WITH thousands of spectators who attended the successful Seventh Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) recently held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, we can’t help but applaud the organizers—most especially the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) for a job well done.
However, we all know the country’s unsettling automotive scene—thus far. So, before we move forward any further, it’s better to take a look back at how Campi “brought tomorrow today” with the recent staging of the PIMS spectacle.
In fact, it was no less than their guest of honor, Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea who set the tone for what transpired during the five-day affair.
“The seventh PIMS’s theme of ‘Future Mobility,’ which aims to showcase the latest innovations in the automotive industry that feature technological and environment-friendly advancements in transportation from different global brands within this 14,000-square-meter building, is a glimpse of what the Philippines can become,” Medialdea said in his speech during the opening day.
“Let us all work together to make this administration’s dream of making the Philippines into a city of the future a reality,” he added.
Hence, this writer puts on the spotlight on the latest trends and “things to be” which somehow put the theme of the show in a better perspective.
Push for modernized PUVs
AUTOMAKERS are working hand in hand with the government in their program to replace around 180,000 jeepneys nationwide with new and cleaner vehicles. The said PUVs will have Euro 4 engines or electrically powered engines with solar panels as roofs. Also, each vehicle should be equipped with speed limiters, a GPS navigation system, dashboard cameras, automatic fare collection system, Wi-fi and closed-circuit TV cameras. Hence, aside from pioneer Isuzu, other brands were putting their own PUVs to the fore of the show.
Columbian Manufacturing Corp. (CMANC), for one, featured the BS120SN, a 42-seater bus with a Euro 5-compliant engine. Other than this, they also flaunted their own version of the jeepney. According to CMANC, this jeepney’s platform can utilize different modes of propulsion, whether diesel, electric or hybrid.
Foton, meanwhile, featured two Euro 4 jeepneys designed to keep up with the stringent requirements of the government’s public utility.
Fuso also had their shuttle models from their Light Bus lineup.
The government’s scheme is being planned for a 2020 implementation and will not only be limited to jeepneys but will also be applied on buses and vans.
Cleaner movers
FURTHERMORE, with the government keen on their “Build, Build, Build” projects, local truckmakers are not only making sure they have the ready supply but are also fussy about their effects on their surroundings. Green technology nowadays are not just available in the typical small sedan, like the Nissan Leaf—or at most MPVs such as the TJ Cruiser—but with bigger bulk movers as well.
Take for example CMANC’s E-Truck, which is 100 percent Pure Electric. Iron phosphate technology is at the core of the new E-truck and it can drive up to 250 km between charges. Their Maximus MCV truck, on the other hand, is equipped with a Euro 5 engine that produces 276 hp.
Foton had their cleaner Tornado M5.2C light-duty truck, the EST-400 4×2 Tractor Head, GTL 6×4 Mixer Truck, Hurricane ESTM 6×2 Cargo, and GTL 8×4 High Roof Dump Truck on display.
While Tata highlighted their Euro-IV Tata Super Ace Mint with a 1 ton payload.
Blue is the new green
BLUE here, there and everywhere—since the goal for engine technology is “to get more from less: more power, more torque and more miles from less fuel, less weight and less space.”
It started with the display of Isuzu’s RZ4E engine, followed by Foton’s Blue Energy-powered lineup and Volkwagen’s BlueMotion Technology that significantly improves fuel economy of the Santana 1.5 MPI automatic transmission Trendline and Comfortline, Santana GTS 1.5 MPI AT Comfortline, and the Lamando 280 TSI DSG Comfortline and Highline—which were all up center stage.
The usual SUVs, crossovers and workhorses
SINCE the Philippines is an SUV country, usual front-runner Toyota had their year-to-date end-September sales of the Fortuner (17,322 sold) overtake the Mitsubishi Montero Sport (13,237 sold). With this, a number of car brands had their SUVs and other similar vehicles at the limelight of the spectacle. Not to mention this year as the pickup’s time to shine.
In so doing, Nissan had their Terra, Terra S, Navara, Navara Warrior X and the X-Trail—among others.
Mitsubishi, meanwhile carressed the Filipino’s love for SUV’s with the Mitsubishi e-Evolution Concept, the all-electric high-performance concept SUV that made its world premiere at the Tokyo Motor Show last year.
Suzuki pulled off a showstopper with the Jimny.
And being the “year of the pickup,” SsangYong thought that it’s about time to reintroduce the Musso.
Chinese rise
NOTE that the “honorable mentions” for this year so far are Nissan (41.1-percent positive growth), Suzuki (6.2 percent) and, surprisingly, Foton (4.1 percent).
With this, the Chinese automaker was able to climb a spot to ninth place of Campi’s top 10 local carmakers. This only shows that their qualities are improving and they’re slowly clawing their way up the caliber of the Koreans and the Japanese. Together with contemporary BAIC, they get to enjoy the attention at the recent PIMS.
Their new Foton Gratour IM6 and the Gratour TM even seem promising.
The need for speed
DESPITE high fuel prices today and the required call to be thrifty drivers, one can’t deny the fact that one may need to satiate his longing for that pure-spirited push on the pedal from time to time. That’s why Mazda had its award-winning MX-5 packing another 20 horses and Honda unveiled its Small RS Concept. While Nissan put on a delightful swagger with its new 370Z NISMO with 3.7-liter V6 motor that produces 350hp and 365 Nm of torque, new Juke Nismo with a more potent 1.6-liter turbo powerplant that puts out 190 hp and 240 Nm and ticks in 7.5 seconds from 0-100 kph. Not to mention the mighty 600-horse-powered GT-R NISMO.
The Pinoys’ love affair—like water
THE Filipinos love affair with cars started in the 1950s. And the fairly good number of attendance at this PIMS somehow similarly showed that.
In fact, according to recorded history, the Philippine auto industry used to be on the pedestal in 1960s as the number one in Southeast Asia—before eventually finding ourselves drop further lower than our neighboring countries at the turn of the millenium.
We then reached a sales milestone of about 470,000 sold units by the end of 2017—before eventually dropping again by 12.5 percent by the middle of the year. Blame it on higher excise tax, inflation and fuel prices.
Vision 2020
Despite this, Campi President Rommel Gutierrez is confident that the local car industry will reach its goal of selling 500,000 vehicles by 2020—or the year when the next PIMS will again be staged.
“The market is already picking up,” the Campi head honcho doled out, referring to the slight upturn in September sales. “We see a bright future for us.”
And with this, Medialdea wouldn’t be any happier.
Image credits: Ronald Rey M. de los Reyes