A back-to-back win for the Vios

The Toyota Vios registered its two-in-a-row win as “the country’s most popular automobile” when it was proclaimed as the 2013-2014 Auto Focus Automobile of the Year—People’s Choice after 3 months of public online voting that started last July ending September combined with its sales performance registered with the Land Transportation Office (documented by Stradcom, LTO’s official IT provider) from January to September of this year.

Also recognized as the most preferred model in the Sub-Compact Standard Sedan category for two consecutive years, the Vios registered a sales performance of 11,443 units during the voting period, which is unrivaled by any automobile for this year and in the immediate past years and not only in its category but in all model categories as well.

As was started last year, the awards for “models of the year” in each category have been divided into Standard Models and Luxury Models distinguished by their manufacturers’ or importers’ SRP or Suggested Retail Price.    

Auto Focus People’s Choice for Models of the Year (2013-2014)

Standard Models             Winner Runner-up         

Sub-Compact     Toyota Vios        Mitsubishi Mirage

Compact              Toyota Corolla Altis         Hyundai Elantra

Midsize Sedan   Toyota Camry    Mazda6

Sports Car           Toyota 86            Ford Mustang

MPV      Toyota Innova   Mitsubishi Adventure

Pickup   Toyota Hilux       Ford Ranger

Van        Toyota HiAce     Nissan Urvan

Compact SUV    Hyundai Tucson                Honda CRV

Midsize SUV       Mitsubishi Montero Sport            Toyota Fortuner

Large SUV           Ford Explorer     Mitsubishi Pajero

Open Category Subaru XV           Mitsubishi ASX

Luxury Models

Sub-Compact     MINI Cooper Hatch         Audi A1 Sportback

Compact Sedan                BMW 3-Series   Lexus IS350

Midsize Sedan   Lexus ES350        Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Large Sedan       Porsche Panamera          Chrysler 300C

Sports Car           Chevrolet Camaro           Porsche 911 Carrera S

Van        Toyota Alphard Honda Odyssey

Compact SUV    Lexus RX350       BMW X3

Midsize SUV       BMW X5               Mercedes-Benz

                                ML Class

Large SUV           Toyota Land Cruiser        Nissan Patrol

                                Super Safari

Open Category Audi Q3                BMW X1

Together with the Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards (AFPCA), the Auto Focus Media’s Choice Awards (AFMCA) were also given out last Thursday, November 7 at The Venue, Prism Plaza at the SM Mall of Asia. The Awards Night also coincides with the opening day of the 9th Auto Focus Motor Show & Auto Expo, the country’s biggest outdoor motor show and test drive, which was also held at the MOA, the story of which we also have in today’s column.

The “Media’s Choice Awards” differ from the AFPCA basically because they are voted upon by the most distinguished members of the motoring media (editors, columnists, top-notched broadcast and print journalists) and are based on specific automobile attributes like, Best in Design, Best Engine Performance, Best Safety Features and Best Value for Money, which can only be credibly discerned by actual intimate working knowledge of automobile models through test drives and close scrutiny regularly done by legitimate motoring journalists.   

The Media’s Choice Awards hold equal prestige as the People’s Choice Awards if only due to their very strict and exacting requirements; like a winner cannot be declared unless the votes gathered were an overwhelming majority (60%) of the votes cast, otherwise no winner for that particular category shall be declared.   

The Media’s Choice Awards are similarly divided between those for Standard Models apart from Luxury Models as mixing them all up would not be comparing “apples to apples”, as was insisted upon by the voting motoring journalists themselves.

Although not all awards were actually given, the reason for which I have just previously discussed, the winners are still too many to mention here considering that there are more than 20 model categories for all the 4 awards. You can see the winners’ list in our Auto Focus website well within the week when we would post it.

For those who may not know, Auto Focus is a weekly news and features TV magazine that’s exclusively dedicated to the automobile and the auto industry. The country’s premier automobile show started airing in 1998, aimed precisely to help buoy up the then sagging local automobile industry and over the years has been considered as one of the auto industry’s credible venues for information dissemination regarding industry developments like new auto models, industry concerns, etc.

The Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards was conceived and started in 2005 and had the public polls done through texting and since then have evolved into different modes like voting through ballots printed in the Philippine Star and Top Gear magazine combined with online votes cast in the Auto Focus voting website. The latest innovation is to combine actual sales with votes cast online with corresponding weight values like 60% for sales and the balance of 40% for votes cast online. The yearly endeavor stays in its learning curve until the best equation to determine the country’s most popular vehicles is finally arrived at. Who knows what’s ahead next year.     

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2013-2014 Auto Focus People’s Choice and Media’s Choice Awards!

What wrath!

I was halfway writing about the damage that super typhoon Yolanda brought to the participants of the Auto Focus Motor Show & Auto Expo that was held last week, starting Thursday, November 7, a day before Yolanda wreaked devastating havoc to many parts of our country. 

While I was writing the article I was also glancing and finally watching intently CNN’s report regarding super typhoon Yolanda and how it hit the Philippines and only then did I realize the extent of the damage that it had caused. I was too busy worrying about my project and the damaging effects of the typhoon to my exhibitors not knowing what was happening to those who were directly affected. Then I realized it was too miniscule compared to the losses of our countrymen and the suffering they are now going through.

With your kind indulgence, I shall stop writing about it now. Perhaps at a later time. I have actually deleted what I have written with total embarrassment for a misplaced concern. But for now please join me as I pray for our countrymen. Let’s all pray for their well-being and their survival in these trying times.   

LORD, please bless them.

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