Q3 sees more launches

It had been a busy third quarter for the PH automotive market, especially so in September, with 17 automotive brands joining the 2016 Philippine International Motor Show held in World Trade Center.

Here’s a summary of the industry’s main events for the quarter.

JULY

Chevy sets Sail

The Covenant Car Company Inc. (TCCCI), the exclusive importer and distributor of Chevrolet vehicles and parts in the Philippines, held a preview of the Chevrolet Sail sedan at the 12th edition of the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) last April.

The Sail marks Chevrolet Philippines’ first entry in the local car-B segment.

Volvo V60 Cross Country

Volvo PH introduced the V60 Cross Country Premium Crossover, a model combining Volvo’s dynamic styling and rugged capability.

Designed for car enthusiasts who love nature and adventure, the Volvo V60 Cross Country is at home on all roads.

With an increased ground clearance and ride height, the Cross Country’s sturdy construction offers unparalleled control on and off the beaten track.

New Honda Civic and CR-Z IMA Final Edition

Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) added three new sportier variants for the All-New Civic with the introduction of the All-New Civic 1.8 E CVT Modulo, RS Turbo Modulo, and RS Turbo Modulo Sport variants.

It also revealed its new CR-Z 1.5 IMA Final Edition.

The New CR-Z 1.5 IMA Final Edition features an exclusive sophisticated black leather interior, and an exterior embellished with a Final Edition sticker.

AUGUST

BMW’s 7 Series

Privileges Programme

At an event held last August at the Shangri-La Fort BGC, Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, introduced its BMW 7 Series Privileges Programme.

The exclusive program entitles owners of the all-new BMW 7 Series to a premium selection of services that complement the driving luxury they experience with the latest iteration of the brand’s flagship vehicle.

This program is free to all-new BMW 740Li and 750Li owners.

Mazda tops in aftersales service

J.D. Power came up with this annual report 16 years ago, and the study measures new vehicle owner satisfaction with the aftersales service process at an authorized service center by examining dealership performance.

The study ranked 11 brands, and for the first time, Mazda got the highest rating this year with a CSI (customer satisfaction index) score of 845.

J.D. Power noted that Mazda performed particularly well in all of its CSI factors.

SEPTEMBER

Nissan’s top 6 PH finalists

Six out of the 20 finalists made it to the Nissan GT Academy Season 2 National Finals held last Sept. 6 and 7 at the Megatent in Pasig and Glorietta Activity Center in Makati.

The search for the top 6 finalists was held in key cities nationwide that drew over 21,000 trials.

The top finalists were invited for the Nissan Race Camp Week in Silverstone in UK last October.

Biggest IPO ever

The Philippine Stock Exchange approved Royal Dutch Shell’s local unit to sell as much as P29.7 billion worth of shares via an initial public offering in October.

The company offered up to 330 million primary and secondary shares to the public for as much as P90 per share.

This stock debut will bring 18.6 percent of the company’s post-IPO shares to public hands. At the maximum IPO price, the company will have a market capitalization of P151.52 billion.

PGA’s all-new A4 Audi

Audi’s highly anticipated A4 was unveiled in Manila, less than a year after it was launched at the 2015 Frankfurt Motorshow last year.

The 9th generation A4 is slightly wider and longer, and crucially much roomier inside with a wheelbase that’s longer than the previous generation A4.

Yet, despite the increase in size, its weight came down by as much as 120 kilograms (depending on the variant and options) thanks to its aluminum-intensive chassis.

KTM showroom

World-renowned Austrian-based KTM bike brand officially launched its showroom at the BGC, right beside the Ayala-owned Volkswagen showroom.

ACPI, otherwise known as KTM Philippines, is a joint venture between Ayala Automotive Holdings and KTM AG.

Ayala Automotive Holdings Corp. president and CEO John Philip Orbeta said that ACPI will not only serve as exclusive local distributor of KTM products but will also manufacture motorcycles for the Philippines and for export to China and Southeast Asian countries.

Hiroshi Masuoka returns for the Mitsubishi 4×4 Camp off-roading clinic at the Tarlac Recreational Park.

Mitsubishi’s 4×4 Camp

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines organized an off-roading clinic dubbed as the “Mitsubishi 4×4 Camp by Hiroshi Masuoka” last September in the Tarlac Recreational Park.

Masuoka-san is a famous Japanese rally champion driver and Mitsubishi’s works driver. His most notable achievement was his back-to-back successes in the Dakar Rally in 2002 and 2003.

Masuoka-san was there personally to supervise the completion of the various stages of off-road track meant to show participants how tough the all-new Montero Sport SUV and Strada pickups were, plus how to make full use of the new technology and 4×4 features of these vehicles on the road and off the road.

