INQUIRER.net executive editor Leo Magno takes the 2009 Ford Escape for a spin. In this review, he discusses the smaller, more economical SUV that costs more than P1 million.
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The INQUIRER.net VDO team reviews the Toyota Previa, a luxury minivan worth more than P2 million, via a road trip spanning more than 600 kilometers. With a little twist for Halloween, the Previa goes through the highways as its passengers inquire about the vehicle's features.
Would you hang on to a Subaru, stand on one leg and raise your arm above your head for six hours without letting go? Well, 28 pople did last Saturday, September 20, at the Greenhills open parking lot in front of the Greenhills Theater in San Juan for a chance to win P50,000.
At the Celebrity and Media Edition of the Subaru Impreza Challenge, 28 contestants from show business and the media placed their right palms flat on certain parts of two Subarus for six hours. This was a teaser for the main event which happens October 10, 11 and 12 in the same area where the winner will be flown to Singapore to compete in the Asian version of the challenge. The winner in the Singapore contest will win a Subaru Impreza WRX.
The record in the Singapore challenge is 77 straight hours, with five-minute bathroom breaks every six hours. In the Philippine Celebrity and Media Challenge, however, the challengers hung on for six hours with a 10-minute break after the first three hours. The winner for Media would get P50,000, then another P50,000 for the Celebrities. Who won? Watch the video to find out!
The record in the Singapore challenge is 77 straight hours, with five-minute bathroom breaks every six hours. In the Philippine Celebrity and Media Challenge, however, the challengers hung on for six hours with a 10-minute break after the first three hours. The winner for Media would get P50,000, then another P50,000 for the Celebrities. Who won? Watch the video to find out!
By Leo Magno
INQUIRER.net
ALTHOUGH the 2008 Toyota Prius can hold its own in terms of stylishness and exterior aesthetics and aerodynamics, it is what lies within this vehicle that strikes me more than its superficial construction.
I've never been one to adore form. Rather, I go for substance. And that's what I found most appealing in this vehicle. My own vehicles are not well-taken cared off on the outside, but their engines are humming like bulls raging to be released on the streets of Pamplona -- whether it's the color-coding car or my own daily road warrior.
Beauty fades. Your cars will get dented and they will get old and ugly. You may even encounter fender-benders and those moronic street kids who steal side mirrors. But with the Prius I couldn't care less as long as its second-generation hybrid system continues to work its magic whether it's the high-output electric motor or the internal combustion engine that's making it move quickly and efficiently.
Yes, the Prius is a hybrid much like Michael Phelps who is half-man, half-shark. The vehicle runs on both a zero-emission, battery-run electric motor and a gas-fed engine. I don't know what Phelps runs on. During our test run of more than 200 kilometers, we achieved on the average more than 16 kilometers per liter of unleaded gas. In Metro Manila traffic, I even achieved 21 kpl over five days of city driving. Not bad for a 1.5-liter vehicle which gallops like my 1.8-liter car. And gallop this car can -- you can overtake vehicles with confidence at high speeds because the engine still has more to pump. Some people are even "hacking" the Prius so that it would run on pure EV (electric vehicle) mode. But as it is now, the vehicle saves a lot of gas during stop-and-go traffic because it runs on battery power, only to use gas as you drive faster. Toyota even plans to unveil a "pluggable" version which you can plug into an electric wall socket to charge the battery, which will in the future use lithium ion, the same kind of batteries used in laptops and cellular phones. This is not to say, however, that in the future you can just park your Prius beside the nearest Starbucks and use your cell phone charger or laptop adapter to juice up your car while sipping on latté. But enough of the talk. Watch our trip from Makati, Kawit in Cavite, Tagaytay, Laguna and back as we test drive the Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle, and see for yourself.
