Car wars

The inevitable has happened. Begun the car war has.

This transpired early last week as local automotive giants Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) and Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) finally released definitive price tags on the two new models which promise to bring flagship-type numbers to their local fleets — the City and the Vios. After a protracted postponement caused by the now-you-see-it-coming-now-you-don’t excise tax law, it seems both Japanese car manufacturers have decided that enough is enough. And rightfully so. To say that the buying public is eager to get their hands on these new automobiles could very well be the understatement of the year. Eager motorists are ready to part with hard-earned money for these two new beauties, and now they can.

The all-time favorite but newly-refurbished City comes in five variants, all of which are powered by a 1.3 engine that’s been upgraded and promises some sleek driving pleasure. There’s the entry-level 1.3A Manual Transmission variant, which retails at P539.000; the 1.3S Manual Transmission variant which retails at P569,000; the 1.3S CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) which retails at 609,000; the 1.3S Manual Transmission (w/SRS and ABS) which retails at P619,000; and the 1.3S CVT (w/SRS and ABS) which tops the pack with a P659,000 price tag.

Not to be outdone, the newbie called the Vios (which literally means "to move forward") will have its own set of variants which look to take the race for automotive supremacy to greater levels. Toyota’s subcompact sedan packs a wallop in many respects, too, but the pricing says it all — these two models are going at it straight up. It all starts with the 1.3E M/T which is priced at P578,000; then comes the 1.5G M/T which sells at P643,000 and culminates with the 1.5G A/T which retails at P678,000.

As if firing on mid-caliber cannons were not enough, both HCPI and TMP are coming up with other ammo meant to maximize their winnings on all levels of their sales war. Announced alongside the new City price tags last week, for example, were the 2003 Accord’s suggested retail prices. The 2.0 VTi Automatic Transmission model retails at P1,280,000 while the slightly more souped-up 2.0VTi-L Automatic Transmission variant goes for P1,398,000. This new entry in the M-Class segment looks to take the battle to a field dominated by Toyota’s own Camry model and Nissan’s ever-reliable Cefiro.

TMP, on the other hand, has announced a low-downpayment scheme and low monthly amotization plans for their best-selling Corolla Altis. For as low as P99,000 downpayment, customers can drive home any of the Corolla Altis variants starting with the simple 1.6J to the ultra-luxurious 1.8G. Monthly payments ranging from 12 all the way to 60 months are options that accompany such packages.The details of the new Corolla Altis plans can be discussed in length at any Toyota dealership throughout the country — that’s how far this car war has gone.

This is certainly one war that the public wouldn’t mind seeing through, though. No one’s looking forward to a ceasefire any time soon since everyone knows, however long this war takes, it’s the buying public that gets to raise the winner’s flag in the end.