines – The Jaguar C-Type roamed the asphalt jungle from 1951 to 1953. Its predecessor—the predictable named D-Type—prowled the streets and racetracks from 1954 to 1957. Then came the immortal E-Type. This icon of a predatory sports car enchanted onlookers and ruled the racing circuits for a seemingly eternal length of time: 1961 until 1974. Such was the dominance and sheer beauty of the E-Type that it lasted that long. Such, too, was its incomparable accomplishments that it took the legendary carmaker from Coventry almost four decades to come up with a worthy successor. But that successor is here now. Needless to say, it’s called the F-Type. And it represents no less than the company’s heart: a two-seat, front-engine/rear-wheel-drive convertible sports car focused on performance, agility and driver involvement. This is also a continuation of a sporting bloodline that dates back more than 75 years. And in a move to keep the Jaguar tradition and commitment to continuous innovation, Jaguar Cars, Inc. (JCI) has unleashed the F-Type at the Jaguar Lifestyle Centre at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. “The ownership of a Jaguar has never been a stronger statement globally. Its performance is all about the aspects of engineering and technological excellence,” said Wellington Soong, Chair and President of Jaguar Cars, Inc. “This is also a tribute to Sir William Lyon’s ‘Poetry in Motion.’” Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The Jaguar F-Type V8 S Petrol combines low vehicle weight (starting at 3,521 pounds, thanks to its Read More …

After 2 consecutive years of improvement: Overall New-Vehicle Sales: Satisfaction in Phl declines

Economy

Sep 102013

After 2 consecutive years of improvement: Overall New-Vehicle Sales: Satisfaction in Phl declines

MANILA, Philippines – Despite strong first half improvements in new-vehicle sales in the Philippines, overall satisfaction with the new-vehicle purchase experience has declined in 2013, according to a J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2013 Philippines Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study released recently. Now in its 13th year, the study examines seven factors that contribute to overall customer satisfaction with the purchase experience. In order of importance, they are delivery process; delivery timing; salesperson; paperwork; deal; sales initiation; and dealer facility. SSI performance is reported as an index score based on a 1,000-point scale, with a higher score indicating higher customer satisfaction. Overall sales satisfaction averages 846 in 2013, down nine points from 2012. The decline in satisfaction is driven by lower scores across all factors, most notably in salesperson. “Managing the expectations of new-vehicle buyers is a crucial aspect of the salesperson’s responsibility at dealerships, and this is where the communication and following through on commitments hold the greatest value in sales satisfaction,” said Mohit Arora, executive director at J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore. “Fewer customers in 2013 have been informed about the delivery timing of their vehicle, which impacts the proportion of customers who are delighted with their salesperson’s level of commitment.” The study finds that 76 percent of new-vehicle buyers finance their new-vehicle purchase through a loan, an increase of 5 percent from 2012. However, a salesperson’s initiative in offering a loan to buyers has significantly declined, as the proportion of new-vehicle buyers who are offered a loan declines Read More …

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