Motoring Today Column

Sep 14, 2016

Today marks the start of the grandest display of the latest automobile models in the country. It will also include some models that will have its premier introduction to the Philippine market.

The 5-day Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) starts today all the way to the weekend up to Sunday at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Staged every 2 years, this enormous car showcase is organized by CAMPI (Chamber of Automobile Manufacturers in the Philippines) for all its members to make the public better acquainted with its market offerings and latest automotive technologies.

Here's the alphabetical list of participants, namely: BAIC, BMW, Daewoo Bus, Foton, Honda, Isuzu, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Peugeot, Suzuki, Toyota and Volkswagen.

The organizers have guaranteed that within these 5 days there are not only “many things to see”, there are also “a lot of exciting things to do”.

Part of the slew of things to do is to cast your vote daily for your favorite cars to be part of the exclusive elite line up of the year's most popular automobile models in each category of sedans, SUVs, MPVs, pick ups, sports cars, etc. to win this year's Auto Focus People's Choice Awards. It will also include “the” most popular automobile or the 2016-2017 Automobile of the Year - People's Choice, among Standard distinct from Luxury model line-ups.

STANDARD CATEGORY

1. Ford Explorer
2. Toyota Prado
3. Mitsubishi Pajero
4. Ford Expedition
5. Nissan Patrol Royale

1. Ford Mustang
2. BMW Z4
3. Porsche Carrera S
4. Lamborghini Huracan
5. Porsche Boxter

The voting site can be found right at the lobby of the World Trade Center all throughout the staging of the PIMS - and you get free drinks just for casting your vote.

Continuing what we started last week of listing the country's 10 top-selling automobile manufacturers and importers, what we have now for the motoring public to know is a list of the top-selling models in each of the vehicle categories.

As I mentioned last week, this list has been culled from the documented information of registered vehicles from January to July 2016 with the LTO (Land Transportation Office) as provided by STRADCOM, the official IT provider of the LTO as duly authorized by the LTO itself. To wit; (Based on Categories of Auto Focus People's Choice Awards)

Let me again reiterate that this is part of our duty to inform the general motoring public and there are no intentions whatsoever to put anyone into bad light or favor any particular company.

A formal turnover last week of 31 units of the VW Passat marked the beginning of a formidable partnership between Makati Shangri-La Hotel and Volkswagen Philippines. It also completes the total 80 VW units purchased by the hotel including 40 units of the sub compact sedan Jetta among others.

During the event, where the motoring media was invited we learned that the Makati Shangri-La Hotel was recently voted as the `Best Business Hotel in Manila' by Business Traveller (Asia Pacific), a distinction it has held for seven consecutive years since 2009. On the other hand, the Passat limousine was awarded the `2015 European Car of the Year' and was also recognized in the 2015 Geneva Motor Show for `Best in Class Performance' on interior and technology.

"The combination of power, fuel efficiency and world class German automotive engineering, design and craftsmanship characteristic of every Volkswagen model make the Passat the ideal vehicle for business travellers who choose the Makati Shangri-La as their hotel, assuring them of premium comfort and convenience even during airport transfers," remarked John Paul "JP" Orbeta, the very amiable VW Philippines president during the formal turnover ceremonies held at the Shangri-La Hotel.  

The latest project of the SPMJ (Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists) proved that indeed most of the automotive industry players are not just preoccupied with the concern to sell more cars in the country, they are also concerned about the country itself.

Dubbed "Driven to Serve", the undertaking's goal is to recognize outstanding CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) projects that are being undertaken by the industry and to encourage the others that still don't have any.

On its maiden year, SPMJ has lined up the following categories that would be the basis for the awards of recognition, namely; environment, community development, education and road safety.   

Happy Motoring!!!

For inquiries and comments (email) sunshine.television@yahoo.com