Read their ‘ellipse’: ‘L’ is for love, Lexus and location

Lexus Manila chair Alfred Ty speaks.

Love is a five-letter name. At least that’s what it means for New Manila, Greenhills and Quezon City residents.

And “L” may stand for “luxury,” as well. Lexus, recognizable with its insignia “L” in an ellipse, inaugurated its satellite display inside the Robinsons Magnolia Mall at the corner of Aurora Boulevard and Hemady Street in Quezon City on Feb. 6. The satellite display will run for two years.

The inauguration was led by Lexus Manila chair Alfred Ty, JG Summit Holdings Inc. president Lance Gokongwei, Lexus Manila president Daniel Isla, Toyota Motor Philippines president Michinobu Sugata, Summit Media president Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng and Robinsons Land Corp. president Frederick Go.

Sugata: The MPV market is still a big chunk of the market.

Lexus Manila decided to stretch its “love” a bit more among luxury car lovers in the Quezon City, New Manila and Greenhills areas, thus the establishment of the satellite display there.

The timing and the venue were perfect for the unveiling of a freshly styled green car for 2014—the CT 200h hybrid sedan—in a four-level retail complex awarded the green building certification by the Quezon City local government.

The CT 200h adopts an updated fascia with full spindle grille, shark fin-type antenna, clearance and back sonar, and new 16-inch alloy wheels. The F-Sport receives the new ES navigation and remote touch interface.

THE POWER POSE From left are Lexus Manila president Daniel Isla; Robinsons Land Corp. president Frederick Go, Lexus Manila chair Alfred Ty; JG Summit Holdings Inc. president Lance Gokongwei; Toyota Motor Philippines president Michinobu Sugata and Summit Media president Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng. PHOTOS BY EUGENE ARANETA

A full parallel hybrid, the CT 200h blends the power of a 1.8-liter gasoline engine with an electric motor through an electronic continuously variable transmission (E-CVT).

The total system output of 134 horsepower, combined with instant torque produced by the electric drive motor and the E-CVT’s ability to quickly find the optimal gear ratio, give the CT 200h responsive performance ideal for an everyday vehicle—with an emphasis on driving enjoyment.

A second motor in the hybrid system serves as both engine starter and generator to charge the hybrid battery pack.

Under certain conditions, the CT 200h can be driven in quiet EV mode, which allows it to drive short distances at low speeds with zero tailpipe emissions. It’s ideal for running a quick local errand, or scouting for a parking space in a crowded lot or garage.

From left, TMP EVP for marketing Yohei Murase, TMP EVP for manufacturing Kenji Kitamura, TMP president Michinobu Sugata, Lexus Manila Inc. chair Alfred Ty and TMP Foundation president Dr. David Go PHOTOS BY EUGENE ARANETA

Robinsons Magnolia sits on a total land area of 52,228 square meters, with a total gross floor area of 107,033 sq m. It features a landscaped park and has three parking levels. Robinsons Magnolia becomes the sixth largest among Robinsons’ 32 malls.

The Gokongwei-led Robinsons Land Corp., which bought the property from San Miguel Corp., claims that the new establishment strictly adheres to the stringent standards set under the city government’s Green Building Ordinance of 2009, which requires the design, construction or retrofitting of buildings, other structures and movable properties to meet minimum standards of a green infrastructure.