THE new Mercedes-Benz C-Class with (from left) Apple Ting, Cats marketing manager; Gregorio Yu, chairman of Cats Motors; Felix Ang, Cats Motors president; and Jochen Carle, DaimlerChrysler vice president. --ROY DOMINGO

WHEN Cats Motors formally announced its partnership with DaimlerChrysler in the summer of 2005, it immediately found itself facing up to the challenges of the local car industry.

Greg Yu, chairman of Cats Motors, vividly remembers his welcome speech one evening in April of that year when he said, “our appointment is also a challenge—a challenge to nurture and take care of world-famous brands, a challenge to provide the best possible vehicle ownership experience for car owners, and a challenge to regain the glory and dominance in the Philippines that these brands once enjoyed.”

“We are ready to step up to the challenge. We are ready with our determination, our spirit and our passion,” added Yu, whose words turned out to be prophetic as the years went by.

In another welcome speech before the members of the media on June 21 at the Esplanade Hall of the SM Mall of Asia during the launch of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Yu was quick to point out the substantial growth of the brand in the Philippine market.

“Our sales volume grew by 6 percent in 2005 as the luxury segment fell by 5 percent. In 2006 we grew by 48 percent, while the luxury segment grew by only 3 percent. As of May of this year, we have grown 36 percent, while the luxury segment fell by 1 percent. From a perennial third in terms of market share in the said segment, Mercedes-Benz took over the No. 2 spot in January and we’ve been narrowing the gap between us and the No. 1 competitor,” said Yu, who was very optimistic about the launching of the new C-Class, which, he claims, will help close that gap even more.

The introduction of the fourth-generation C-Class was an elaborate one. It started at lunchtime with members of the media and then lasted up to late evening when thousands of invited guests poured in to see for themselves the newest Mercedes-Benz in town.

There are two variants available: the Avantgarde and the Elegance. The Avantgarde and its equipment line emphasize the car’s sporty side. The dominant star in the radiator grille makes a powerful statement, while the chrome band, which runs right around the body, accentuates the taut lines of the new C-Class. On the other hand, the Elegance and its equipment line bring out the refinement and comfort of the C-Class. The characteristic star serves as a freestanding element on the hood and the distinctive chrome trim around the vehicle gives it a particularly impressive presence.

There are new features, such as the adaptive brake system and the agility control package, which includes a selective damping system. The system automatically adapts the suspension setup to the road conditions on each individual wheel. The agility control package also features improved direct steering and precise shifts with shorter gearshift travel. With seven transmission levels, the 7-GTronic automatic transmission box makes increases in engine speed quicker and gear change barely noticeable. 7G-Tronics can skip gears when downshifting, allowing for quicker intermediate sprints.

The new C-Class offers Pre-Safe as an option to assist the driver when things go wrong. Pre-Safe is linked to the automobile’s active safety systems, such as the ESP and brake assist. In a sense, it keeps an eye on the road, and when it senses that an accident might occur, it takes the necessary steps to avoid an accident. In order to prevent accidents, Pre-Safe is divided into four phases. The first phase helps the driver in identifying critical situations and handles them safely. The second phase occurs just before an impending accident and activates numerous preventive measures to reduce the risk of injury. The third phase is when an accident has already occurred. In this phase, the passive safety systems will be activated to protect each individual in the automobile. When the accident has already occurred, the fourth phase is initiated, wherein the car makes extraction of individuals easier by the rescue services.

There’s also the audio-telematic system, which is the command control and display that combines state-of-the-art 4-gigabyte music server, DVD player and a telephone connection that makes you steer clear of the hassles of the road.

The C200 Kompressor, meanwhile, comes in two packages:  the Elegance, which is worth P2.88 million and the Avantgarde, which starts at P2.98 million. The C280 Avantgarde, on the other hand, sells for P3.98 million.

SIMPLY observing the aggressive campaign and the resulting performance in the market of Hyundai, one would see the obvious: the brand is making waves and disrupting the traditional sales flow of the more established automotive manufacturers in the country like Toyota, Honda, Isuzu and Ford.

THERE are motor shows and there are other motor shows, but when mere participants decide to change their role into a much bigger one, the result can put to shame all the motor shows of the past.  And that is what the influential Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. or Campi wants—to surpass all the big motor shows that were ever staged in the country.

FOLLOWING 30 years of success in manufacturing tires for on and off road applications, BFGoodrich has released two 4x4 tires that have been developed from the company’s experience in the tough Baja and Dakar rallies.

WHEN Cats Motors formally announced its partnership with DaimlerChrysler in the summer of 2005, it immediately found itself facing up to the challenges of the local car industry.

WE would like to go back to an item in our past column regarding school buses after talking with various parents who are really concerned about their children.

LAUNCHING a second-generation automobile can be quite a feat, especially if the previous model is a tough act to follow. And this was the base expectation during Volvo’s launch of its new S80. The first S80 received quite a “thumbs up” that following it up with the next model seemed a tough job.