By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DRIVING fast is not much fun these days — what with oil prices soaring and the guilty feeling that pricks your conscience when you exceed 100 kph. So you learn to moderate your speed in your daily commute.

Just the same, you still want a car that can zoom way ahead of the pack when the spirit moves you on the highway.

Enter the 2008 Subaru Impreza 2.0R Sport.

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By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

PICTURE in your mind this photo op: the 2008 Volvo XC70 AWD in all its rugged elegance parked on a sandy beach, the waves lapping at its 17-inch alloy wheels while the sun sets behind it on the horizon of the South China Sea.

The opportunity to set up this photo op came last week, so I broached it to the Volvo representatives present. But unfortunately the beach at Puerto del Sol resort in Bolinao, Pangasinan is fenced off and therefore inaccessible to cars.

But let me tell you how an XC70 ended up at a beach resort in the distant north.

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By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

CHINA is the third largest country in the world in land area and the largest in population with 1.2 billion. China is also, after the United States, the world’s second largest car market (8.8 million motor vehicles sold in 2007) with sales rising nearly 20 percent every year, and it aims to be the world’s second largest automobile manufacturing country. Naturally, when this giant holds its bi-annual international auto show, it has got to be on the grandest scale, with car makers from all over the world scrambling to showcase their best and gain market share.

The 10th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, a.k.a. Auto China 2008, opened on April 22 and ended last Monday at the new China International Exhibition Center. It had 106,000 square meters of indoor space in eight halls, all displaying passenger vehicles plus 80,000 sq m outdoors; 2,100 exhibitors of which 225 were from 18 countries; a total of 890 models, almost 100 brand-new, with 55 concept cars, seven global debuts and 24 Asian debuts. Nearly 10,000 domestic and overseas reporters attended the press days (April 20-21) and 600,000 visitors were expected, including 30,000 foreigners.

The theme, “Dream, Harmony and New Vision” aptly has “dream” as the first word. Independent Chinese car manufacturers — those that have not formed joint ventures with European, American, Japanese or Korean brands — dream of breaking into the European and North American markets, which comprise 50 to 60 percent of the world market. Among the dreamers is Chery, China’s foremost state-owned automaker, which displayed 26 models in a 2,500-sq-m exhibit area, one of the largest in the show. The theme “Safe and Save” underscored Chery’s goal to build much safer, more energy-saving and more eco-friendly cars.

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By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

IN THE PHILIPPINE car industry, there are two groups: the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) and the non-Campi. The non-Campi are considered mavericks or upstarts that, for one reason or another, dropped out of Campi or have not joined the Campi establishment.

Early this month, the non-Campi showcased their products at the 4th Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) at the World Trade Center. The new wrinkle in the 4th MIAS was the participation of two Chinese car manufacturers—Chery Automobile Co. Ltd. and Chana. The newest kids on the block occupied large pavilions and unveiled cute minicars that are priced to grab market share from the Suzuki Alto, Chevrolet Spark and Kia Picanto.

Many people have heard of Chery, which entered the Philippine market last year and now has 28 dealerships all over the country. Geely, another Chinese brand, set up a distribution hub in the Subic Freeport in 2007. But Chana?

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By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

SIX years ago, Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) introduced an out-of-town driving excursion and competition called the Isuzu Challenge to demonstrate the versatility and fuel efficiency of its vehicles. The Isuzu Challenge soon became a much-anticipated annual event for motoring journalists and Isuzu vehicle owners alike.

Lately, IPC has expanded participation in its out-of-town driving events to include the lifestyle as well as the motoring media. IPC’s recent “Great Drive, Great Life” two-day happening, for example, had trendy lifestyle outdoor activities on the agenda such as trap shooting, cruising aboard a yacht around Subic Bay, horseback riding and sailing as well as the usual driving skill contest of an off-road slalom course and river crossing with the 2008 Isuzu Alterra.

Apparently, IPC is presenting its flagship model, the Alterra, in a new light. Strong, durable, reliable, all-terrain and fuel-efficient, yes, but also comfortable, smooth, on-street driveable and well-suited for long family trips and leisure activities. Since the Alterra is built on the same platform as the Global D-Max and is powered by the same engine, it inevitably acquired the rough-and-ready image of a made-over pickup truck rather than a family-friendly sport utility vehicle. IPC is trying to balance that image.

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By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

FORD MOTOR CO.’S sale of its Jaguar and Land Rover brands to India’s Tata Motors Ltd. for $1.7 billion is just one sign of a big shift in the global auto industry.