Manila is going green with the introduction of new electric tricycles.

Manila turns green with e-trikes

Manila is going green with the introduction of new electric tricycles plying the streets of Binondo and Malate as part of the Manila City government’s campaign to “combat air pollution and improve the livelihood of tricycle drivers and ‘colorum’ pedicab drivers.”

In a recent statement, the city government said it has procured an “initial fleet” of 384 e-trikes worth over P145 million.

These vehicles run on “gel-type batteries” that can be charged fully after only four to five hours.

Chevy’s new Colorado and Trailblazer

Chevrolet International and Philippine distributor The Covenant Car Company Inc. (TCCCI) unveiled the new Chevrolet Trailblazer 7-seat SUV and Colorado pickup truck to members of the Asean press in Cebu, Philippines.

Invited to this three-day regional event to experience the latest round of improvements on these two models were Asean motoring journalists from Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Brunei, and representatives from the Philippine media.

Chevrolet introduced five variants for the Colorado, and another five variants for the Trailblazer.

Both trucks get a choice of a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic with a 2.5-non-VGT, 2.5-VGT and 2.8-VGT engines for the range-topping variants.

Jeep PH’s Renegade

In celebration of Jeep’s 75th anniversary and the 130th birth year of Mercedes-Benz, Philippine distributor Auto Nation Group through its dealer CATS Motors Inc. held a special sale for pre-owned vehicles and a showcase of its brand new model lineup at Bonifacio High Street, Taguig.

One of Jeep Philippines popular offering was the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport variant priced as low as P1.99 million.

The event also saw the first public introduction of the Jeep Renegade. Cleverly priced at P1.941 million, the price tag commemorates the birth year of the Jeep in 1941.

2016 PIMS HIGHLIGHTS

Honda PH’s BR-V crossover

Honda Cars Philippines unveiled the BR-V crossover at the 2016 PIMS as it seeks to combine the high ground clearance of an SUV with the seven-seat cabin of an MPV.

The BR-V is powered by a 1.5-liter iTEC engine paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Key features of the BR-V are its high ground clearance, roof rails, 16-inch alloy wheels, and LED taillights.

Lexus’ sexy LC500h

Lexus Manila unveiled its flagship LC 500h coupe and a full lineup of its other models at the 2016 PIMS.

Inspired by Lexus’ LF-LC concept that debuted in 2012 at the Detroit Motor Show, the LC500 lived up to its concept in terms of styling, performance, and craftsmanship.

On display was its hybrid variant, the LC500h, with a new 3.5-liter V-6 multistage hybrid engine.

Mazda PH ’s CX-3

Berjaya Auto Philippines, exclusive distributor of Mazda vehicles in the country, unveiled the latest addition to the Japanese brand’s new-generation vehicle lineup—the all-new Mazda CX-3 Freestyle Crossover Vehicle.

The CX-3 is the sixth model to showcase both the company’s striking Kodo Soul of Motion design language and the highly efficient and innovative SkyActiv suite of body, chassis, suspension, engine and drivetrain technologies.

Chief Engineer Hiroshi Tamura graces the PIMS for the unveiling of the Nissan GT-R.

Nissan GT-R in PH

Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) finally unveiled its first official GT-R supercar at the 2016 PIMS.

Hiroshi Tamura, Nissan’s NISMO chief product specialist flew in personally to unveil his latest iteration of the Nissan GT-R R35, and to talk about its key new features and performance enhancements.

NISMO stands for Nissan Motorsport International Ltd., Nissan’s in-house tuning and performance division.

The launch at the 2016 PIMS coincided with the inauguration of the Nissan High Performance Center in Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.

Peugeot’s Karen Carvajal and Dong Magsajo at the PIMS launch of Targa Manila urban rally.

Peugeot PH’s racing roots

Peugeot PH announced its exclusive, by-invitation-only urban Targa Manila rally that will focus on precision and strategy.

Twenty teams, which includes eight teams on board the Peugeot 208, will undertake a test of speed, time and distance.

Peugeot Philippines also put on display two custom built 208s in the 2016 PIMS. One was inspired by the Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak, which made its victorious debut at the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

The second custom-built Peugeot 208 GTi is a participating vehicle in the 2016 Targa Manila

Toyota’s Future Toyota One

The star of the show in the Toyota pavilion at the 2016 PIMS was the red FT-1 concept car.

This gorgeous concept car had its debut in Detroit’s North American International Auto Show in 2014, and was penned by Alex Shen, chief designer based in Calty Design Research, Toyota’s North American design and research facility based in Newport Beach, California.

FT-1 or “Future Toyota One,” is a concept that will cascade design elements and emotions for Toyota’s future vehicle designs.