With a common goal of improving the Philippine motoring experience, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) has signed up as a sponsor of the 2016 Car of the Year – Philippines search, organized by the Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI).
The annual Car Of The Year – Philippines is an annual test fest, where all vehicles for consideration go through identical qualitative (consumer) and quantitative (performance) testing. Each year, winners for each category are announced, and from that winners pool emerges the year’s COTY-P and TOTY-P.
Established in 2004, the Car Awards Group, Inc. is an organization of motoring journalists from the country’s premier print, broadcast and online publications. It aims to empower the automotive consumer by providing the best information available regarding the many excellent products available on the automotive market thru the Car of the Year Awards. Since its incorporation, the group has strived to find the best vehicles in the country through comprehensive testing involving quantitative and qualitative analysis of the vehicle’s performance, design, safety, value and other relevant factors.
The MPTC is part of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation umbrella, and is the largest toll road concessionaire and operator in the Philippines. Its operations span from the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX), and the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX).
Honda’s All-New Mobilio, HR-V and Odyssey have been awarded Best Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle, Best Compact Crossover and Best Luxury MPV respectively in Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI) 2015 Car of the Year Philippines.
CAGI is the longest-running organization of motoring journalists in the country today that aims to give customer awareness through determining the best among the best qualifying car in each segment annually. CAGI identifies the best vehicle in different segments through qualitative and quantitative testing and scoring.
Qualitative elements involve design, fit and finish, ergonomics, comfort, access, driving dynamics, response, and functionality. While quantitative results were determined by CAGI’s jurors through the participating vehicles’ acceleration, braking, performance, and handling on a closed race track. Factors such as safety features and pricing compared to its competitors were also considered.
With 1500 test drives of 78 cars and trucks in four days, Honda emerged with awards for the Mobilio, HR-V and Odyssey.
Honda’s first 7-seater multi-purpose utility vehicle and Euro 4 Certified, All-New Mobilio was awarded as 2015’s Best Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV). Powered by a 1.5 liter i-VTEC engine, its maximum power output is 120 ps at 6600 rpm and 145 NM of torque at 4600 rpm. Its powerful engine is paired with either a 5-speed Manual Transmission or the new Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).
It features modern and young styling, advanced technology, spacious cabin, flexible seats and comfortable sedan-like ride. With a glassy cabin and a lightning bolt belt line style to provide optimal visibility from the second and third row seats. Honda equipped its first MUV with a 7-inch touch screen audio unit with built-in navigation system powered by Garmin which significantly make long family road trips more fun.
The All-New HR-V is a new generation Crossover Compact SUV that aims to create a new market globally which combines the personal feel of a coupe, sporty exterior, sleek, and comfort of a sedan yet having the toughness and confidence of an SUV.
It is powered by a 1.8 liter i-VTEC engine that delivers maximum power output of 141 ps at 6500 rpm and 172 NM of torque at 4300 rpm mated with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) developed under Earth Dreams Technology.
It is the first vehicle in the Honda line-up locally to have the Electric Parking Brake (EPB) which replaces the conventional pedal or handbrake lever with a single button or switch. The HR-V also has full safety features such as driver and passenger SRS airbags (with side and side curtain airbags for the top of the line variant), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Multi-view Reverse Camera with Dynamic Guidelines (for the mid and top of the line variant) and rear sensors for the top of the line, Seat Belt Reminder, ISOFIX and Immobilizer. With this, the HR-V’s EL Variant was awarded 5-stars from the ASEAN NCAP.
The 7-seater luxury minivan, Odyssey, showcases the perfect balance of utility which suggest spacious cabin and flexible seating; and passenger car values that evoke driving performance and fuel efficiency. It is the first Honda model available in the Philippines that is equipped with Earth Dreams Technology engine & transmission – 2.4-liter, DOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine and Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT).
This minivan feature power sliding doors that open to the spacious and feature packed cabin, captain cradle seats with ottomans that are especially designed for the second row passengers, seven-inch touch screen display audio with navigation system and roof-mounted nine-inch rear entertainment system with HDMI port and DVD player.
Driving the All-New Odyssey is also a pleasurable experience as it has been equipped with driver assistive features such as Blind Spot Information feature, Multi-view Camera System and Smart Parking Assist System:
The Blind Spot Information feature notifies (indicators on the side mirror) the driver of vehicles in the blind spot through radars installed in the rear bumper. The radars also activate the Cross Traffic Monitor which alerts the driver should there be a vehicle on its blind spots when reversing out of a car park.