Yes, the Prius is a hybrid much like Michael Phelps who is half-man, half-shark. The vehicle runs on both a zero-emission, battery-run electric motor and a gas-fed engine. I don't know what Phelps runs on. During our test run of more than 200 kilometers, we achieved on the average more than 16 kilometers per liter of unleaded gas. In Metro Manila traffic, I even achieved 21 kpl over five days of city driving. Not bad for a 1.5-liter vehicle which gallops like my 1.8-liter car. And gallop this car can -- you can overtake vehicles with confidence at high speeds because the engine still has more to pump. Some people are even "hacking" the Prius so that it would run on pure EV (electric vehicle) mode. But as it is now, the vehicle saves a lot of gas during stop-and-go traffic because it runs on battery power, only to use gas as you drive faster. Toyota even plans to unveil a "pluggable" version which you can plug into an electric wall socket to charge the battery, which will in the future use lithium ion, the same kind of batteries used in laptops and cellular phones. This is not to say, however, that in the future you can just park your Prius beside the nearest Starbucks and use your cell phone charger or laptop adapter to juice up your car while sipping on latté. But enough of the talk. Watch our trip from Makati, Kawit in Cavite, Tagaytay, Laguna and back as we test drive the Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle, and see for yourself.
FOR a fee of P500, a student at the University of the the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City can use a Padyak bicycle for a semester. Some 60 Padyak bicycles are now in use on the sprawling campus, providing students an alternative to taking a public utility jeepney or using a car or motorcycle.
The benefits of using a Padyak are many, including helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enjoying the freedom to move quickly around the campus at one’s convenience.
If the students on the waiting list are any indication, there’s an unmet demand for an environment-friendly mode of transportation on the campus.
Compared with the student population of some 23, 300, the number of Padyak bikes is small. Support from the alumni and groups for the UP Mountaineers-initiated program will certainly boost the number of Padyak bikes in the coming semesters.
'I help lessen smoke emission'
By Ina Ocampo
UP MA Education student
Padyak is a convenient means of transport for me to go around the campus. I was one of the first people to try out the Padyak bikes. I started using it in the 2nd semester of schoolyear 2007-2008.
I usually take the jeep or walk to get around the campus. With the bike, I can go around the university for my classes at the College of Education, but at times I use it to go to other buildings and tambayan. My college is roughly a kilometer away from my residence.
There’s a regulation that Padyak bikes be used just inside the UP campus. The distinctive design on the wheel helps the organization keep track of the bikes just in case the rider goes out of the campus.
What are the advantages of using a bike? One is, I get to exercise. Another is, it’s easier to go around the campus, especially now that there’s a bike lane and one-way academic oval. (The bike lane was launched almost at the same time as Padyak.) I save money because I don’t need to ride the Ikot jeep.
I also save time because I don’t have to wait for an Ikot jeep. I don’t use a car, so I help lessen smoke emission. I still look good riding a bike. My clothes are not limited to pants or shorts; I can wear a skirt.The bike has a basket in front and a rack at the back where I can put my things.
There are designated parking areas for the bike, but not all buildings have bike racks. When it’s raining, I can’t use the bike unless I don a poncho.
How has the bike changed my routine on campus? I’m not as stressed as before because I don’t have to rush when I need to go to another place at once.
Before, I either walked fast which was really tiring or waited for the Ikot jeep. Now, I can relax because I know that I can easily get to where I’m going because of the bike.
Sam got me to know every nook and cranny of university
By Isabela Maria S. Aguilar
3rd Year Bachelor in Secondary Education
Last summer, I saw my friend Ina wearing a green shirt with Padyak written on it. I didn’t mind it at first until I saw the Padyak itself. It was a green bike with special green disks on the wheels.
She told me that it was a project of the UP Mountaineers. “Is this why a bike lane suddenly sprouted on the academic oval?” I asked myself.
A few weeks later, I went to Ina’s house and saw Padyak. Yep, she named it that, since it was one of the first bikes used for the test run. I jokingly asked Ina to lend me Padyak. She said that she’d ask if I could, since she was not enrolled.
A few days later, I got a message saying that I could use the bike for the summer. I wasn’t prepared; I couldn’t even remember the last time I rode a bike. Fortunately, I didn’t lose my skills. I got to my class on time. I only had one class, but it was at the other end of the campus.
Before I had the bike, I either walked and arrived in class sweating and tired, or waited forever for that Toki jeepney to come.
