Sampaguita TV organized the event inviting all car manufacturers and dealers for an auto rally. It’s not really a race for speed but more of race for accuracy.

We were invited by Honda to be one of their 5 teams and drove a Honda Jazz 1.5.

The rules seemed simple at first but it becomes confusing and complicated when you’re already running the race. We were given a series of directional instructions together with the distance (in 0.1km intervals), landmark and suggested speed. We then have to compute how much time (in seconds) we need to get there and have to drive accurately so we get to the checkpoints on time.

If we arrived late, we get penalty points and at the same time, if we were early, we also get penalty. So this is like a precision driving competition.

Unfortunately, because of some confusion with the maps, we got lost and got off-roads into the forest. Worst part is we (somewhat) crashed our vehicle which rendered it un-usable (this is like part of a series of unlucky incidents happening to me in the past several weeks now).

We had to switch and use another car (a Honda City) just to finish the rest of the leg of our race. We still don’t know which team won but it will be a miracle if our team average will even get us some good over-all ranking.

“There are several factors consumers consider in buying a car and color is one of the significant drivers in finalizing their decision.” said Mr. Hiroshi Shimizu, President and General Manager of Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. “Nowadays, consumers are getting savvy about the latest color trends. And so, we continue to revitalize our color line-up to suit the market’s dynamic taste and preference. With a sleek Polished Metal body color matched with a bolder alloy wheel design, the Civic is designed to add vitality in its class. ” Mr. Shimizu added.

The 2010 Civic continues to exude that distinctive character that has carved its winning heritage – spirited driving performance, technologically-advanced features and bold styling. It is chiefly designed to deliver pure intensity into one’s entire driving experience.

To bring out added fun in driving, the Civic comes with a race-inspired paddle shift technology. This fun-to-use technology, available in 1.8 S and 2.0 S variants, enables manual shifting of gears without the clutch. Conveniently located behind the steering wheel, the paddle shift option delivers superb driving pleasure of a manual transmission right at your fingertips. It enables safe shifting of gears while your hands are planted on the steering wheel.

The 2010 Civic also maintains its original advantages such as advanced engine setting and optimum driving performance through the i-VTEC engine, 5-speed automatic transmission and McPherson Strut for front and Double Wishbone for rear suspension. Honda’s i-VTEC engine technology has earned a clear-cut distinction in terms of delivering high power output but with low fuel consumption. With a maximum power output of 155 ps at 6000 rpm for the 2.0 liter variant and 140 ps at 6300 rpm for the 1.8 variant, the Civic still remains to be the most powerful in its class. As an added testament of Honda’s commitment to the welfare of the environment, the Civic also release cleaner emissions that pass EURO 4 levels, even if Philippine regulations only mandate EURO 2 compliance.

Meanwhile, the Civic’s interior suggests the same dynamic image as the exterior. It also offers great ergonomics for optimum operation of driving controls. Adding to the comforts of its high-quality interior amenities, the Civic comes with a USB audio interface for direct connection to digital audio players and other USB devices that contain MP3, WMA or AAC music files.

All these and more makes the Civic a much celebrated model with more than 100,000 unit sales in the Philippines and over 18 million unit sales in more than 160 countries. With over 100,000 Civic owners in the Philippines who share the same passion for thrill and innovation, Honda builds THE CIVIC REPUBLIC!

So be part of the Civic Republic and drive on to the road of pure intensity with the new Civic! The 2010 Civic initially debuted last February 27 (Saturday) at Luzon dealerships.

The 2010 Civic shall retail at:
1.8-liter SOHC i-VTEC
1.8 V M/T Php 868,000
1.8 V A/T Php 908,000
1.8 S M/T Php 923,000
1.8 S A/T Php 973,000

2.0-liter DOHC i-VTEC
2.0 S AT Php 1,110,000 (plus Php 20,000 for Brilliant White Pearl Color)

Preliminary fuel economy estimates are anticipated to result in a rating of 36 city/38 highway miles per gallon on CVT-equipped models. Manual transmission models are anticipated to achieve an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 31 city/37 highway miles per gallon.