The Multi-view Camera System supports safe driving by significantly improving visibility around the vehicle through images generated from four wide angle cameras located on the front grille, right and left door mirrors and the tailgate. Synthesized images are shown on the touch screen display audio with navigation. Different images can be displayed depending on the situation such as driving through an intersection with poor visibility, parking the car or driving through a narrow street.
The Smart Parking Assist System helps the driver to park with automatic steering input using the Electric Power Steering (EPS) motor. This is based on automatic detection of the parking space by analyzing the images framed by the Multi-view Camera System. The system supports backing into the parking space and parallel parking even in a tight spot where multiple steering operations are required.
Check out the award-winning Honda vehicles at any authorized Honda dealership or log-on to www.hondpahil.com for more information.
The Nissan NP300 Navara was named Truck of the Year – Philippines (TOTY-P) in 2015 Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI) last November 13, 2015 at the CAGI Gala Awards Night held at the Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks & Casino in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga.
The CAGI’s Truck of the Year – Philippines, along with Car of the Year – Philippines (COTY-P), is an annual automotive award-giving body that carefully determines the best among the best qualifying car in each segment to give consumer awareness. This year’s qualification was an “all-new” or “significantly updated” vehicles that have had significant mechanical or electronic changes to the powertrain, drivetrain, suspension or activity systems that affect the way they drive or operate that was launched to the local market from October 2014 to October 2015.
Through qualitative and quantitative testing, CAGI hand-picked the NP300 Navara 2.5L 4×2 EL 7AT Calibre as the TOTY-P besting its competitors in the highly contested truck wars.
“Earlier this year, Nissan declared the beginning of the ‘Truck Wars’ by launching the NP300 Navara,” said NPI President and Managing Director, Antonio Zara. “It has been a very exciting time for the pick-up truck segment, and we are proud to say that we have emerged victorious in this battle. Thank you to the CAGI members for this recognition.”
Truck of the Year winners. (L-R) Robby Consunji, President, Car Awards Group, Inc.; Dax Avenido, PR and Product Planning Manager, Nissan Philippines, Inc.; SJ Huh, General Manager for Marketing, Nissan Philippines, Inc.; Therese Sarmiento, PR & Communications officer, Nissan Philippines, Inc.; and Subir Lohani, Managing Director, Carmudi Philippines.
The NP300 Navara bested other manufacturers by being the first and only vehicle in its segment to deliver unmatched riding comfort from its multi-link suspension system. In addition, the NP300 Navara also features NASA-inspired Zero gravity seats for better ergonomic support to reduce driving fatigue. This system ensures a smoother ride, bringing a car-like level of comfort to the pick-up segment.
Adding to the driving pleasure of the NP300 Navara are the reduced turning radius, highlighting dynamic agility and maneuverability in all kinds of terrain, an improved fuel efficiency over its predecessor, and a selection of electronic driving aids that provide a welcome boost in safety and control. These include technical driving tools such as Hill Descent Control, Hill Start Assist, Traction Control, and Vehicle Dynamics Stability Control.
In addition to winning TOTY-P 2015, Nissan Navara was also declared the Best 4×2 Pick-up during the ceremony. Adding to Nissan’s triumph was the Nissan Juke winning the Best Subcompact Crossover SUV category. The new Nissan Juke was introduced to the local market during the company’s second anniversary celebration last month, capturing the attention of the motoring public with its bold new design as well as sub-million peso price tag.
MANILA, Philippines – The country’s premier automotive award-giving body, Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI), has already determined the 2015 Car of the Year-Philippines (COTY-P) and the Truck of the Year-Philippines (TOTY-P) last November 13, 2015 at the CAGI Gala Awards Night held at the Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks & Casino in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga.
“All-new” or “Significantly Updated” vehicles or automobile that have had significant mechanical or electronic changes to the powertrain, drivetrain, suspension or activity systems that affect the way they drive or operate that was launched to the local market from October 2014 to October 2015 was the qualification for this year.
The overall COTY-P title was awarded to the Mazda 2 Skyactiv R 4-door, which also won the Best Subcompact Car category. It out-shined all the other 65 nominees that vied for the top award, beating them for its merits in performance, aesthetics, driving experience, and price just to name a few. The last Mazda to get the award was the Mazda 6 that won in 2013 – 2014.