When I was on the bike and my backpack in the basket, I got to class on time and still fresh for the day’s lesson.
A new schoolyear started, and I got to ride another Padyak. This time it was a red one, a mama-chan with the basket in front and a rack at the rear where you can either tie things onto, or like in the Korean TV series “Full House,” take a friend for a ride.
Having classes just a few steps away from the dormitory, like in Palma Hall and Benitez Hall (the College of Education building), didn’t stop me from maximizing the use of the bike, which, by the way, I named Sam. I would bike my way to the Shopping Center, my friend’s house in Area 1, the gym and even to the UP Coop store, which is near Krus na Ligas.
My friends and I even rode all the way to the Executive House, parked our bikes and walked a few meters to have lunch at KNL.
Padyak bikes are to be used only on the campus. This is quite a disadvantage since biking your way to almost everywhere helps you save a few pesos and help lessen pollution. It is a good way to exercise, too.
Nevertheless, using the Padyak helped me get to where I need to go and know every nook and cranny of the university. My friends and I would, from time to time, plan to have a few rounds on the oval, especially at night and whenever it would rain.
The Padyak has made me see distance as something that one can conquer in any way one can, even if it means walking from the Shopping Center to the new Physics building.
(These articles are also published in Philippine Daily Inquirer's Talk of the Town. Photos by Manix Abrera)
'I help lessen smoke emission'
By Ina Ocampo
UP MA Education student
Padyak is a convenient means of transport for me to go around the campus. I was one of the first people to try out the Padyak bikes. I started using it in the 2nd semester of schoolyear 2007-2008.
I usually take the jeep or walk to get around the campus. With the bike, I can go around the university for my classes at the College of Education, but at times I use it to go to other buildings and tambayan. My college is roughly a kilometer away from my residence.
There’s a regulation that Padyak bikes be used just inside the UP campus. The distinctive design on the wheel helps the organization keep track of the bikes just in case the rider goes out of the campus.
What are the advantages of using a bike? One is, I get to exercise. Another is, it’s easier to go around the campus, especially now that there’s a bike lane and one-way academic oval. (The bike lane was launched almost at the same time as Padyak.) I save money because I don’t need to ride the Ikot jeep.
I also save time because I don’t have to wait for an Ikot jeep. I don’t use a car, so I help lessen smoke emission. I still look good riding a bike. My clothes are not limited to pants or shorts; I can wear a skirt.The bike has a basket in front and a rack at the back where I can put my things.
There are designated parking areas for the bike, but not all buildings have bike racks. When it’s raining, I can’t use the bike unless I don a poncho.
How has the bike changed my routine on campus? I’m not as stressed as before because I don’t have to rush when I need to go to another place at once.
Before, I either walked fast which was really tiring or waited for the Ikot jeep. Now, I can relax because I know that I can easily get to where I’m going because of the bike.
Sam got me to know every nook and cranny of university
By Isabela Maria S. Aguilar
3rd Year Bachelor in Secondary Education
Last summer, I saw my friend Ina wearing a green shirt with Padyak written on it. I didn’t mind it at first until I saw the Padyak itself. It was a green bike with special green disks on the wheels.
She told me that it was a project of the UP Mountaineers. “Is this why a bike lane suddenly sprouted on the academic oval?” I asked myself.
A few weeks later, I went to Ina’s house and saw Padyak. Yep, she named it that, since it was one of the first bikes used for the test run. I jokingly asked Ina to lend me Padyak. She said that she’d ask if I could, since she was not enrolled.
A few days later, I got a message saying that I could use the bike for the summer. I wasn’t prepared; I couldn’t even remember the last time I rode a bike. Fortunately, I didn’t lose my skills. I got to my class on time. I only had one class, but it was at the other end of the campus.
Before I had the bike, I either walked and arrived in class sweating and tired, or waited forever for that Toki jeepney to come.
When I was on the bike and my backpack in the basket, I got to class on time and still fresh for the day’s lesson.
A new schoolyear started, and I got to ride another Padyak. This time it was a red one, a mama-chan with the basket in front and a rack at the rear where you can either tie things onto, or like in the Korean TV series “Full House,” take a friend for a ride.
