Nissan Navara is at home on Mindanao’s diverse terrain

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Misamis Oriental—The world is round. No, the world is flat. Oops, the world is mountainous. Then again, the world is flat. First-time visitors driving in Mindanao will most likely find themselves experiencing a “split personality” of sorts, for without warning, the driving terrain changes drastically.

One moment you’re driving along an uneventful straight stretch of city road or highway, then, in an instant, you’ll find yourself vigorously steering this way and that, negotiating a zigzag road up a mountain.

One moment you’re navigating around busy commercial establishments, then, in no time at all, you’re driving on a forest trail, mountains surrounding you, and there’s no other human being but you.

The natural beauty and allure of Mindanao and its fascinating road network has been largely kept a secret from northern motorists, particularly those in Metro Manila, because of the distance and the daunting natural and sociopolitical barriers.

Yet, it would be next to impossible not to fall in love with Mindanao at first drive. Cagayan de Oro, a progressive city commonly regarded as the “gateway” to Mindanao, is also the gateway to a whole new world of driving experiences. It shows in the vehicles the locals prefer to own and drive—the motoring landscape is dominated by multipurpose vehicles,  Asian utility and sport utility vehicles, and, most of all, pickups.

Japanese auto giant Nissan, which has somehow positioned itself as a strong maker of crossovers and SUVs, and the most powerful global force in electric vehicles, is no stranger to the Mindanao market, and has, in fact, positioned its flagship pickup Navara as among the ideal personal and workhorse vehicles not just in Cagayan de Oro, but in many parts of the region as well.

Automotive psyche

Perhaps nobody knows the automotive psyche of Mindanaoans better than Jefferson U. Rolida, Nissan Cagayan de Oro president, who has been running the dealership since 2001. Joining a group of Nissan Philippines Inc. officers (which included NPI marketing head SJ Huh) and 22 international and local motoring media during the Nissan Navara NP300 ride-and-drive around Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Bukidnon from June 4 to 6, Rolida explained to Inquirer Motoring: “A lot of people here own and maintain farms, and others work for big industries such as cement, steel and agriculture. That means they have to travel to hilly areas. So, the pickup is their prime mode of transportation. And if you’re bringing three sacks of seedlings, or bags of smelly fertilizer, you wouldn’t want to put that inside an SUV.”

He added that it would be a typical sight for wealthy individuals who could afford to buy expensive premium vehicles to arrive at parties in souped-up pickups. “They even dress up their pickup trucks in stylish mags.”

The ride-and-drive used five units of the NP300 Navara 4×4 and 4×2 manual- and automatic-transmission variants to visit scenic spots in and around Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City and Bukidnon. The activity was capped with a drive to picturesque Dahilayan Forest Park in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, and a visit to Centrio Mall in Cagayan de Oro for a look at the ongoing Nissan GT Academy Philippines’ search for the next superstar race car driver.

With ease and speed

This rendezvous with the NP300 was actually the second for this author. The first was on the shifty sand dunes of La Paz in Ilocos Norte earlier this year, where she had a first-hand feel of the power and versatility of the 4×4 variant with the YD25 2.5-liter diesel engine coupled to either the seven-speed automatic transmission with manual mode or the six-speed manual transmission. Just like how the NP300 performed then, drivers and passengers experienced smooth shifting and, most noticeably, the seat-of-the-pants acceleration on straightaways. Again, the entire 187.40 horsepower and 450-Nm torque of the 4WD sprung to life and attacked the roads—paved or otherwise—with ease and speed.

Huh said: “There are many reasons this area of the Philippines is considered a pickup country. There are uphill challenges, there are unpaved roads.” Huh echoed Rolida’s conclusion: “In the end, a market like this needs a pickup because of business, family and the road condition requirements.”

“We believe having the Navara NP300 in Mindanao, especially in Cagayan de Oro, makes sense for us to better understand the capability of this light truck,” Huh added.

Huh disclosed that the Mindanao adventure for the Navara continues next weekend with a three-day road show to Davao.

‘Pickup country’

So dominant is the pickup in Cagayan de Oro and in other northern Mindanao territories, Rolida said, that for every “five to 10 sedans and SUVs sold, up to 25 pickups roll out of dealerships every month. That ratio is true across all brands. By that alone, you can gauge that CDO is a pickup country.”

Huh noted that the total auto market of Cagayan de Oro and Davao accounts for less than 3 percent of the nationwide auto market. He stressed, however, that 6 percent of the total pickup market comes from Cagayan de Oro, and another 6 percent from Davao. This led him to conclude: “If you want to be successful in the pickup market, you have to be successful in CDO and Davao, because that 12-percent market share for pickups from just two regions is very significant.”

Antonio Zara, NPI president and managing director, said in a statement: “Nissan pickup trucks are the lifeblood of communities, and we are catering to that need by improving the much-loved pickup truck.” He added that “with 80 years of heritage, providing technologies comes as natural as possible.”