IF the crowd that attended the opening of the recently concluded 11th edition of the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) on April 9 was any indication, this writer believes the much-awaited motoring affair surpassed last year’s record of 107,000 visitors (official figures were not available from the organizers as of this writing).
The MIAS is an annual event that showcases the latest models from different car manufacturers in the local Philippine market. Aside from the dealers, manufacturers, tuners and car-product retailers are also present.
This year Ford, Mazda, Volkswagen, BMW, Mini, Foton, Chevrolet, Subaru, Tata, Kia, Mitsubishi, JMC and BYD, as well as CATS Motors, which showcased three different off-road SUVs from Jeep, were the participants. Of the 14 brands mentioned, eight launched new models or variants of their existing models. Here is the rundown on some of the exhibitors:
Volkswagen
The Volkswagen booth, which was located on the right side of the entrance to the World Trade Center, displayed the recently launched Golf GTI and Polo Hatchback, the Touareg Sports Edition, the iconic Beetle painted with a racing stripe, an accessorized version of their MPV Touran, the Tiguan—a smaller version of the Touareg, and a new automatic variant for the Polo Sedan. What made the Volkswagen booth different from the others was the launching of the Child Safety Initiative (CIS), which aims to address the rising number of deaths as a result of road crashes. The program aims to educate drivers as well as passengers on the importance of following traffic rules and regulations.
Located just beside their two-level booth was a 50-square-meter junior driving course with five little VW push cars from Germany. The course was manned by a professional instructor who taught children the rules of the road, and those who finished the course were issued a junior driver’s license. The initiative also emphasized the use of car seats for children below 10 years old. On display were VW child seats that had Isofix connectors that allow them to be used not only in VW vehicles but in other car brands also equipped with Isofix.
The icing on the cake was a cute song and dance numbers by kids from a foundation being supported by Ayala Group of Companies.
Mazda
Mazda, which is distributed by Berjaya Philippines, showcased the new Mazda 2, Mazda 6 Station Wagon, and the new MX-5 Roadster, which is more popularly known as the Miata.
The new Mazda 2 now resembles its big brothers, the Mazda 3 and Mazda 6. It is also available as a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback. The 2 now carries the signature Kodo design and SkyActiv technology, which promises to deliver spritely performance and miserly fuel consumption. Overshadowed by the introduction of the Mazda 2 was the station wagon variant of the Mazda 6, which has all the attributes of the sedan save for an extra door. The MX-5 continues to be one of the best sellers for Mazda not only in the Philippines but in other markets, as well. The roadster is now better than ever and is one of the nicest looking cars in the market today. Mazda had the longest presentation among all the exhibitors as it was capped by a fashion show that featured the creations of former racer and now designer Mark Bumgarner. Aside from Steven Tan, President and CEO of Berjaya Philippines, no less than Bermaz president Dato Sri Ben Yeoh and Dato Francis Lee graced the booth together with Hiroshi Inoue, Mazda Corp. executive officer,; and Minoru Takata, program manager of the all-new Mazda 2 SkyActiv.
BYD
The Chinese carmaker displayed the S6 SUV together with the BYD BRO vehicle, however, the unveiling of the new BYD Qin (pronounced as “chin”), the country’s first dual-mode hybrid sports saloon, may have been the biggest surprise at the event. The good-looking four-door sedan can run on either hybrid (combination of gasoline and electricity) or pure electric modes, which allows it to travel up to 70 kilometers before needing a recharge. It also boasts of class-leading 300 hp of power and sprint from zero to 100 in 5.9 seconds. It is also equipped with probably the most number of air bags in its category—10. Mark Andrew Tieng, managing director of Solar Transport and Automotive Resources Corp. (Star Corp.), the authorized importer of BYD in the Philippines, said: “We are getting a lot of inquiries as well as applications for financing from those who saw the Qin.”
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi exhibited its ASX and two Mitsubishi Stradas—one in rallye trim and the other equipped with outdoor gear to give visitors and would-be buyers an idea of the versatility of the new pickup, which was launched a month ago. The new Strada is bigger and grander than the model it replaced.
CATS Motors
The distributor of Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the country decided to offer a new experience to the visitors of MIAS by letting them test-drive the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited, Jeep Trailhawk, as well the Grand Cherokee around an off-road course that was set up outside of the exhibition hall and in front of the World Trade Center. The course thrilled participants with its different conditions, including a hill that was at least two stories high that literally pointed the Jeeps up to the the sky when going up and straight down to the ground when descending.
Wheel Gallery
The distributor of Concept One wheels in the country showed various mouthwatering wheels for enthusiasts, as well as the latest matching tires. A customized Subaru BRZ shod with Concept One wheels and Saffiro tires drew crowds to the booth.
The entrance to the event was pegged at P100 per person for both adults and children—a cheap price to pay for those who came, saw and went home dreaming that they will one day be able to acquire the car of their dreams.
Story & photos by Patrick Tulfo
Image credits: Patrick Tulfo