What fuel mileage can you expect from the new Innova, Fortuner?

One of the much-awaited media events in the motoring calendar is the Toyota Road Trek.  Now on its 12th year, this event is one of the most coveted invitations due to the destinations and drives carefully planned by Toyota every year.

This year, they went back after a decade to El Nido Resorts, Palawan but this time to experience the luxurious Lagen Island.

Arriving the night before at Puerto Princesa, we were briefed for a 300-kilometer drive to El Nido. The highlight of the drive was the complete next gen IMV (Innovative Multipurpose Vehicles) lineup: the Innova, Fortuner and Hilux, their first long-distance outing.

The journey

The first challenge was a fuel economy run from Toyota Puerto Princesa to Astoria Resort. My teammates were our section editor Jong Arcano and the fuel econorun master himself, Ron de los Reyes.

We were lucky enough to get an Innova on this leg. I had raised my disclaimer early on that we could not turn off the air-conditioning or all hell would break lose.

The number to beat is about 14.3 km/liter, which is the benchmark set by the simulations of the Toyota Organizing Committee. They even added weight to our vehicle amounting to another person’s weight to ensure parity. Ron had his target set on a 20-plus km/L performance. I, on the other hand, set my air conditioning on four bars.

There is a technique for driving economically. You don’t drive on high revolutions per minute and keep your speed to the minimum of the road. With even four bars of air-conditioning, we were achieving 17 to 18 km/L.

When the cabin was cold enough, they convinced me to go down to two bars. I agreed, and we were able to achieve 20.3 km/L.

We thought we had this challenge in the bag but when the results were handed out during the awarding ceremony, we were astonished with the performance of the other teams.

The highest number for the Hilux and the winner of the challenge clocked in a fuel mileage of 17.9 km/L. The Fortuner’s 17 km/L was the magic number. And for the Innova, our 20.3 was the highest.

Ride to paradise.

Since we were able to test all three units, I was quite surprised with the ride of the new Innova. Although the roads in Palawan are all paved, the roads are not as smooth as those in the city.

The Innova also came with a modern and comfortable interior. There is a separate control for the back air-conditioning and ample leg space for the second and third row.

The multipurpose vehicle now sports a more sophisticated and high-end look, which is twinning with the Fortuner.

The Fortuner also had a more sporty vibe. It gave us the power and comfort while we were traversing 150 km from Puerto Princesa to Taytay. Since it was no longer an eco challenge, the group drove at a faster pace and we were quite happy to have such a powerful ride.

Space is very generous and the second row backrest has a recline feature that was very welcome on this long ride.

The Hilux is all about power. It wasn’t the best ride out of the three models, but it certainly delivered in the torque area. My teammates said that if the Hilux was carrying a heavier load, the ride would improve more.

Basically, this vehicle was designed to work harder than the two other units.

If I were to describe the three showcase units, I would say the Innova has “comfort” in mind; Fortuner is the “best of both worlds”; while the Hilux is “ready for anything.”

The destination.

The north of the last ecological frontier (which is Palawan, a revelation after having to answer a crossword puzzle about it) was the end of our driving route.

El Nido boasts of limestone mountains, crystal-clear waters, and white-sand beaches so beautiful no filter is needed when you take a photo.  Palawan, which means “land of promise,” is a beautiful safe harbor and has over 1,780 islands of the country’s 7107 during low tide.

We were housed in Lagen Island of the El Nido Resorts, which now has four island retreats. Lagen has big pool and modern amenities; Miniloc has the rustic feel; Apulit which is similar to Lagen but is located on Taytay; and their newest, Pangulasian, the ultra luxury resort that boasts of a 360-degree view of the El Nido sunrise and sunset.

My modern beach casita was home for the next two days.  There we enjoyed the unparalleled service and hospitality that both El Nido Resorts and Toyota were known for.

We were treated to island hopping, activities and sumptuous food in different beach locations.

El Nido’s food has improved a lot from the last time I was there —not so good for my waistline. But the biggest star was Mother Nature herself.

Every day we were treated to a multicolor sunset framed by the blue waters and mountains that just took your breath away.

Road trek

“The annual driving activity prepared is to give our guest the experience of the joy of driving a Toyota while experiencing the beauty of the Philippines,” Toyota vice president for marketing Arial Arias said in his welcome speech.

To further explain the driving factor behind Road Trek 12, he added, “This year’s theme  ‘Life full of drive’ is an idea inspired by the passion and drive we have, not just in our vehicles but also toward life in general.”

There is a saying that it’s not the destination but the journey and company that make a trip memorable. But with the Toyota Road Trek 12, the journey, the company, and the destination were truly unforgettable.

 

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