Crosswind, meet Typhoon Juaning

Having the year’s first big storm happen during your company event is generally a bad thing. Typhoon Juaning brought heavy rains, flooding and gusty winds strong enough to topple down trees. That aside, all these bleary weather mishaps were still not enough to stop the Isuzu Crosswind on an outing for Izuzu Philippines Corporation’s (IPC) 14th anniversary celebration.

To commemorate this milestone, IPC decided to host a long drive — using their award-winning Crosswind vehicles — to Camarines Sur in the Bicol region. The trip, covering almost 400 kilometers, passed through charming countryside views and steady open roads. Everything was going according to plan — up until, of course, Typhoon Juaning broke into Philippine jurisdiction over Bicol, over the region we were driving in.

Open roads became hazardous, with patches of water that can cause hydroplaning. Visibility was affected because of the heavy deluge. But thanks to IPC’s careful planning, we didn’t run out of snacks in the car. And the Crosswind handled itself exceptionally well, considering all the unforeseen difficulties. This is most likely one of the reasons the Crosswind remains on the list of top 10 best-selling cars in the country.

The Isuzu Crosswind has more going for it than being a typhoon vehicle, however. It is also a ride created with economy in mind: it was made for those who believe in saving their hard-earned pesos. The Crosswind registered a fuel-efficiency rating of 21.64 kilometers per liter of diesel at the 2010 Isuzu Challenge, and 18.03 kilometers per liter at the 2008 Department of Energy Fuel Economy Run. Numbers like that are sure to keep it high on the list of potential buyers.

New Crosswind features for 2011 include headlights with clear lenses and black outline, black-finish radiator grille base, a black center console, clear-lens turn signals (XTi); and new audio head units (JVC KD-R516 for XTi; Sony CDX GT 300S for XT; and JVC KD-G206 for XL variants).

The XUV and Sportivo models feature a new one-piece sports bumper at the rear, complete with built-in reflectors; new-design rear-quarter molding, oval-shaped tailpipe finisher, black-finish sidestep board, clear-lens turn signals, black upper and front console, black rear console box, and beige-and-black seat material for driver and front passenger.

The body colors available for the 2011 Crosswind are Rich Red (XTi and Sportivo), Cyanine Green (XTi and XUV), Midnight Blue (XT and Sportivo), Moroccan Gold (XTi and SUV), Glacial White (XT, XL and XUV), Titanium Silver (XT and XL) and Ebony Black (Sportivo).

The revamp of the Crosswind is in line with IPC’s 14th anniversary promo for all their passenger vehicles. “Isang Pasasalamat Mula Sa Isuzu” offers outright discounts to buyers of Isuzu passenger vehicles. Customers can avail of discounts of up to P65,000 for the Alterra, P30,000 for the D-Max and P35,000 for the Crosswind. There’s also a loyalty reward program in which long-time Isuzu customers automatically get a P10,000 cash reward for either purchasing a new Isuzu vehicle or referring a buyer. Yet another promotion, “The Crosswind Sportivo Choose Your Own Treat,” gives Crosswind buyers a chance to win either a P100,000 vacation package or a P100,000 entertainment package. Consolation prizes include SM gift certificates worth as much as P30,000. Talk about a rainy season celebration.

Needless to say, our group made it to the CWC in Camarines Sur safe and in one piece. We were able to drive there with confidence using the Crosswind. Driving through a typhoon? That was one hell of a test drive.

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E-mail me at enricomiguelsubido@gmail.com.