Toyota launches 2006 Vios

Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMPC) took the launching of the latest model Vios, which has been redesigned with new exterior features and interior refinements, to remind everyone about the exceptional market performance of their banner bet in the small passenger car segment.

TMPC proudly announced that since its highly successful launch in 2003, the Toyota Vios has been the undisputed leader in the small passenger car segment in the country, grabbing almost 48% of its market this year and sales of over 700 units per month in the first eight months of 2005 alone, making it the leading car in its class by a large margin.

As always, as in all Toyota hosted affairs, the motoring journalists came in full force and as always food was a-plenty. The top Toyota executives were all on hand to welcome the motoring media from Ariel de Jesus, to Jing Atienza, Raymond Rodriguez, Danny "Sir John’ Isla, Sonny Guerrero, Serafin "Afin" Pantaleon and Kenji Nakashima. TMPC’s gentle president Nobuharu Tabata was apologetic about being a little late but after all he’s the president and he’s well-loved, so it didn’t really matter.

Checking on the 2006 model of the Vios while displayed at the stage of the ballroom of Bellevue Hotel in Alabang, the new exterior features that really stood out include, a sporty front grille with a new flat-mesh design with a more prominent trim. It also has a newly repositioned turn signal lamps and new round-design fog lamps. The top-of-the-line Vios 1.5G is now supported by bigger new seven-spoke 185/60R 15-inch alloy wheels while the Vios 1.3E variant has a new eight-spoke-design 14-inch alloy wheel.

Inside, the latest model Vios has a new seat fabric material, which Toyota feels helps in raising the bar in aesthetics and comfort. Now to ensure the perfect driving position especially for long trips — a new seat adjuster for better driving comfort. A console box lid has also been added and a front passenger seat under tray for greater convenience and extra storage.

Don’t let me rob you of the excitement of discovering for yourself what the new Toyota Vios 2006 model has to offer. Check it out yourself at the nearest Toyota showroom and drive it off for a test drive and really feel for yourself what’s new.

Mitsubishi scores in customer satisfaction

Our friends from Mitsubishi Philippines, Froy Dytianquin and Arlan Reyes had their chance to beat their breasts with this release from J.D. Power Asia Pacific that they sent me via E-Mail which says, "Mitsubishi Ranks Highest in Dealer Sales satisfaction in the Philippines."

The release continues, "Now on its fifth year, the study examines customer satisfaction with the vehicle sales and delivery process. The sales satisfaction index is composed of six factors covering the different aspects of the sales experience. In order of importance, these factors are: salesperson, paperwork, delivery process, delivery timing, deal and dealer facility."

"Mitsubishi improves 13 points from 2004 to receive the industry’s highest sales satisfaction index score. Mitsubishi also leads the industry in three of the six factors–salesperson, delivery process and delivery timing."

Way to go guys. I can almost hear Mel Dizon saying, "What was that you were saying about Mitsubishi?"

Congratulations to Mitsubishi Motors Philippines!

Motoring Tip of the Week

Considering the spate of "carjackings" (the criminals don’t ask to have the stolen vehicle ransomed anymore, they now just either sell it as is or disassemble it and sell it part-by-part after they steal it from the victim unknowingly or by force making "carnapping" obsolete) we feel that we should remind you about some basic precautions to take in order not to find yourself a victim of this crime that currently permeates in the metro.

Basic of the basics is to park only in well-lighted and adequately guarded areas or parking lots. It’s not sure-fire but you stand a better chance of seeing your car again where you parked it rather than leave it in a place that’s dark and unguarded, which is so conducive for a criminal mind and for random theft.

You should also remember or remind your driver to avoid staying inside a parked car. That can be an open invitation for the criminal elements to consider you a stationary "sitting duck", where all they would have to do is approach you and stick a gun or a knife in your side and run off with your automobile, with or without you aboard.

Anytime you head back to your vehicle, always be alert and look alert and try to find out if someone is suspiciously following you. In such a situation, don’t immediately proceed to your vehicle but instead go to the nearest policeman or security guard or make a phone call — whatever, if only to make the bad guys, if there really were present, think twice as they find it always much easier to pounce on an unknowing and unprepared prey.

If you can help it, don’t drive alone at night. Now, if that’s routine, it may be a good idea to have your vehicle fully tinted. This somehow eliminates you from a possible random pick for a carjack considering that from the outside the criminal elements would not be able to tell if you were a woman, alone, in group or a policeman from a night shift. They would logically take their chances on a vehicle that has less of these unknowns.

If your vehicle is not tinted and you have to drive at night, try to have others form a convoy with you and put on flashing lights together with the rest to make it known that you are all traveling in a group. A real turn off for the criminals is the presence of numbers, not only for the possibility of their prey to fight back but if only for the likelihood of one of the group sending out an "SOS" or a call for help immediately in case of an incident.

Now while driving alone, especially at night, there are basic dos and don’ts to follow in order to be safe until you reach home or your final destination.

If you have been bumped from behind, don’t stop to check on the possible damage, just go on driving. That’s an old "modus operandi" of the criminals in order for their prey to stop and get out of their vehicles making them easier to intimidate or neutralize. Now, if the vehicle that bumped you stayed in your tail, drive to a place where there are many people visibly present like a big service station or straight to a police precinct.

If you felt that there’s a suspicious-looking vehicle tailing you, put on your emergency flasher and start honking your horn to catch attention until they decide to hightail it. If they kept on your tail, then again go a well-populated place — safety in numbers.

While stopped in a traffic light and someone taps on your window mentioning you to open it — don’t make the mistake of opening it. Just ignore the person and if you can wiggle out of your place and just zoom and go for your life and just "safely" disregard the traffic light, traffic is ultra light at night anyway.

Now, there’s still a mouthful to say about keeping oneself safe while on the road during these challenging times when criminality on the road seems to be on the rise. But to be ahead, the most basic precaution is to be always alert, conscious and aware all the time while on the road or anywhere else.

Happy Motoring!!!

For Comments: (E-Mail) [email protected]