That an Asian manufacturer producing the world’s cheapest car, the $2,500 Nano, would buy two luxury British marques from an ailing US giant automaker is ironic enough. It could only mean that Tata intends to become a global player, using Jaguar and Land Rover’s advanced technologies to challenge high-end competitors like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

Ford, which lost more than $15 billion in the past two years, sold Jaguar and Land Rover at a loss to help fund its restructuring effort after having spun off assets such as the Hertz car rental agency and Aston Martin.

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By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

“HEY, that’s the same engine!” exclaimed a friend of mine when he opened the hood of the 2008 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G.

This friend, who is technically savvy about cars, was correct. The 10th generation Corolla which debuted in Manila this March is powered by either of two engines: the IZZ-FE 1.8-liter,16-valve, 4-in-line, DOHC, VVT-i or the 3ZZ-FE 1.6-liter, 16-valve, 4-in-line DOHC, VVT-i. These are the same powerplants in the 2004 Corolla Altis.

But with a slight difference: whereas the 1.8-liter 2004 Corolla Altis packed 147 PS/6,000 rpm, the latest 1.8-liter’s horsepower has been reduced to 132 PS/6,000 rpm to comply with Euro 3 emission standards. Max torque is now 170 Nm/4,200 rpm compared to 188 Nm/4,200 rpm in the outgoing model.

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By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DOES the Mazda CX-9 deserve superlatives? Yes, in the sense that it is Mazda’s biggest passenger vehicle, has the largest engine ever in a Mazda and the longest wheelbase in the crossover/SUV class. Moreover, it won the Motor Trend Sport Utility Award for 2008 and was included by Automobile Magazine in its All Stars 2008 list of the 10 Best Cars aside from being voted the North American Truck of the Year by 45 motoring journalists at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The CX-9 also deserves superlatives for its good looks. Sleek, stylishly sculpted and sensuous with a sharply raked windshield, it defies the boxy tradition of its class yet retains the stance and substance of a sport utility vehicle. For me, the four 20-inch tires shoved right to the corners are the CX-9’s most eye-catching feature, revealing its zoom-zoom capability and adding muscle to an already powerful package.

Built on the same platform as the Mazda6 sedan and launched on the market in 2007, the CX-9 has been upgraded for 2008 with a bigger engine displacement, from 3.6 liters to a 3.7-liter 24-valve DOHC V6 with variable valve timing. The upgrade increased horsepower from 263 to 273 bhp and upped max torque from 249 lb ft to 270 lb ft/4,500 rpm, a welcome boost for the CX-9’s size and weight exceeding two tons.

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By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE HOTTEST debate in town involves something vital to motorists: fuel. Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who ironically enough authored the Biofuels Act of 2007, wants to apply the brakes on its implementation, citing the recent warning of 1998 Nobel laureate for chemistry Dr. Hartmut Michel that our government’s biofuels program could endanger the country’s food security and harm the environment.

The Biofuels Act, which was signed into law in January 2007, requires the oil industry to sell diesel with a minimum 1 percent biodiesel blend (B1) within three months after the signing of the law and gasoline with 5 percent bioethanol (E5) in two years. The Biofuels Act aims to reduce the nation’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, save hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign exchange annually, cut the carbon-dioxide emissions believed to cause global warming and revive the moribund sugar and coconut industries.

Santiago’s call for a review of the Biofuels Act was immediately challenged by Sen. Miguel Zubiri, author of the House of Representatives’ version of the biofuels law when he was a congressman. Countering the argument that converting hundreds of thousands of hectares of arable land from food crops to biofuel crops will cause food shortages, Zubiri clarified that since bioethanol will be derived from sugarcane, there is no need to tap other arable land areas. And since sugar is only an additive, not an essential food staple like rice or corn, planting more sugar for bioethanol production will not sacrifice food security.

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By Aida Sevilla Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

TAKE one look at the 2008 Dodge Caliber and tell me: Is it a compact sport utility vehicle? A wagon? Or a compact car?

CATS Motors Inc., the Philippine distributor of Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep, is marketing the Caliber as a compact car, having launched it in Manila last October as the entry-premium compact car of Dodge. In Europe, the Caliber was introduced last spring as a sporty compact car representing the brand’s entry into the European market.

More SUV-like

However, the Caliber looks more like a car-based SUV than a passenger car. It shares the same platform and drivetrain with the Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot, both of which are compact SUVs. It is taller and roomier than the Dodge Neon sedan (which it replaces), the Mazda3 hatchback and the Chevrolet Optra wagon (its competitors.) The driver’s seat is high like an SUVís. The broad shoulders, sculpted fenders, 17-inch wheels and swaggering stance are very SUV.

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