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AFTER
the Volvo C30 won the Petron 2007 Car of the Year Awards
late last year, Volvo went on a marketing binge. An
event here, a launch there and even some
out-of-the-country trips to showcase the excellence of
its vehicles.
But
nothing tops what Volvo began a few weeks ago. It was
called the “Life is Better Lived Together” campaign, and
in true Volvo fashion, it gave motoring journalists a
chance to drive one of its premier cars to, where else,
but a premier location to receive top-class service. The
catch was that we had to take pictures and put on photo
paper what the slogan really stood for. (There is a
prize for this, too!)
This
writer was assigned the Laguna leg and the Volvo XC70.
We were also billeted at the world-famous Casa San Pablo
in San Pablo City, Laguna, a former Spanish estate
turned into a resort. Its
Old World beauty and ambiance were complementary to the modern yet
noble treat of a Volvo.
Now, let
me describe Casa San Pablo. Its entrance opens to a
small trail, which leads to another smallish gate. It’s
as if the owners really wanted it to be for a certain
clientele and not for public consumption.
There is
a main house in the middle, on top of a small rise in
the land surrounded by pine trees and coconuts. Right
beside it is another building for the kitchen and dining
area, where visitors all come out to eat and obviously
to meet each other. This seems to be the main aim:
getting everyone to eat in one place.
Then
there are cabins surrounding the whole estate where each
room has its own theme. Loi Concepcion, who knew I was
taking my partner Kate and little boy Robby along, gave
us a room full of scale-model cars, my son’s favorite
toys. These toys were all in pristine condition, still
in their boxes and covered the whole room up to the
rafters.
I don’t
know how Johnsy of Hotwire, my driving companion,
appreciated his room, as I did not intrude into his
privacy. But he says it was a great place.
The pool
was across a small creek, and Robby, a natural swimmer,
just spent the whole time at Casa San Pablo in the
water.
Now let
me remind you that
San Pablo
City
is probably the artist capital of the
Philippines
with most National Artists retiring to this idyllic
city. Therefore, it would not be hard to imagine that
Casa San Pablo had artworks all around it, from local
themes to various others.
Now, we
were doing this together, even Johnsy, who was a bit shy
at first, like a whole family. Even Loi, who, by the
way, may be family after all after she declared two
years ago that my son is her future boyfriend (Robby was
only four then) was really living life with us together.
She brought us to this little-known restaurant in
San Pablo
that served the best food in the middle of an
art-and-wildlife setting. Tip: try the kalabaw
dish, it is to die for!
Now for
the ride. We were handed the keys to a sparkling Volvo
XC70, which is probably the hottest thing in SUVs today,
by Lyn Buena, marketing head of Volvo, at the Makati
head office for our trip to San Pablo.
The
Volvo XC70 is a sport-utilified diesel version of the
excellent V70 wagon. It boasts many of the same rugged
features of its predecessor, but with added
capability—including the ability to ford up to a foot of
water—and even more safety systems. While it is no
hottie in looks, sharing its basic profile with the
handsome V70 is not a bad thing, and the interiors are
nearly identical. It also lacks the bulk of many luxury
SUVs, including Volvo’s own XC90, making it an appealing
option for those who need an all-weather-capable luxury
wagon.
The XC70
also drives much nicer than almost any SUV or crossover
you’re going to find, with the whole host of Volvo’s
safety advances stuffed inside and outside that body. It
also offers the same interior as the elegant and
beautiful S80 sedan, making it one of the more
pleasant-driving environments out there today.
Talking
power and torque, the D5 generates a healthy 400 Nm
between 2,000 and 2,750 rpm. Don’t be tempted to think
that this amount of lugging power comes at the expense
of refinement. Run the engine and you’ll get a slight
thrum that will remind you about which pump to pull up
to, but nothing that is going to make you invest in a
more powerful stereo system to drown out the din. On an
equal footing with the better diesels from Audi and
Mercedes, if not quite BMW standard, engine noise is
well-controlled even when ascending the rev range, when
the engine takes on an impressive, albeit muted,
induction roar like a very powerful gas engine. Still, a
sprint to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds is hardly lethargic and
a top speed of 130 mph will be enough for all but the
most speed-addled. The four-wheel-drive system that
allows the XC70 to negotiate undemanding loose surfaces
is a good deal smarter than the one in the V70.
Now,
couple this description with the kind of lifestyle Volvo
tried to give us for this ride and you will see that it
is not so difficult finding a truly wonderful life lived
together. Ask my son. He loves it! |
