CoTY-P Announces Car of the Year
After the strenuous testing and rigorous shakedown of all the participants in this year’s Car of the Year-Philippines (CoTY-P) search, the smoke of battle cleared and the Subaru Impreza STi emerged as the best among the best. The Impreza also bagged the Sports Car/Sedan category, inching out Mazda’s pocket rocket, the Miata MX-5.
“It is an honor to win this award given the competitors that we had to overcome. This win further solidifies our claim that the Impreza is the best all-around performer,” stated Nikki Mariano, general manager of Motor Image Pilipinas, exclusive distributor of Subaru in the country. Subaru also won in the Crossover and Wagon 4WD category, beating seven other contenders, which included such heavy favorites as the Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Santa Fe and Mitsubishi Outlander.
It was a tough fight, and the Car Awards Group Inc. (Cagi) members had a hard time deciding which among the entries deserved the badge and title of category winners and Car of the Year. “The sheer number of cars that participated this year was really a challenge to the Cagi members. We had to sacrifice four consecutive weekends with our families to wrap up the testing schedule in accordance with our time frame. Looking back, the strong support of the Cagi members and the automotive industry is a testament to the credibility and respect prevailing in our ranks. This year’s testing is a momentous footnote to CoTY-P’s history,” said Ira Panganiban, Cagi president.
Historic night
The awards night also gave due respect to the founding fathers of Cagi which included the core of CoTY-P: Armin Amio of Gadgets Magazine and the BusinessMirror; Aris Ilagan of the Manila Bulletin; Lester Dizon of Motorcycle Magazine/Philippine Star and Tessa Salazar of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Panganiban also pointed out the achievements and legacies of its past presidents, who include Amio, Manny de los Reyes of Speed Magazine/Philippine Star and Aida Sevilla-Mendoza of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “It is heartwarming that our efforts were recognized by the incumbent Cagi board and its members. We are always ready to lend our support and we will always contribute to the growth and development of Cagi-CoTY,” added Aris Ilagan.
The highlight of the 2008 Car of the Year-Philippines Awards Night was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Pocholo Ramirez, the country’s living legend and motor sports icon. In a videotaped acceptance speech, Ramirez was in tears as he thanked the Cagi membership for recognizing his contribution to the development of Philippine motor sports. “It feels different when your colleagues in the motoring industry gives you an award for your efforts. I am at a loss for words about how I exactly feel right now,” he says, as the crowd at the One Esplanade fell silent. Even the country’s godfather of the motoring beat, Butch Gamboa, was close to tears as his voice cracked when he formally presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Pocholo’s eldest son, Kookie Ramirez.
This year’s Car of the Year-Philippines test fest was conducted at the Clark Expo inside the Clark Economic Zone. The four-week test session saw the participation of 80 cars, sport-utility vehicles (SUVs), pick-ups and exotic sports cars.
The category winners of this year’s CoTY-P search are the Kia Picanto M/T DLX for Basic Subcompact; Toyota Vios 1.5 G M/T for Executive Subcompact; the Hyundai i30 1.6 CRDi for the Compact Car category; Mazda 6 for the Midsize category; the Mercedes-Benz C200 for Luxury Sedan; the Jaguar XJ for Ultra Luxury Sedan; the Subaru Impreza STi for the Sports Car/Sedan category; Mitsubishi Outlander 4×2 2.4 CVT for the Crossover and Wagon 2WD; the Subaru Forester 2.5 XT for the Crossover and Wagon 4WD; the Volvo XC70 D5 as this year’s Luxury Crossover and Wagon; the Mercedes-Benz ML Class Ed 10 for the Ultra Luxury Crossover and Wagon; the Kia Carens A/T EX for Compact Van and Multipurpose Vehicle (MPV); the Nissan Grand Livina for Executive Van and MPV; the Kia Carnival A/T EX LWB for Luxury Van and MPV; the Nissan Navarra for the 2WD pick-up category; the Toyota Hi Lux 4×4 G DSL A/T for the 4WD pick-up category; the Mitsubishi Montero Sport 3.2 GLS Sport for the Executive SUV; the Jeep Commander for the Luxury SUV; the Ford Expedition for the Ultra Luxury SUV; and the Range Rover Sport for the Exotic SUV category.
In the Special Awards category, Toyota Motors Philippines Inc. bagged the Landcraft Best Media Event for their Toyota Road Trek Magical Mystery Tour media event; the Cherry QQ as the Most Affordable Car; Hyundai Automotive Resources Inc. winning the Best Media Launch; and the Mazda Miata MX-5 winning the Concept One Sexiest Car Award.
Cagi’s partners in this year’s Petron-Car of the Year Philippines are Petron Corp., Bridgestone, Automobile Association of the Philippines, C’ Italian fine dining restaurant, Clark Development Corp., Manila International Auto Sho, Standard Insurance, Speedlab, Landcraft Adventures and Sycip, Gorres, Velayo and Co. Media partners in this year’s search are the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, The Manila Standard Today, the BusinessMirror, Top Gear Philippines, Gadgets Magazine, Chinese Commercial News, Manual Magazine, Gadgets Magazine, Autoindustriya.com, kotse.com, Hotwire.
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