VOLKSWAGEN Philippines recently took us to the provinces of Central Luzon onboard their global best sellers, the new Santana, Lavida and Tiguan—the same models that were launched three months ago. To allow us to test their capabilities, Volkswagen put us in their vehicles, which we drove on a Filipiniana-themed lifestyle tour of Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Bulacan.
The “Volkswagen Media Driving Experience” was a ride-and-drive of three units each of the Santana, Lavida, and two Tiguans. On the first day, I drove the Tiguan from the Volkswagen Showroom in Quezon Avenue all the way to Pampanga with my co-driver Ronald de Los Reyes of the BusinessMirror.
The new Tiguan 280 TSI Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) Comfortline is powered by a 1.4-liter TSI four-cylinder gasoline engine with BlueMotion Technology, which delivers 148 hp at 5,000 rpm and 250 N-m of maximum torque between 1,750 to 3,000 rpm.
The features of the Tiguan include “Vienna” leather seat material, two-zone Climatronic air conditioning, panoramic sunroof, eight speakers, and power 12-way seat adjustment for the driver side. This SUV is fully-equipped with safety features including ISOFIX anchorage points, ESP, ABS, brake assistant, ASR, EDS, EDTC, hill hold control, and rear PDC with acoustic warning signal.
After a sumptuous lunch at Bale Dutung in Angeles, Pampanga, de los Reyes took over the wheel. As a passenger, I enjoyed the comfortable ride of the Tiguan and appreciated the seamless shifting of its six-speed DSG transmission. The Tiguan 280 TSI DSG is the leader of its segment in China where 330,000 units have been sold. It is now available in the Philippines for P1.648 million.
The Tiguan displayed a remarkable mix of power and fuel efficiency, which was optimized with the use of Shell V Power (Volkswagen Philippines’ official event fuel partner). After driving the Tiguan through the city limits and then North Luzon Expressway, we proceeded to Highland Bali Villas Resort and Spa in Nueva Ecija.
On the second day, our tour was both educational and recreational as we visited the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Muñoz on board Volkswagen’s premium sedan, the Lavida. A 230 TSI DSG 1.4-liter Turbocharged Stratified Injection (TSI) four-cylinder gasoline engine with BlueMotion Technology coupled to a seven-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmission powers the vehicle. The engine is capable of producing 130 hp at 5,000 rpm and 225 N-m of maximum torque between 1,400 to 3,500 rpm.
The Lavida features first-class amenities including leather seat material, Climatronic air conditioning and sunroof. Safety-wise, it is equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) with Brake Assistant, ABS, Electronic Differential Lock and Anti Slip Regulation (ASR), hill hold control, Push Start, and Front and Rear Park Distance Control (PDC). It is priced at P1.171 million.
After lunch at the Hapag Vicentico’s in Cabanatuan City, we headed back to Highland Bali. We really appreciated the Lavida’s powerful engine and efficient cruise control while exploring Nueva Ecija’s roads and the rolling hills of the Sierra Madre, Caraballo, and Cordillera. We also put to the test the stability and handling of the Lavida 230 TSI DSG, which still happens to be the best-selling sedan and second best-selling model in the entire Chinese car market.
On our last day, we took the Santana back to Manila. Along the way, we visited sites which were notable for their cultural and historical significance such as the Barasoain Church and The Museo ng Republika ng 1899 in Malolos, Bulacan.
The Santana is the most affordable European model available in the country, which is priced at only P686,000. It is powered by an efficient 1.4-liter Multi-Point Injection (MPI) 4-cylinder gasoline engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission. This engine has a maximum output of 90 hp at 5,500rpm and maximum torque of 132 N-m at 3,800rpm. The Santana features power outer mirrors, keyless entry and the longest wheelbase in its class. Safety features include ISOFIX anchorage points (mounting fixture for two child seats on rear seat bench), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), and immobilizer. According to Timmy Naval-de Leon, head of Volkswagen Philippines corporate communications, the Santana A/T variants will arrive in November.
All the vehicles are covered by a three-year or 100,000-km general warranty, whichever comes first, Volkswagen Philippines also offers a three-year warranty for paint and another three-year warranty for through-corrosion of the main steel body structure.
We drove more than a total of 400 kilometers around the provinces of Central Luzon and Volkswagen Philippines highlighted the best features of their three new models that have consistently been bestsellers in the market. The “Volkswagen Media Driving Experience” demonstrated the many aspects of a fun road trip, which a motor head like me truly appreciates such as driving comfortable and well-engineered vehicles to places of history of the destinations with the occasional culinary adventure.