Driving in the wrong place at the wrong time can still be fun

Late night in July somewhere on a remote coastal highway in Ilocos Sur, the AM radio stations are warning all motorists about possible floods and landslides as torrential monsoon rains drenched the northern Philippine regions. Yeah, right, I mutter. Tell me that right now when we’re already right at the dead center of the Ilocos regions. I hated the Pagasa weather bureau for being right. Rains of epic proportions were starting to inundate the highway we were on. All around our vehicle, a Honda Mobilio 1.5 RS Navi CVT, the intensity of the pounding rain sounded like it was about to punch holes through the roof, and shatter the windows and windshields.

But there was no turning back. We were closer to our destination, Vigan, where we hoped we could find shelter from the seemingly endless downpour. But about an hour before we could reach the heritage city, the perils went up a notch. A century-old tree toppled onto the highway a few kilometers from Vigan. Fortunately, by the time we got there, highway crews had cleared the obstruction, but not before a monstrous traffic jam had been created. And while we crawled along the highway, the floodwaters beneath were rising slowly.

After extricating ourselves from that, we encountered next a portion of the highway that was already flooded waist-deep on the right side, although the left was still passable for light vehicles. But in a few minutes, we knew that the torrent of water coming from the mountains would also claim that side of the road. We beat the flood by a few minutes.

By the time we reached Vigan, 10 long hours after leaving Manila, my passengers—a balikbayan family from North Carolina on a monthlong vacation—were hungry and exhausted. Oddly, they seemed to be the least stressed about the just-concluded driving experience for the night. I figured, credit must go to the car that insulated its human occupants very well from the hellish high water that just broke loose. And I leave a little pat on the back for moi, the driver, who unexpectedly displayed calm under Mother Nature’s pressure (yes, we Pinoy drivers are quite used to her springing surprises every so often in this country that’s right at the bulls-eye of the global climate change shooting gallery).

Of course, nature’s wrath doesn’t give a damn if your family vehicle has an RS emblem, or if it exudes that sporty feel and RS front grille, RS front bumper, halogen headlights, fog lights, 15-inch RS alloy wheel, RS tailgate spoiler, RS rear bumper with exhaust pipe finisher, RS side sill garnish, the works. But after we mere mortals go through such an eventful night behind the wheels testing our mettle, these small details and touches somehow become emotional badges, and become part of our fond memories of the vehicle as a whole.

There were other aspects about the Mobilio that became imprinted in my memory after putting it through such punishing paces, not only with the Manila-Vigan route, but with our subsequent trip northward to Ilocos Norte, then back to Manila. Here are seven more.

1. Space, in a compact package. It’s like a paradox. One can’t have that much space for seven individuals if your vehicle is classified as a compact, right? But the Mobilio is a wizard in space management, and it was proven when my passengers slept like babies during this long road trip. It looks small on the outside, but inside you can really stretch.

2. Flexible and versatile seat configurations. By the time we were going back to Manila, we had lugged more items than coming in, so it was necessary to re-configure some seating and luggage arrangements. Happily, the Mobilio was flexible enough to give us options: we could go for a full seven-seater layout and still get large cargo space (223-liter trunk capacity), or we could tumble-fold the third row and get 470 liters of cargo space, or we could totally fold the third row and get a 521 liters of cargo space.

The light and tumble seats make it easy for the passengers to get into the rearmost seats, especially when we had to hop hurriedly from one tourist spot to the next so the rains wouldn’t catch up with us. The second row seats split 60:40, the third row is split 50:50, with both rows reclining. The one-touch fold-to-tumble function allows wider room for easier and faster passenger ingress and egress.

3. Comfortable inside. The noise, vibration and harshness insulation of the Mobilio is admirable, shielding us from the wrath of the wettest forces of nature. Even when the coastal highway provided no illumination along the tricky, twisty sections at night, the Mobilio’s halogen headlights, fog lights, rear wiper with washer and rear defogger kept the driver’s visibility manageable.

4. Engine performance. My experience on the twists and mountain passes proved that the Mobilio, even when fully loaded, was powerful, and still managed to be fuel efficient. The Mobilio I drove is powered by a 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine mated to the Continuous Variable Transmission (maximum power  118.36 horsepower at 6,600 revolutions per minute; max torque of 145 Newton-meters at 4,600 rpm)—the first engine-transmission combination in the S-MUV (small multipurpose utility vehicle) segment. The CVT is responsible for better fuel efficiency, less engine stress, elimination of shift shock and lag, and that sporty performance.

The Mobilio generates the best engine power in its class at 118.36 HP. And yet, despite the flooded conditions, extended traffic, and weight of my passengers and cargo, the Mobilio still yielded 17 kilometers per liter during the trip from Manila to Vigan. When, alone in the Mobilio, I did a run from Tagaytay City down to Bacoor in Cavite, the Mobilio’s fuel efficiency meter topped the scales at 36 kpl. Such efficiencies could be achieved with the help of its eco lamp, which lights up green when the driver is in the optimum zone of fuel efficiency.

5. Laden with technology. Keeping me awake and entertained when stuck in traffic was the 7-inch touch screen with built-in navigation and emergency hotline buttons audio system, the controls for which were conveniently placed on the steering wheel (in both RS and V variants). Other convenient tech touches are the keyless entry, rear air-conditioner with independent controls.

6. Safety features. The dual SRS airbags, antilock braking system with electronic brake force distribution, the G-Con, Isofix (provides standardized anchoring points for the child safety seat), high mount stop lamp, driver seatbelt reminder, and immobilizer definitely added to a reassuring ride.

7. The Euro 4 advantage. Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) recently announced that its automobiles, including the Mobilio, are Euro 4-certified. A vehicle certified to be Euro 4 means it has been able to significantly reduce the amount of pollutants it emits into the environment, helping ensure the quality of breathable air. As early as 2004, HCPI started introducing Euro 4-ready products in the Philippine market. By the end of 2006, all HCPI automobiles sold in the Philippines were already at par with Euro 4 emissions level.

At P987,000 (for the RS variant), the seven-seater Mobilio should be on any family’s list of options. Though I do not recommend putting yourselves at risk by driving into the mountains with your entire family during typhoons or monsoon rains, I do urge that a test drive with the Mobilio should be experienced with the whole family in tow, landslides and floods not included.

 

Text and photos by Tessa R. Salazar