The prices are listed as the following:

Hyundai Tucson 2.0 GL M/T 2WD — Php988,000
Hyundai Tucson 2.0 GL A/T 2WD — Php1,038,000
Hyundai Tucson 2.0 GLS A/T 2WD — Php1,158,000
Hyundai Tucson 2.4 GLS A/T 4WD — Php1,458,000

Escape 4×2 XLT AT — Php1,099,000

Escape 4×2 XLS AT — Php1,050,000

A Special Introductory Price of only Php 999,000 was given on the low-end model. Model colors include Diamond White, Panther Black, Tonic, Chill, Ocean Blue, Moondust Silver, and Infra Red.

Dealers across the Philippines are now offering the Ford Escape 2010. In Metro Manila, check out Ford Alabang, Ford Global City, Ford Balintawak, Ford Edsa, Ford Libis, Ford Quezon Avenue, Ford Commonwealth, Ford SM Fairview, or Ford Manila. Or find your nearest Ford dealership in Cavite, San Pablo, Batangas, SM Lipa, Dagupan, Cabanatuan, Pampanga, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro or Davao.

The suggested retail price is Php1.28 millon.

The CR-V is uniquely designed for those who appreciate the finer things in life. It now comes with new front grille, bumper and alloy wheel designs to bring out a tougher and more distinct look. Its revitalized front end styling balances smoothly with the CR-V’s clean lines and premium finish.

Beyond good looks, the CR-V is a vehicle of substance. Under its hood lies the same i-VTEC engine that cleverly combines powerful performance with fuel economy. It comes in 2.4 liter and 2.0 liter variants which produces maximum power of 170 ps and 150 ps, respectively. As per U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA), the 2010 CR-V with 2.4 liter engine has an estimated fuel efficiency rating of 27 miles per gallon (11.48 km/li) under highway condition and 21 miles per gallon (8.93 km/li) under city driving condition. More than good fuel efficiency, the CR-V is also engineered to meet the stringent EURO 4 emission standard level.

The CR-V has been a breakthrough model since the introduction of the first generation model in 1997, consistently leading its class to higher levels. Successfully introducing the crossover concept with the launch of the third generation model in 2007, the CR-V provides sedan-like comfort and performance, ample SUV space and exquisite design. With the market’s warm appreciation of the CR-V’s premium quality and styling, the third generation CR-V leads the compact SUV category with cumulative sales of 8,945 units. Honda’s undying passion to present new values to the market brings forth further improvement on the CR-V’s suspension system and NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) levels for better ride and passenger comfort. 3812, 3202, 1831

As a manufacturer of high quality vehicles fitted with modern technologies, Honda products are known for its reliability and high resale value. The Kelley Blue Book, one of the most trusted resources in the U.S. for used car values, recognizes the Honda CR-V as the Best Resale Value Awardee under the compact utility vehicle category for years 2009 and 2010.

The CR-V comes in different colors to match your modern lifestyle:
Urban Titanium
Crystal Black
Taffeta White (2.0 li variant only)
Sparkle Gray (2.0 li variant only)
Polished Metal (2.4 li variant only)
Brilliant White Pearl (2.4 li variant only)

Crossover to the new Honda CR-V. Bookings are now accepted at any of Honda’s 26 authorized dealerships all over the country. The first batch of CR-V delivery should commence on the first week of February 2010.

A low floor and low center of gravity for next-generation hybrid packaging

The packaging of the Skydeck features a low floor, a low center of gravity and a compact, lightweight and efficient hybrid system positioned within the center tunnel. Thanks to these elements and a layout featuring independent seats in the second row, the interior of the Skydeck is exceptionally roomy and comfortable.

An aerodynamic exterior for sporty styling and environmental performance

Unifying form and function with a sporty and clean design concept, the Skydeck’s exterior styling appeals to every generation of driver and helps provide the outstanding fuel economy expected of a hybrid. Underneath, the body features a low and wide stance with an aerodynamic form; on top, its one-motion flow complements the expansive windows and sweeping roof. The overall impression is fresh, open and advanced.

An interior offering the finest in both exhilaration and utility

While providing exceptional comfort, the six seats of the Skydeck are slender and sporty, contributing to the open, roomy feel of the interior. The second-row seats are motorized, enabling them to slide under the seats in front of them, making it easy to get in and out of the 3rd-row seating. In addition, the slender design of the third row seats allows them to lie flat against the floor. When the four rear seats are stowed, the Skydeck offers a large, flat area for convenient, high-utility cargo transport. The Skydeck features scissor doors in front and offset sliding doors in the rear.

