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‘WHY fix
it when it ain’t broke?”
So go
the oft-repeated words, which apply to most things in
life.
For
Isuzu Philippines Corp., (IPC) the vehicle that is a hit
with customers simply needs no replacement. Just an
upgrade in style and performance will do.
Yes,
Isuzu hit the proverbial jackpot when it introduced the
Crosswind in 2001. In fact, more than 5,000 units have
been sold nationwide, and it became a byword among their
loyal customers who look for comfort and style in their
pursuit of entrepreneurial passion.
With
five variants now selling like hotcakes in the market,
led by the ever-reliable Sportivo, Isuzu Crosswind
underwent another facelift of sorts “for an unbelievable
ride that’s simply great in 2008.”
Anticipation,
Isuzu Philippines
Corp. president Keiji Takeda (left) and vice president
for corporate business Arthur Balmadrid engage in a
pre-event huddle before takeoff.
And to
announce the fact, a fitting event was held recently for
the members of the media, and it was called the “Isuzu
Crosswind Sun & Sand Drive,” which was supported by
Petron Diesel Max (official fuel), Unilever and Thule.
Several journalists took the wheel of various Crosswind
variants as they participated in a two-day event that
was filled with fun and enjoyment on the popular island
of Boracay. No less than IPC president Keiji Takeda led
the charge together with other IPC officials.
Aside
from the Sportivo, other Crosswind variants that were
made available for the members of the media to drive
from Kalibo to Caticlan were the XL, XT, XTI and the XUV.
I was lucky to be driving the XUV right from Kalibo and
a tour of the city that brought us to the different
tourist spots such as the Aklan Freedom Shrine, Bakhawan
Eco-Tourism Park, Pińa Village and Museo It Akean.
The new
XUV, just like the Sportivo, has various innovative
additions to its design to underscore its “Understated
Elegance.”
The new,
sleek design roof rail is now very visible to complement
and highlight the sporty looks and aerodynamic design of
the Crosswind, while the new rear spoiler with two
side-holes was fitted for more aerodynamic and fuel
efficiency. To add a more head-turning look to the XUV,
three new colors were introduced, and they are glacial
white, onyx black and light blue metallic, while the
Sportivo has canyon red, onyx black and infinite gold.
A
“spear-like” design rear spare cover complements the
overall look while the front radiator grille center
billet gives the Crosswind a more SUV look. The rear
combination lamp with much darker red shades on brake
light is one added safety feature, while the lamp
garnish serves to complement and highlight the curves in
the vehicle exterior.
Getting
inside the new Crosswind is like getting inside an
elegant SUV. The new Sportivo features beige and black
combination interior color all the way through the
dashboard and seat assembly, with leather
perforated/vinyl combination materials with embroidered
Sportivo logo on the headrest. This is softer and
plusher than the materials used in previous models. On
the other hand, the XUV has the same interior color
theme with vinyl and jersey combination material.
While
the new Sportivo has a single in-dash DVD with 3.5”
monitor and iPod interface with audio-control steering
wheel in black accent control panel, the XUV sports a
single in-dash CD/MP3/tuner with USB port and iPod ready
for those audiophiles.
As
mentioned before, Isuzu did not bother to change
anything under the hood since the same machine has been
powering thousands of Crosswinds up to this day with the
same stamina and efficiency. After more than an hour,
the convoy of Crosswind vehicles reached the Caticlan
port, where we boarded a ferry to Boracay.
Isuzu
established another milestone with the all-new Crosswind
Sportivo as it was the first-ever SUV on the
island of
Boracay.
We were
amazed to see it lead a convoy of all-terrain vehicles
(ATVs) driven by the media on the steep and rocky uphill
trails of Mount Luho toward the viewpoint. Aside from
buggies and ATVs, the trail is accessible only on foot
or by horseback.
It was
the first of three activities participated in by the
media, who were bunched into four groups of four members
each. Teams had to spot the names of various Isuzu
dealers along the trail. “There are 27 dealerships and
satellite offices,” according to vice president for
corporate business Art Balmadrid, who really did a great
job of staging the event.
After
that, the group proceeded to a beautiful place called
Asya Cove, where two more competitions were held—the
“Isuzu Crosswind Logo Sand Sculpting/Isuzu Crosswind
Trivia” and the “Isuzu Crosswind: Mother of all loads.”
The whole group was welcomed to the said cove with a
cultural presentation by the Boracay Performing Arts and
a sumptuous merienda.
After
the smoke of the heated battle lifted, the team led by
Auto Review’s Ron de los Reyes was declared the overall
winner, with STV’s Jenny Bleza, Manila Standard Today’s
Markku Seguerra and Manila Times’ Rome Jorge. My team,
whose other members included BusinessWorld’s Ikka de
Guzman, Top Gear’s Paulo Subido and Auto Extreme’s
Joselu Romualdez, emerged as the first runners-up. Other
journalists who participated were Pinky Colmenares,
Charles Buban, Dino Directo, James Deakin, Butch Gamboa,
Anjo Perez, Ronald de los Reyes and Alberto Desamero.
Aside
from president Takeda and Balmadrid, other IPC officials
who came along were Ronald Baladad, Fidel Portillo, Lara
Jill Santos, Lea Latosa, Ariel Colle and Hermes Canon.
The
awarding ceremony was held during a dinner by the beach
at the elegant and classy Discovery Shores, where the
whole group was billeted. |
