European cars wishlist for the Philippine roads

**LynxMan** · July 12th, 2009 08:27 PM

I have been working in the United Kingdom for 7 years now and i have seen cars go by...small or big, simple or luxurious. but in my honest opinion i think there is a "gap" or missing link (if you like) in each of the car segements on the Philippine roads at the moment. what i would like to see is new models to fill-in this gap so the filipino family can have more choices and hopefully our roads will become better to see again and fun to drive....

for City or Small cars:

Hyundai i20
Mazda2
Ford Fiesta
Nissan Micra
Mitsubishi Colt

For MPV's or Family Vans:

Mazda5

Small SUV:

Ford Kuga (to replace the Escape)
Nissan Qashqai
Suzuki SX4 (the 5-door not the gawdawful sedan!)

i would also like to see Vauxhall or Opel/GM flex it's muscles again with cars like the new Vauxhall/Opel Corsa, Zafira & Astra. i would also like Suzuki to be more agressive in releasing new models (thank God for Swift and the Celerio/new Alto), Daihatsu with cars like the Terios and Sirion (as i understand daihatsu is now partly-owned by Toyota), the Kia Cee'd range and Volkwagen Polo and the uber-car Golf. i would like to see other euro makes like Renault and Fiat as they have lots of exciting new models around like the new Megane and Clio and the Fiat500 respectively.

i also noticed that some cars like the Mazda3 and the Ford Focus are all on automatic mode. please...we need manual. people still prefer manual and IMHO still saves up on petrol more that the A/T brother and is still more exciting when driving. we also need more environment-friendly cars and not just hybrids because they are still expensive. cars like Toyota's Optimal Drive for example. no more big SUV, road-hugging, gas-guzzling vehicles pls. we had enough of them. time to be more practical now.

any sugestions or comments please fell free to reply....

**LeOxe** · July 12th, 2009 10:06 PM

i think there's a big possibility that the Hyundai i20 (will be replacing the Getz), the Ford Fiesta Sedan and the Mazda 2 Sedan will hit Philippine shores sometime in the very near future.

IMO, as for the other European car makes, it would be very difficult for them to penetrate the Philippine market not because of government barriers but because of market acceptance. Peugeot, for example, entered the market a few years back but to no avail. i think the dealership closed due to poor sales.

**jozef_10** · July 12th, 2009 10:20 PM

diesel / crdi variants..

**jpdm** · July 13th, 2009 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by LynxMan

I have been working in the United Kingdom for 7 years now and i have seen cars go by...small or big, simple or luxurious. but in my honest opinion i think there is a "gap" or missing link (if you like) in each of the car segements on the Philippine roads at the moment. what i would like to see is new models to fill-in this gap so the filipino family can have more choices and hopefully our roads will become better to see again and fun to drive....

for City or Small cars:

Hyundai i20
Mazda2
Ford Fiesta
Nissan Micra
Mitsubishi Colt

For MPV's or Family Vans:

Mazda5

Small SUV:

Ford Kuga (to replace the Escape)
Nissan Qashqai
Suzuki SX4 (the 5-door not the gawdawful sedan!)

i would also like to see Vauxhall or Opel/GM flex it's muscles again with cars like the new Vauxhall/Opel Corsa, Zafira & Astra. i would also like Suzuki to be more agressive in releasing new models (thank God for Swift and the Celerio/new Alto), Daihatsu with cars like the Terios and Sirion (as i understand daihatsu is now partly-owned by Toyota), the Kia Cee'd range and Volkwagen Polo and the uber-car Golf. i would like to see other euro makes like Renault and Fiat as they have lots of exciting new models around like the new Megane and Clio and the Fiat500 respectively.

i also noticed that some cars like the Mazda3 and the Ford Focus are all on automatic mode. please...we need manual. people still prefer manual and IMHO still saves up on petrol more that the A/T brother and is still more exciting when driving. we also need more environment-friendly cars and not just hybrids because they are still expensive. cars like Toyota's Optimal Drive for example. no more big SUV, road-hugging, gas-guzzling vehicles pls. we had enough of them. time to be more practical now.

any sugestions or comments please fell free to reply....

European cars in philippine car threads?

**LeOxe** · July 13th, 2009 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by jpdm

European cars in philippine car threads?

onga no? noticed it just now. hehe

maybe the mods should transfer this thread to the "Other European Cars Talk" section.

**LynxMan** · July 14th, 2009 07:22 PM

the thread is about a wishlist FOR Philippine roads and NOT about european cars per se.

i think the bottom line is 1. Government support and/or influence and 2. Law enforcement and 3. More cars more choices and 4. Money.

in most countries (specially here in the Euro region) the state gives incentives to people if they have less gass-guzzling cars (in most car adverts be it TV or print they advertised the estimated city/urban, suburban, country carbon output of the vehicle) and if you have an electric car or hybrid you get more. have you heard that type of policy in the Philippines? No!!! all these emission-testing centres are prime for red tape. just pay the tester and you're off the hook. is the law being inforced trully that way? i don't think so. we filipinos has a sickness. we always want what is easy. no wonder we don't progress. the issue of having cars is...to get you from point A to B. that's it.

reward those who have cleaner cars and maybe less with not-so clean cars. i think that is a fair statement. i am aware that more than 70% is under the poverty line but there has to be a way. there has to be a compromise. and sometimes we have to take the bitter pill, make sacrifices in order for the local car industry to really flourish. we have to start somewhere.

i am not saying remove the jeepneys but maybe a. slowly and gradually remove them or b. replace them with a cheaper and cleaner alternative and give incentives to our ordinary drivers who are working hard to give their familes a better future.

**mazzipino** · July 14th, 2009 08:05 PM

*LynxMan: OT: Where in UK? Lived there too, for a long time.

To cut a long story short, I think there should be more smaller cars in the Philippines. The likes of:

Ford Fiesta

Fiat Punto

Vauxhall (Opel) Corsa

Renault Clio

**mazzipino** · July 14th, 2009 08:25 PM

... oh, and add the Peugeot 206 in there:

**AG4** · July 14th, 2009 08:41 PM

Originally Posted by mazzipino

To cut a long story short, I think there should be more smaller cars in the Philippines. The likes of:

Ford Fiesta

We'll probably see the new Ford Fiesta and Mazda 2 in the Philippines sometime in early 2010.
The new $500M AutoAlliance Thailand facility that will manufacture/assemble the Mazda 2 and Ford Fiesta for the ASEAN market will be operational soon.

Originally Posted by LynxMan

i also noticed that some cars like the Mazda3 and the Ford Focus are all on automatic mode. please...we need manual.

The local Mazda 3 lineup is automatic only, but Ford offers 2 manual transmission Focus models.
The P779K 1.8 Style sedan...

...and the P799K 1.8 Trend sedan.

**LynxMan** · July 15th, 2009 05:31 AM

Mazzipino,

been here for 7 years now. i'm living here in London so all new cars that have come out i will see it first in London roads.

i fully agree with you. you sure know how to choose your car man. i also like the Nissan Note (a small family van) and the Fiat500. i really like to see the Hyundai i20, Ford Fiesta and the Mazda2 slug it out in 2010. plus let's not forget the upcoming Mini, Yaris, Aveo Hatch and the Suzuki Celerio/Alto.