Hyundai launches the Grand Starex
One of the latest additions to Hyundai’s growing list of franchise dealers nationwide, the Hyundai West Paranaque was the venue for the launch of the newest Hyundai Starex.
“The concept of luxury has changed through the years. Today, luxury means more than just lavish spending. Hyundai has redefined luxury into exceptional up-market comfort that our customers deserve and the convenience of experiencing premium features once thought impossible in, say, family cars” were the words of Ms. Fe Perez-Agudo, president and COO of Hyundai Asia Resources (HARI), exclusive importers and distributors of the wide-selling Korean brand during an on-cam interview with Motoring Today.
Now on its 13th year, HARI introduced two luxury packages under the Starex Gold variant series, Gold Premium and Platinum, both projected to make land travel comparable to that of a private jet.
The spacious cabin comfortably seats nine (9) people with only two (2) back rows leaving more legroom to stretch in. The second row captain seats are available only in Gold Premium and Platinum, is said to offer a special position of roomy exclusivity for discerning passengers. Premium leather generously covers the seats.
Both packages also boast of remarkable cabin features, with the Gold Premium featuring a new 6.5-inch Monitor Entertainment System with GPS Navigation View and two (2) nine-inch headrest-mounted monitors aimed for passengers to enjoy crisp video quality entertainment in every journey.
The Platinum’s Entertainment System has a 22-inch LCD Video Monitor nestled between the driver and the 2nd row, which retracts into a Multimedia In-dash Console System. The cabin’s high-fidelity surround sound system is vaunted to transform the Grand Starex into a personal mobile Home Theater, a real convenience in the midst of today’s bumper-to- bumper traffic.
There are other remarkable features of this new Hyundai offering that you should see and experience for yourselves to appreciate best.
Check them out in any Hyundai showroom located nationwide.
Volkswagen demonstrates class-leading fuel efficiency
Very notable fuel performance figures were recorded in the first Eco Fun Run organized the other week by Automobile Central Enterprise, Inc. (ACEI), exclusive importers and distributors of remarkable Volkswagen vehicles in the country.
The Eco Fun Run is a series of events, which aims to highlight Volkswagen’s highly efficient, eco-friendly turbocharged diesel (TDI) engine variants.
The first leg of the series, with an average distance of 152 kilometers had 18 motoring media participants, each vying to set the record for the most economical fuel mileage achieved, with the results of the fuel economy event verified by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Division of the Department of Energy.
The flag off of the Eco Run was at the SLEX with a driver and a navigator composing a team. The convoy stopped for lunch at the Coritos Garden in Lipa City and then flagged in for measurements at a service station in Taguig before proceeding back to Volkswagen’s mother dealership at the Bonifacio Global City.
At the start of the event, ACEI’s affable president and CEO, John Philip “JP” Orbeta gave the motoring journalists an idea of what to expect in their hands-on experience with the world-renowned Volkswagen vehicles, “Being a relatively new brand in the market, allow me to emphasize that Volkswagen is the world’s largest producer of diesel engines. Our turbocharged diesel (TDI) engines feature the latest in common rail injection technology, making them responsive and fun to drive, as well as being incredibly efficient”.
And many journalists were saying after the Eco Run that “incredibly efficient” may be an understatement for Volkswagen vehicles, especially in the fuel efficiency department when the verified results came out with the Polo 1.6 TDI registering 18.4 kilometers per liter, the Jetta 2.0 TDI with an amazing 29.5 kilometers per liter and the Tiguan SUV TDI with 27.4 kilometers per liter—indeed “incredibly efficient”.
Isuzu’s “World on Wheels” in Cebu was a big success
Cebu City, the “queen city of the south” was chosen by Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) as the venue for their biggest event in the Visayas this year. The Isuzu World on Wheels was held last October 16-17 at the Oakridge Pavilion in Banilad where IPC displayed an array of their proud lineup of reliable, durable and fuel-efficient vehicles for the benefit of motoring enthusiasts residing in the region.
“Cebu has always been, and remains to be, one of Isuzu Philippines Corporation’s strongest markets,” said Nobuo Izumina, the very friendly IPC president. “This is hardly surprising as the place’s mix of highly urbanized areas and breathtaking agricultural and seaside landscape makes it the perfect setting for Isuzu vehicles, which are well-equipped to serve both leisure and utility purposes. It is only fitting that we at IPC continue to provide Cebuanos the best that the Isuzu brand can offer, and at present, this means introducing to them the All-New mu-X,” the soft-spoken Isumina-san added.
