Story & photos by Randy S. Peregrino
LESS than two weeks after the soft launch of the all-new Reina, Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (Hari), which is the official distributor of Hyundai passenger cars in the Philippines, hosted a drive event for the members of the motoring media to finally experience the vehicle. Hari is offering the Reina for the young professionals looking for their first-ever affordable yet reliable car. After all, priced at just P598,000 for the 1.4 GL 5MT and P648,000 for the 1.4 GL AT, this makes the Reina one of the most affordable cars in the country today. As a new breed of subcompact sedan made it to the local market, we were as curious as everybody else and wanted to test the new small car.
Exterior-wise, this small sedan also inherited the Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design philosophy. Like its bigger sedan siblings, the Accent and the Elantra, the Reina highlights the combination of hexagonal grille and sharp-looking headlamps along with flowing body lines for that unmistakable Hyundai design cues. Even the rear end has curvatures matching the sleek-looking taillights. Open that trunk and you’ll find a generous bay that provides up to 475 liters of cargo space at your own disposal. With its neat-looking steel rim covers, the overall appearance looks way appealing for an affordable car.
Also notable was the interior layout. Again, for its price, the overall appearance suggests otherwise. The dashboard, center console, and door sidings all bear that stylish and modern look accented with metallic trims. While the units we tested were fitted with a one-din audio head unit, the ones on display inside the showroom were endowed with large touch-operated infotainment with connectivity functions. We’d like to think that the latter are the ones being offered, if not, being sold as an option. The seats, meantime, are draped with two different fabric materials to highlight the center portion. Understandably, there’s only one 12-volt socket but at least there are cup holders everywhere. Noteworthy is the centralized window controls found just below the air-con controls.
Propelling the all-new Reina is a 1.4-liter, inline four-cylinder, MPI gasoline engine generating 93 hp and 132 N-m of maximum torque. It is mated to an option of five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic transmission. But for the vehicle’s size and weight, the engine displacement and output ratings suggest a better power-to-weight ratio favoring fuel economy. As for safety features, the vehicle is equipped with dual front SRS air bags, Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), and remarkably, with speed-sensing door locks.
Interestingly, Hari pioneered an initiative to innovate the car-shopping experience by marketing the Reina through O Shopping—a TV shopping platform being aired on ABS-CBN Channel 2 and other channels. “Hyundai’s partnership with O Shopping ushers in a transformative new era of the car-shopping lifestyle in the Philippine market, as it accords customers the convenience of two powerhouse retail channels, TV and online shopping, thereby shaping a more convenient and rewarding car shopping experience for Filipinos,” said Hari President and CEO Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo.
Reina rules the road
The drive destination was the Pililla Wind Farm in Rizal province. As soon as we boarded the 1.4 GL AT variant, our initial surprise of the day was the generous leg and head rooms. With its 2,570mm wheelbase, it should be easy to accommodate five passengers. Likewise, everything feels just right behind-the-wheel. With little adjustments on the tilt steering and seats, you’ll find that perfect driving position with nice vantage point and reach to all switches. Air-conditioning, meantime, easily achieved that cold temperature even before we took off.
On the road, the Reina accelerates smoothly with very little effort to reach cruising speeds. The frame definitely feels light for the motor to propel. Understandably, the drive-by-wire throttle setup has noticeable delay on downshifting whenever you step on it for a more aggressive acceleration. But utilizing the sequential shifter allowed faster cogs for more torque every gear. It also aided in doing engine braking whenever needed. Tackling ascents, meantime, necessitated quick and constant downshifting to lower gears to retain optimal power in the midrange.
As we went through the ascents and tight zigzags on Marilaque Highway, we were in for another surprise. To begin with, we were not expecting for the Reina to handle that well. Looking at the lead car up front, the car was in great form turn after turn with very little to none body rolls. Inside, meantime, we also felt how nimble the car was even on sudden bends. More so, the steering demonstrated excellent response, resulting to a superb maneuverability. Another noteworthy observation was the composed and quiet ride. Tire echoes were considerably muffled. We reached our destination feeling amazed with the kind of dynamics we never expected from a car this affordable. We then proceeded to Bulawan Floating Restaurant for lunch and to cap off the drive. There, we were welcomed by no less than Hari President and CEO Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo along with other executives.
Not all cars can pull off that level of surprise as the all-new Reina did. Just when we thought that the design elements already surpassed its price points, the driving dynamics was another remarkable element to consider. This only proves that the all-new Reina is not only about affordability and reliability. Because it also has that fun-to-drive factor.
Image credits: Randy S. Peregrino