COVENTRY Motors Corp. (CMC), the distributor of Jaguar and Land Rover in the Philippines, showcased recently four of their best-selling models at the seventh Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
The display included the Jaguar E-PACE and F-PACE, as well as the Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover Velar.
The company said in a press statement that the four vehicles are in line with the show’s theme of “Future Mobility” as these offer “the perfect combination of technology and safety in a luxury SUV (sport-utility vehicle), from state-of-the-art connectivity and infotainment features to driver-assist and risk-mitigation technologies.”
The first-ever Jaguar crossover
Jaguar, renowned for its high-performance sports cars and luxury sedans, incorporated much of its sporty DNA into the F-PACE SUV.
CMC said the F-PACE has been the fastest-selling model that Jaguar has produced, winning the prestigious “World Car of the Year” and “World Car Design of the Year” titles at the 2017 World Car Awards.
The award-winning F-PACE is also the only aluminum-intensive vehicle in its segment, with its lower weight helping its driving dynamics.
The F-PACE is available with a supercharged 3.0-liter, twin-cam, 24-valve V6 engine producing that puts out 375 horsepower and 450 N-m of torque, helping it accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in just six seconds.
The F-PACE is also available with turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline and diesel engines.
The Jaguar Guinness title holder
Also at the seventh PIMS was the new E-PACE, which slots below the F-PACE in the British marque’s SUV lineup.
Launched spectacularly with the world’s furthest barrel roll by a production car, the E-PACE has already achieved strong sales in the highly competitive subcompact SUV segment and has won a string of awards, according to CMC.
The company also said the E-PACE offers a range of features to make life more connected on every journey through an optional Connect Pro Pack, as well as InControl Apps to conveniently use apps from your phone to the car’s touchscreen.
The high-class seven-seater
As with previous models, the new Discovery is a three-row, seven-seat SUV that combines Land Rover’s legendary off-road capability with the luxury and practicality expected from the brand.
This fifth-generation Land Rover Discovery benefits from the brand’s strong, safe and light full-size SUV architecture, “delivering comfort and adaptability like no other,” said CMC.
It is also equipped with ingenious technology to keep families safe, connected and confident on all surfaces, all terrains and in all weathers to ensure every destination is reached.
Land Rover’s World Car Award winner
At the upper end of the Land Rover range is the Range Rover Velar.
Designed to fill the space between the Range Rover Evoque and the Range Rover Sport, the Velar offers levels of luxury, refinement and all-terrain capability in a stunning midsize SUV package.
Created from a clean sheet using Jaguar Land Rover’s Lightweight Aluminum Architecture, the Velar “represents the next chapter of the Range Rover success story,” CMC said.
The company added that the Velar is defined by a “visually reductive approach and meticulous attention to precision in every detail, which evolves Range Rover DNA and previews the next generation of Range Rover vehicles. On the other hand, Volkswagen Philippines rolled out three new models at PIMS including the automatic-transmission Santana sedan, the Santana GTS station wagon and the Lamando sedan.
The Santana AT and Santana GTS are both mated to six-speed automatic gearbox with a 1.5-liter twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 producing 108 hp and 150 N-m while the GTS produces 89 hp and 132 N-m, in the manual-equipped 1.4-liter base model.
The Santana AT, likewise, gets two variants: Trendline and Comfortline. Over the base model, the Trendline gets 15-inch alloy wheels and Electronic Stability Program as standard.
Meanwhile, the Comfortline adds goodies like leather trim, a multifunction steering wheel, cruise control, automatic headlights, rear fog lights, an electric sunroof, front-side airbags, rear Park Distance Control and a six-speaker sound system.
Furthermore, the Santana GTS Comfortline has the same equipment as its sedan sibling, with the addition of roof rails and a hatchback rear door. A notable option for all three Santana variants is a Blaupunkt infotainment system with a seven-inch touchscreen, DVD player, USB and SD card connectivity and smartphone mirroring.
Volkswagen Philippines Chief Operating Adviser Klaus Schadewald told the BusinessMirror that they launched the Santana GTS because of greater appreciation for station wagons in the Philippines.
“When we launched the Golf GTS a year ago, it was an instant success,” he said. “The people actually realize and appreciate that this car is actually the same length of a car, but has much more room, much more space for additional luggage and so on. And it’s basically the same price.”
The Santana AT Trendline and Comfortline are P898,000 and P962,000, respectively, while the Santana GTS is P998,000.
‘All the bells and whistles’
Meanwhile, the Lamando is aiming at midsize sedan stalwarts like the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord, despite being nearly 300 mm shorter in length.
Schadewald said the Lamando actually slots between the old Jetta and the Passant. “There is a market in the Philippines and people appreciate a little bit more sporty car with a good price, but with nice equipment,” he said. “We brought in this car with all the bells and whistles. Everything that you could dream of is in this car.”
The P1.569-million Comfortline variant comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, leather trim, a 12-way electric driver’s seat, cruise control, two-zone Climatronic climate control with rear air vents, LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
The P1.703-million Highline variant gets a fully digital gauge cluster, front sports seats, adaptive cruise control, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, curtain airbags and a 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
New SUVs by mid-2019
Volkswagen Philippines displayed 11 cars at PIMS, including models with upgraded black alloy wheels and Blaupunkt infotainment systems, as well as a customized version of the gigantic Crafter van with an LED TV, six captain’s chair seats, wood-vinyl floors, premium carpets, Focal audio speakers, window blinds, mood and drop lights and a stepboard.
“The seventh PIMS and its theme ‘Future Mobility’ is an ideal venue for Volkswagen Philippines to put the spotlight on its vehicles that make world-class premium German-engineered and designed motoring lifestyle experience much more accessible to hardworking Filipinos,” the company said in a press statement.
Schadewald also said the company is bringing in new models for 2019, although he would not say what these were. However, the Amarok pickup isn’t one of them.
“No, we are not considering the Amarok, but we will have some nice SUVs lined up for around middle of next year.”