Having classes just a few steps away from the dormitory, like in Palma Hall and Benitez Hall (the College of Education building), didn’t stop me from maximizing the use of the bike, which, by the way, I named Sam. I would bike my way to the Shopping Center, my friend’s house in Area 1, the gym and even to the UP Coop store, which is near Krus na Ligas.
My friends and I even rode all the way to the Executive House, parked our bikes and walked a few meters to have lunch at KNL.
Padyak bikes are to be used only on the campus. This is quite a disadvantage since biking your way to almost everywhere helps you save a few pesos and help lessen pollution. It is a good way to exercise, too.
Nevertheless, using the Padyak helped me get to where I need to go and know every nook and cranny of the university. My friends and I would, from time to time, plan to have a few rounds on the oval, especially at night and whenever it would rain.
The Padyak has made me see distance as something that one can conquer in any way one can, even if it means walking from the Shopping Center to the new Physics building.
(These articles are also published in Philippine Daily Inquirer's Talk of the Town. Photos by Manix Abrera)
TRADESHOW INTERNATIONAL INC. president Sophie delos Santos recounts the beginnings of the Trans Sport Show, which is now on its 17th year.
Video taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall.
ONE of the cars showcased at this year's Trans Sport Show is a 1947 MG TC restored by Ben Silvestre.
Video taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall.
CHECK out this video INQUIRER.net reporter Relly Carpio took of world-renowned precision driver Russ Swift wowing the crowd with his driving skills at the show grounds of the Manila International Auto Show 2008
.
For his performances, Swift used the new Subaru Impreza WRX STI and the MI Rally Model, which is an exact replica of the winning Subaru car in the World Rally Championships.
By Relly Carpio
INQUIRER.net
MAZDA has revealed the all-new Mazda MX-5 Retractable Hard Top (RHT) that combines the comfort and convenience of a hard top with the exhilaration of a convertible. The new MX-5 is inspired by the Japanese phrase Jinba Ittai that literally means "oneness between horse and rider."
Check out the video I took.
Sarah Meier, model and MTV VJ, was on hand for the revealing. Eric Malimban, the marketing manager of Mazda Philippines, expressed his excitement about the third-generation Miata, saying, "the Mazda MX-5 RHT is the epitome of Mazda's stylish, innovative brand essence and the realization of the Zoom-Zoom spirit Mazda is known for."
The power RHT takes 12 seconds to open or close. The roof has three parts which fit seamlessly together and electronically folds into a
storage space behind the seats. This mechanism is the world's first RHT system that doesn't take up any of the 150L trunk space.
The new Mazda MX-5 has a perfect 50/50 weight distribution, combined with a "low yaw-inertia moment," that translates to "nimble handling that makes the driver feel as one with the car."
The new MX-5 has an MZR 2.0L engine which can reach 190 Nm of torque and maxes out at 166 hp, specially tuned so that when revved it produces an exhilarating engine note. It has rack-and-pinion with engine-rpm-sensing variable assist. The introductory price of P1.999 million.
By Relly Carpio
INQUIRER.net
CHANA Automobile Co. Ltd., China's largest minivan producer, made its Philippine debut on Thursday at the Manila International Auto Show.
Stephen Sy, president of Focus Ventures Inc., Chana's exclusive Philippine distributor, was on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Chana is offering a wide product range with three distinct categories: the super mini, the minivans and the minitrucks/multi-carry vehicles. All models are equipped with 1.3 liter 16 valve engines. Each comes with a three-year warranty, "which shows our commitment and trust in the product," Sy said.
Their carrier product is the Benni, a super mini, at P438,000, available in manual or automatic, with power steering, driver's airbag, ABS, power windows and front and rear fog lamps. The Benni was styled in Italy, and is a survivor of the Chana Trax Experience, where Chana took their vehicles on an 80-day drive for 26,000 kms from China to South Africa.
Chana also offered three 8-seater compact MPVs -- the Starlight, Star II and the CM8 -- and three compact mini-truck models.