The Mazda team represented by (L-R) Germain Alilio, Field Sales Specialist; Sherlyn Co, Corporate Communications and Relationship Manager; Japheth Castillo, Sales And Marketing Director; Steven Tan, President & CEO; David Asuncion, General Sales Manager; Ralph Garcia, Marketing Manager; and Mark Tamula, Field Service Specialist.
The Nissan NP300 Navara 2.5L 4×2 EL 7AT Calibre earned the TOTY-P award, besting its competitors in the highly contested truck wars. The same variant topped the 4×2 Pickup category, while the all-new Ford Ranger Wildtrak 3.2L 4×4 AT took home the Best 4×4 Pickup award.
Truck of the Year winners. (L-R) Robby Consunji, President, Car Awards Group, Inc.; Dax Avenido, PR and Product Planning Manager, Nissan Philippines, Inc.; SJ Huh, General Manager for Marketing, Nissan Philippines, Inc.; Therese Sarmiento, PR & Communications officer, Nissan Philippines, Inc.; and Subir Lohani, Managing Director, Carmudi Philippines.
As for the other winners in the car categories:
Basic Subcompact Car of the Year – Suzuki Celerio GL 1.0L MT
Best Compact Car of the Year – Kia Forte Koup 2-door Sedan
Best Midsized Car category – Mazda 6 Sports Wagon
Best Premium Sedan – Volvo S60 D4 Polestar
Best Luxury Sedan – Jaguar XE 2.0
This year’s awards also saw a large number of crossovers and MPVs on the entry list:
Best Subcompact Crossover SUV – Nissan Juke
Best Compact Crossover SUV – Honda HR-V 1.8L EL CVT
Best Crossover SUV – Mazda CX-5 AWD Sport
Best Luxury Crossover SUV of the Year – Lexus NX 200t F-Sport
Compact MPV of the Year – Mobilio 1.5V CVT
Luxury MPV of the Year – Odyssey 2.4L EX-V Navi
Best 4×2 SUV – Ford Everest Trend 2.2L 4×2 AT
Best 4×4 SUV – Ford Everest Titanium 3.2 4×4 AT
The most exciting vehicles that entered the 2015 COTY-PH awards, however, were the sports and luxury cars:
Best Sports Hatch – Volkswagen Golf GTI
Best Sports Sedan – Subaru WRX 2.0 MT
Best Sports Car – Mazda MX-5 MT
Best Premium Sports Car – Ford Mustang 5.0 V8 GT Premium
Best High Performance Sports Car – Lexus RC-F
Ultra-luxury Car – Rolls Royce Wraith
Sports Cars of the Year – Ferrari California T
“CAGI has completed the most thorough and critical consumer-oriented vehicle review process in the country. We tested 78 cars and trucks from the 2015 model year, involved roughly 1,500 testdrives over 4 days. To all the car manufacturers and distributors who fielded an entry in this year’s COTY Awards, we highly appreciate your trust and confidence for allowing us to test and scrutinize your cars. Above all, thank you for supporting the objective of the COTY Awards to raise consumer awareness,” said Mr. Robby Consunji, President of the Car Awards Group, Inc.
Established in 2004, the Car Awards Group, Inc. is the longest-running organization of motoring journalists in the country today. Since its incorporation, the group has been striving to find the best vehicles in the country through independent, and comprehensive testing. CAGI’s testing and scoring process is composed of qualitative and quantitative criteria, plus other factors such as safety features and pricing compared to its competitors. The COTY-P and TOTY-P award isn’t just about who is the biggest, strongest, and fastest, but who offers the most complete package.
“On behalf of CAGI, I would like to thank all our sponsors who helped us out this season, with a special mention of our event partner, the audit firm KPMG R.G. Manabat & Company who was instrumental in refining the process and methodology of the COTY Awards. They were also the ones who tabulated the votes and conducted an independent validation of the scores that led to this year’s batch of winners. We would like to thank our event partner Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks and Casino for graciously hosting our Testfests, as well as our gala awards night, and to our co-presenter carmudi.com.ph for their trust and support,” Mr. Consunji added.
