Will be getting a car this month. Budget is originally 850k but willing to stretch to 900k+ if there's a really good alternative.

My requirements are as follows:

1) Looks respectable - basically I want the most expensive looking car that fits my budget.

2) Powerful enough - should have a 0-100 time of about 10 sec, and able to reach 200 kph. I go out of town a lot and I want a car that can overtake fairly well.

3) Engaging drive - most preferably a manual with a good chassis, steering, handling, and brakes. Will bring the car to the track a few times a year.

The car will be used mostly for highway (NLEX, SCTEX, OG, Roman) driving, usually with just me on board. Maintenance, insurance, LTO will be shouldered by my company. Will keep the car for about 5-8 years (unless I fall in love with it and end up not selling it). Has to be brand new.

Top contender right now is the Altis 1.6G MT. Best deal I've gotten so far is 879k with a 44k discount. It certainly looks attractive and respectable (especially in black). Most people don't see it as a fast car, but it does hit 200 quicker than some 2-liter cars and can get to 100 kph in 10 secs, thanks to the light chassis and willing Dual VVTi engine. Chassis and brakes are good, but steering is really really dull. Also, beige interior will be a pain to clean. Not much features, but it has the basics covered. And since it's cheap, I can upgrade the wheels, and get HID projectors if ever.

A very close second was the Lancer EX GT-A. Unfortunately, I'm too late to the party - it was offered for as low as 960k in December, but they've phased it out already. Also, I find the CVT a bit clunky to use, even with the responsive paddle shifters. Handling is much better than the Altis, but performance is just about the same, despite having a bigger and less efficient engine. Even if it was available, a cleanly modded Altis would've been more of a looker than a pricier stock GT-A.

Third option would be the Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost. Great performance and great handling, but it certainly doesn't look expensive. Yes it's the TOTL, but it's so tiny that it looks like it should only cost the same as a Mirage. Oh, and the DCT issues too. Even if I won't pay for maintenance, it's a hassle to leave your car in the casa for repairs.

A fourth option is the Suzuki Grand Vitara, which only costs 940k after discounts. It brings the usual SUV advantages - tougher underpinnings, increased ride height, more cargo space. But it doesn't really hit any of the requirements I'm looking for. It doesn't look all that respectable (Suzuki isn't really considered upscale locally). It's also slow on the highway (Earlier today in SCTEX it couldn't overtake my Vios as it seemed to have topped out at 185 kph, so much for a 2.4L engine). Handling is nowhere near a CX-5 or Forester either. It's an affordable SUV, yes, but not a very good one.

Not interested in the Mobilio/Ertiga bec I don't need to haul 7 people. Don't like the Ecosport cuz it's slow and awkward-looking. All other subcompacts look cheap. I was tempted to get the Mz3 2.0 since it's the best compact available, but good as it is, I don't think it's worth 1.5x the price of the Altis. The Mz3 1.5 is slow as hell and looks very bare. The Sylphy is a great compact but obviously not my style. The FB Civic would've been nice but it's too expensive (948k for a bare manual). Cruze and Elantra don't excite me and are quite dated. None of the cars priced at 1-1.2M attract me enough to go way over budget.

Just curious if anyone else has a better suggestion given my constraints. Thanks!