Advanced features—fun plus functionality

The next-generation instrument panel features an easy-touse, visually intuitive interface for more enjoyable driving.

And though I am not really good with cars, Honda asked me if I can share my thoughts and impressions about the Jazz from a perspective of a regular car-owner. This entry has been delayed for weeks now but it’s better late than never.

Fortunately, I was able to return the car the day before Typhoon Ondoy. Otherwise, it would have been floating in the floodwaters in my area.

At first sitting, the Honda Jazz feels and looks like a Mini Cooper. Not that I’ve tried a Mini before but, as my brother would put it, it feels like driving a toy car — easy to handle and feels very light. And I agree, the car has pretty good maneuverability. I think it’s because the steering wheel is much closer to the front-end compared to the usual sub-compact cars.

The 1.3L unit I used had no glass tint so I often feel very exposed while driving (all my cars are heavily tinted). Aside from that though, visibility of the car is pretty wide and there are very few or narrow blind spots. Sometimes, it feels like you’re in the cockpit of a spaceship. I’ve tried the Honda City 2009 before and was impressed with the wide visibility but the Jazz has far better, IMO.

The cabin feels a little cramped at the back but once you fold down the back seats, you’d realize there’s enough room to put a jetski in there. This is good when you’re hauling stuff or going on trips (this car actually went to a Batangas beach one week-end carrying tons of goods at the back).

After burning two and a half full tanks of gas, the digital meter in the dashboard showed me an average fuel consumption of 9.9 kilometers per liter. That’s mostly 80% city driving and 20% highway driving and, as far as I can recall, I was only doing 50-60km/h most of the time. With highway driving though, I make sure not to drive beside those big buses as the feeling of getting swept over could be overwhelming at times.

The controls in the dashboard are pretty easy to locate and familiarize with, except for that cigar lighter receptacle which is a bit hidden at the bottom and hard to get to (I used that to hook up a 12-volt AC/DC converter for charging gadgets). The cup holders are on the front-side, facing the aircon grilles — so you can have your drinks cooled as well.

There were a couple of things that I was a bit particular with:

• The plastic material used in the cabin body was a little shabby — feels a bit drab and cold. I thought this is the entry-level unit so they might have had to cut down on manufacturing/material costs.
• The brakes are a bit shallow and hard. Two other people who tried it noticed the same thing. With my first few rides were a little jerky when stepping on the brakes. I thought I’d get used to it but never did.
• No back sensor. Despite the good cabin visibility, I thought back sensors should be standard on all models. I remember my first few non-fatal car accidents were backing against taxi cabs.

The Honda Jazz is great for city driving as I feel I can always squeeze into heavy traffic roads or park easily/comfortably into tight rows of cars at the parking lot. That, plus the fact the the 1.3L is a real gas-saver. A friend is buying one this holiday and told him to get the red one.

The objective was to drive any of the Honda cars — Civic, Jazz, Accord and CRV — and use the least amount of gas along the way. Of course, there were tips given to us on how to achieve this.

Each team has two members, a driver and a navigator. I took the driver’s seat with the Honda CRV 2.0 MT. There were two legs of the race — one is city driving (The Fort to Makati to Petron NLEX) and the other is highway driving (Petron NLEX to Angeles City and back). Each stop is measured with the distance traveled as well as amount of gas consumed.

For the city drive, we logged 10 kilometers per liter while for the highway driving, we bumped it up to 14km/liter. Our overall average was 13km/liter. We won in our category by 1km/liter and also manage to land 3rd place over-all (the two Honda Civics won the 1st and 2nd overall).

Good thing the Honda CRV has a digital meter that shows you a rough average of your fuel consumption. I merely adjusted my driving speed based on the meter (which gave me an average 17.8km/liter).

The biggest lesson — driving at 60km/hour on a highway gets you the best results in fuel efficiency (others claim it’s supposed to be 80kmph). To make sure the highway patrol doesn’t flag me for driving below minimum speed, I always tail the slowest 10-wheeler truck in the rightmost lane.