Mazda PH launches the all-new Mazda2 sedan and hatchback models in a spirited drive around the Southern Tagalog region

FINALLY hitting public roads after its initial unveiling during the 2015 Manila International Auto Show last April, 10 units of the all-new Mazda2 subcompact sedan and hatchback were driven over more than 450 kilometers of fast straight and winding countryside roads in the provinces of Laguna, Quezon, Cavite and Batangas by the motoring press.

The Beyond Expectations: All-new Mazda2 SkyActiv Media Ride and Drive event saw 30 motoring journalists take the wheel of the different Mazda2 SkyActiv variants now available in Mazda showrooms across the country.

“There’s no better way to communicate the above-class quality, design, dynamism and performance of our latest Mazda vehicle than by driving our cars the way they were meant to be driven,” said Berjaya Auto Philippines and Mazda Philippines president and CEO Steven Tan.

He added: “The famed Viaje del Sol route around the provinces south of Manila not only offer a rich cultural and historical backdrop to any road trip but it also provides some of the most scenic and challenging roads that any driver will thoroughly enjoy.”

“The all-new Mazda2 SkyActiv not only provides the ideal platform for motorists to get from point A to point B, but it also allows them to enjoy getting there,” he said.

“We wanted the motoring press to experience the all-new Mazda2 SkyActiv in varying degrees as it offers the Filipino consumer the full range of practical, everyday usability together with above-class build quality and that unique Zoom-Zoom driving pleasure that only Mazda can deliver,” he added.

Three routes

Three routes passing around the provinces of Laguna, Quezon, Cavite and Batangas were designed to give the motoring media varied experiences with the all-new Mazda2 SkyActiv sedan and hatchback variants.

The first route, with a total two-day driving distance of 340 km, covered a run from Sta. Rosa, Laguna, to Sampaloc Lake in San Pablo, Los Baños, then Canlubang and Tagaytay.

The second more challenging route of 365 kilometers over two days, took the media participants up to Liliw, Laguna before heading back to Tagaytay via the Nagcarlan and the same Los Baños and Canlubang course to Tagaytay.

The third and longest route, of over 457 kilometers in total, started from Santa Rosa and drove to Ibaan in Batangas via Star Tollway, passing through San Juan, Batangas, before heading to Candelaria, Tayabas and Lucban in Quezon. Driving through twisty mountain roads around the foot of Mt. Banahaw, the final group circled back to Liliw, Nagcarlan and Los Baños before driving back to Tagaytay.

All three groups converged back at Hamilo Coast in Nasugbu, Batangas, before heading back to Manila on the second day.

To help document their driving experiences, CameraHaus, distributor of a wide variety of photography and video equipment, provided documentation gear for the participants’ use as well as prizes for the photography contest undertaken during the event.

The all-new Mazda2 SkyActiv is the fourth generation of the nameplate and the second generation to be launched in the Philippines. It is also the fourth model to embrace the Kodo-Soul of Motion design philosophy in Mazda’s local lineup.

It comes with the full-range of SkyActiv chassis, suspension and drivetrain technologies designed not only to enhance fuel economy but also overall driving performance.

Four variants of the Mazda2 are currently available in Mazda Philippines’s showrooms—the Mazda2 SkyActiv R sedan, the Mazda2 SkyActiv V sedan and hatchback, and the Mazda2 SkyActiv S sedan.

Berjaya Auto Philippines Inc. is the exclusive distributor of Mazda vehicles and parts in the Philippines. The current product lineup includes Mazda2 subcompact sedan and hatchback, Mazda3 SkyActiv compact sedan and hatchback, Mazda6 executive sedan, CX-5 compact SUV, CX-9 seven-seater SUV, MX-5 two-seater sports roadster and the BT-50 pickup truck.

There are 15 Mazda sales and service dealerships located across the Philippines and Metro Manila: Mazda Greenhills along Edsa, Mazda Pasig along C-5, Mazda Quezon Avenue, Mazda North Edsa, Mazda Alabang, Mazda Cavite, Mazda Sta. Rosa, Mazda Pampanga, Mazda Dagupan, Mazda Cabanatuan, Mazda Tarlac, Mazda Cebu, Mazda Iloilo, Mazda Cagayan de Oro and Mazda Davao.