On center stage in the well-attended event was none other than the All-New Isuzu mu-X, which was launched just a few days before the recent staging of the 5th Philippine International Motor Show, where the model was considered as one of the certified crowd drawers. The All-New mu-X, IPC’s flagship SUV model, has been vaunted to be loaded with advanced technological and design features that make the premium vehicle truly “Ready to Impress”.
Along with the All-New mu-X, the huge indoor and outdoor display also had on the spotlight the best models that IPC offers in the local market. These included one of their bestselling models in the country — the 2015 Isuzu Crosswind XT Limited Edition, the 2014 Isuzu D-MAX X-Series pickup in either A/T or M/T version, its commercial vehicles like the i-Van UV express shuttle or school bus, D-MAX cab and chassis with passenger van body, NHR Flexiqube, NKR light-duty truck and even a marine engine, among other world-class Isuzu diesel-powered models. And completing the treat for Cebuanos, all these Isuzu vehicles were made available for test-drives during the duration of the 2-day show.
Congratulations to IPC for the smashing success of this year’s Isuzu World of Wheels that was held in Cebu.
Mitsubishi ASX test drive
Following in the heels of their exclusive media launch of the 2015 Mitsubishi ASX two weeks back, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) invited about 20 members of the motoring media to a leisurely drive from Manila to Poro Point, in La Union.
The stress-free, laid-back test drive of the Mitsubishi ASX GSR variant was flagged-off at the Mitsubishi dealership in EDSA, Kalookan City with a stopover for heavy breakfast that had everybody having big-sized waffles and pancakes for dessert in a service station located along the NLEX and it was relaxed driving all the way to the north.
The 280-kilometer ride and drive to the posh Thunderbird Resort & Casino was marked with different types of driving depending on who’s behind the wheel, varying from unhurried to “todo-banat,” but of course all within the legal speed limits as MMPC would have nothing outside of that.
And what a way to discover the many features the Mitsubishi ASX has to offer. We had the top-of-the-line GSR variant in our hands and it was like having the best of both worlds in gear shifting—automatic and the manual-like 6-speed Sportronic transmission complete with paddle shifters. The 2-litre, 16-valve DOHC gasoline engine with MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control) system was really a joy to ride with 150 horses always at your instant command.
The invited members of the motoring media, after a good afternoon rest following a sumptuous lunch in this well-known leisure destination in the north, found themselves bonding together again this time for an evening of more good food and enjoying or enduring good and not so good singing demonstrations.
The singing experience turned out to be an informal face-off between the “very young” and the “young” singing talents—with the line being drawn by the kind of songs you choose to sing from the karaoke songbook.
The “young” group was headed by the very much-read syndicated sports columnist and Business-Mirror motoring columnist, Al “Sir Paul” Mendoza with songs by the Beatles and Bee Gees to include OPMs like the hit “Blusang Itim”, which I learned that night to be one of Sir Paul’s secret favorites.
The “very young” group included the likes of Bulletin motoring editor Inigo Roces, Autoindustria’s Brent Co and Vince Pornelos and surprisingly MMPC’s very accommodating VP for marketing services Froy Dytianquin, most of whose songs Sir Paul and I didn’t know or have never heard of. It was a “draw” that was declared though despite the fact that by almost the night’s end the “young” group was able to dig up some medleys from Matt Monroe, the Beatles and Elvis Presley.
It was a laid-back, fun-filled test drive with Arlan Reyes, MMPC top honcho for advertising and promotions and his able assistant, Rosemary Cruz making sure all loose ends are taken care of all the time and for that we from the motoring media say thank you so much.
Great event.
4-day free test drive event
All roads lead to the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds for all automobile enthusiasts and those in the market for their first or next car for free test drives of brand new vehicles from the country’s top automobile manufacturers and importers.
The Auto Focus Pre Christmas Test Drive Festival happens from November 6 to 9, from 11am to 9 o’clock in the evening.
A “must not miss” event. Be there!
Happy Motoring!!!
Contact [email protected] / [email protected].
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