Aside from the category winners, CAGI’s valued sponsors also gave out special awards to deserving winners:
AirAsia Philippines Consumer Award:
2015 Suzuki Celerio GL 1.0L AT
HitchPro Outdoor Lifestyle Award:
2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport
The 2015 Car of the Year – Philippines is co-presented by Carmudi Philippines, and is made possible by event partners:
The Car Awards Group, Inc. is represented by the following media entities: Business Mirror, Cebu Daily News, Daily Tribune, Malaya Business Insight, Manila Bulletin, Manila Times, Mindanao Daily News, Philippine Daily Inquirer, AQ Magazine, Brand Magazine, C! Magazine, Gadgets Magazine, Motorcycle Magazine, Power Wheels Magazine, Speed Magazine, Stuff Magazine, Top Gear Philippines, Autodeal.com.ph, Autoindustriya.com, CarGuide.ph, Carmudi.com.ph, Interaksyon.com, Kotse.com, ManilaSpeak.com, MotionCars.com, SprocketPH.com, TessDrive.com, TimeAttackManila.com, Yugatech.com, Auto Focus, Auto Review, Motoring Today, Stoplight TV, Motoring sa DZME, DZMM, The Motoring Page on Mellow 94.7 FM, and Inside Motoring on DZRJ 810 AM.
MANILA, Philippines – The Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI) has evaluated the final batch of sixteen nominees for 2015 Car of the Year – Philippines (COTY-P) and Truck of the Year – Philippines (TOTY-P) last November 4, 2015 at the Fontana Convention Center. This brings the total number of vehicles competing for the plum awards to 78.
The fourth test day was a mix of European and Japanese luxury cars, sports cars, and supercars, along with some last minute additions to the entry list. Meanwhile, Chevrolet, Toyota, and Hyundai all returned to enlist the Colorado 4×4 Tracker Pro, Camry 2.4S, and Sonata, respectively.
French marque Peugeot brought the 301 sedan and 2008 compact crossover. The British were well represented with no less than 6 brands on the list. MINI entered the Cooper JCW, Jaguar brought their XE 2.0 and F-Type R, Land Rover had the new Discovery Sport, Rolls Royce brought in the Wraith, Lotus had the Exige S Roadster, and Aston Martin had the Vantage V12S. Meanwhile, holding up the flag for the Italians were the Maserati Ghibli SQ4 and Ferrari California T. Last but not the least, Japanese luxury brand Lexus came in with the NX 200T F-Sport and RCF.
CAGI has just completed the most thorough and critical consumer-oriented vehicle review process in the country. Under stringent supervision by KPMG, we combined the subjective and objective scores to determine which vehicles were truly outstanding.
“We appreciate the trust and confidence from the car manufacturers and distributors shown by allowing the CAGI membership to test and thoroughly scrutinize their brand new cars. Our processing of almost 80 cars and trucks over the 4-day Testfest was both a valuable experience and a privilege. It sets the real-world performance benchmark for our motoring journalists to continue rating and comparing vehicles in the future“, said CAGI President Robby Consunji.
Automotive design and manufacturing today, produces cars and trucks suitable for every type of consumer and purpose. Identifying a bad or unsafe product is ever more difficult in today’s market. The COTY Awards will recognize the best car or truck that stood out on a category and overall basis.
The car industry and consumers can be assured of an unbiased representation of a deserving COTY-P and TOTY-P winner at the Gala Awards Night on November 13 at the Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks, Clark Freeport Zone.
The Car Awards Group, Inc. is represented by the following media entities: Business Mirror, Cebu Daily News, Daily Tribune, Malaya Business Insight, Manila Bulletin, Manila Times, Mindanao Daily News, Philippine Daily Inquirer, AQ Magazine, Brand Magazine, C! Magazine, Gadgets Magazine, Motorcycle Magazine, Power Wheels Magazine, Speed Magazine, Stuff Magazine, Top Gear Philippines, Autodeal.com.ph, Autoindustriya.com, CarGuide.ph, Carmudi.com.ph, Interaksyon.com, Kotse.com, ManilaSpeak.com, MotionCars.com, SprocketPH.com, TessDrive.com, TimeAttackManila.com, Yugatech.com, Auto Focus, Auto Review, Motoring Today, Stoplight TV, Motoring sa DZME, DZMM, The Motoring Page on Mellow 94.7 FM, and Inside Motoring on DZRJ 810 AM.
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