Story & photos By Patrick Tulfo
YOU know that an event organized by a car manufacturer is special when upon your arrival at the meeting place, you were cordially greeted by the executives and suddenly you realized that only a handful of participants were requested to join. Select members of the motoring and lifestyle beats were recently invited by Ford Philippines to try out all of their current offerings in the sport-utility vehicle (SUV) segment.
The drive started at the Ford dealership at Pasong Tamo Extension in Makati City. Fifteen participants were given a short briefing by the organizers on how the event would go, including our car assignments.
This scribe was bunched with two lovely young ladies from Manila Bulletin and Summit Publishing. The first vehicle assigned to us was the Ford EcoSport driven by the ladies. As soon as I went inside the EcoSport, the first thing I noticed was the ample space. Four regular size adults will fit in the cabin with plenty of headroom, as well as legroom.
According to Ford Philippines, the EcoSport continued its streak in September as one of their top-selling vehicles in the country with retail sales of 560 units. This helped drive its best-ever quarterly performance with their sales rising 26 percent from the same quarter last year to 2,197 units. The EcoSport is unique in its category as I cannot find any current offerings from other manufacturers that will approximate its size. The EcoSport is perfect for city driving, most especially in Metro Manila where traffic can be chaotic. The EcoSport was designed primarily for traffic situations and parking could be a breeze because of its small dimensions. The tall stance also afforded better view of the road. The award-winning three-cylinder engine with EcoBoost was powerful, and overtaking slow vehicles was easy.
Our next rendezvous was at the Shell station, where four gleaming all-new Ford Everest awaited us. It was now my turn to drive, and frankly, all the hype about the Everest are all true. Getting behind the wheel even for only a short period was enough to say that this is the new “king of the hill.”
Our convoy of Ford vehicles went to visit the Marcos Mansion in Canlubang, Laguna, and got a glimpse of the well-known Marcos lifestyle. Going up the steep portion of the winding roads all the way to the top of Tagaytay was not a problem for the powerful diesel engine of the Everest as it has plenty of torque to log it around.
Redefining the midsize SUV market, the Everest features a bold design, advanced technology, stunning off-road and on-road capability, and a refined, premium interior for up to seven passengers. Ford Philippines said the Everest led the charge in September, achieving an all-time record monthly total for any Ford nameplate in the country with retail sales of 1,341 units.
“This is truly an exciting time for us. The launch of the all-new Everest marked another milestone, and has helped drive phenomenal growth for the month. Our progress is being driven by a successful product-led transformation combined with a continued focus on delivering the very best customer experience,” said Kay Hart, managing director of Ford Philippines.
“Initial customer response to the all-new Everest has been extraordinary, and we expect continuing strong demand for this fantastic new vehicle to help drive our overall sales through the rest of the year,” Hart added.
Although I wanted to spend more time with the Everest, we had to go to our next destination which was the Qi-wellness Spa also in Tagaytay, and switch to our next test-drive unit, which was the Ford Escape. Offered in two variants—a 1.6 and a 2.0 both with EcoBoost, the new Escape is far cry from the old model. Its styling, as well as its driving dynamics is now more akin to a car than an SUV. You can expect all the goodies from the Escape. Its all-wheel-drive system exhibited excellent handling and traction which, in turn, generated responsive steering.
For the last leg of the Ford experience, we headed to the City of Dreams to cap the event with wine and food tasting. And there, the luxurious Explorers and Expeditions were waiting for us. The Ford Expedition is the Platinum Edition equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine with EcoBoost—the same one that powers the Explorer Sport. It delivers best-in-class power for responsive performance which combines direct injection of gasoline and turbocharging, the advanced EcoBoost engine delivers up to 365 PS of power at 5,500 rpm and 475 Nm of torque at 3,000 rpm, allowing it to balance power and capability with environment responsibility.
Buyers who are looking at the Expedition can now heave a sigh of relief as Ford addresses the perennial complaint on the SUV being a gas guzzler. With the Ford Explorer’s six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and power-adjustable pedals, drivers can easily and quickly change gears, providing them with flexible and efficient power across a wide range of engine and vehicle speeds, while saving fuel.
Kudos to Ford for organizing an event which showcases the ability and comfort of all their SUVs!
Image credits: Patrick Tulfo