Summer car launches invade the provinces

IT SEEMS Metropolitan Manila isn’t big enough to host the flurry of activities automobile manufacturers have packed in the month before the long Lenten break. And so, the summer action has spilled onto provinces near and far.

Here’s the rundown of the provincial sorties the top auto manufacturers have organized for motoring media, enthusiasts and the public:

Volkswagen Passat goes to Anilao (Feb. 18-19)

Volkswagen Philippines went all out with its luxury midsize sedan for executives and businessmen. The new Passat, the eighth generation of Volkswagen’s oldest active product brand, drove the terrain of southern Luzon and the twisty, hilly sections of the scenic coastal passes straddling the Cavite and Batangas provinces on Feb. 18 and 19 with select members of the motoring media.

This was the first time the motoring public saw the two available variants of the Passat—the Business Edition and Highline—on Philippine roads since its local launch in October 2015.

The Isuzu D-Max gets high up Mt. Pulag (Feb. 22-24)

True to its tough, outdoor DNA, the Isuzu D-Max pickup carried several intrepid members of the motoring media on a mountain trek up the 2,922-meter-high summit of the third highest peak in the country, Mount Pulag in Benguet Province, testing not only the mental and physical toughness and determination of climbers from Isuzu Philippines Corp. and members of the media, but also the offroading capabilities of the 4×4 variant of the D-Max 3.0-L pickup.

Innova, Fortuner in Bohol (Feb. 26-28)

LED DAYTIME running lights are standard on the Fortuner.

The much-anticipated launch of the all-new, stylish and more luxurious-looking Toyota Innova, considered Toyota Motor Philippines’ (TMP) key product of 2016 happened on the picturesque beach of Panglao in the island-province of Bohol.

According to TMP, the new Innova variants have been upgraded to a 2.8-liter diesel engine (with Variable Nozzle Turbo charger with intercooler) and a 2.0 dual VVT-I gas engine with a new six-speed automatic transmission and an enhanced five-speed manual transmission gearbox.

All-new Montero rolls to Cebu (March 1-3)

The bold-looking all-new Mitsubishi Montero Sport is set to steal the show, and make heads turn, in Cebu from March 1 to 3.

The new Montero’s face features the chrome-decked robotic look of new Mitsubishi models, officially called Dynamic Shield. This blockbuster SUV is with a 2.4-L turbo diesel engine, good for 181 horsepower and 430 Newton-meters of torque, mated to a category-first eight-speed automatic.

Suzuki Ciaz wheels to Anilao (March 9 and 10)

What is it with new cars and this scuba diving hotspot in Batangas?

This time, it’s Suzuki that burns rubber, as it takes motoring media on a ride-and-drive in its newest subcompact sedan Ciaz.

The Suzuki Ciaz joins the fray in the hotly contested subcompact sedan market dominated by the Toyota Vios, Honda City, Ford Fiesta and Nissan Almera.

The Ciaz is powered by a 1.2-L gasoline engine good for 91.73 HP and 118 Nm of torque, mated to a CVT.

Nissan Navara communes in Sagada (March 9-11)

The 2015 Truck of the Year-Philippines (TOTY-P) has chosen its place of calm and commune with nature when it goes north to Mountain Province.

The Nissan NP300 Navara pickup chooses a more serene environment this time, quite different from the daunting sand dunes in Ilocos Norte that tested its mettle in 2015.

Navara’s TOTY-P win was announced at the Car Awards Group Inc.’s gala awards night in November 2015.