We attended three significant automotive events in the course of a week, which somehow reoriented us to the reality of automobile ownership in this nation.
We are referring to the launch of the next-generation Ford Ranger Raptor (whose Ford Island Conquest real test-driving along with their latest Ford Ranger, Everest, and Territory is still ongoing at the off-road track at the Arca South in Taguig City) and the Suzuki S-Presso (a compact SUV-style vehicle that is now with an AGS or automatic gear shift). The third is the TransSport Show, which is still going on at Pasay City’s SMX Convention Center at Mall of Asia through tomorrow.
These three occurrences have a unique quality in common that will help you understand why our nation is still fascinated by cars powered by internal combustion engines (ICEs). Yes, ICE engines were used in the bulk of the vehicles displayed at these three exhibitions.
Suzuki’s best chance of competing in the compact car industry and luring the younger generation of car owners who are seeking their new vehicle at a lot more reasonable price is the S-Presso. This is quite appealing to the new generation of automobile purchasers as it only goes for P660,000.
With the release of their “next-generation vehicles,” such as the Ford Everest, Ford Ranger, Ford Territory, and most recently the Ford Ranger Raptor, Ford is taking the lead in bringing in innovative automotive technology in such an accessible and enjoyable way. The Ford Raptor proved incredibly stable to drive and capable of tackling any terrain thanks to its very loaded 7 drive modes on and off the road. We drove it three times over the off-road course created by racing veteran and driving teacher Georges Ramirez. Even so, it has a very comfortable interior and plenty of comforts, from the sports seat with a jet-inspired design to the distinctive complete command console.
Then we moved on to the following scene, which is Sophie de los Santos’s TransSportShow, which is packed with freshly restored vehicles of all ages, the most of which were ICEs. Even two 1950s-era cars and a ton of beefed-up, multi-million dollar cars and mouth watering SUVs were photographed in magnificent stances with attractive females.
The future of car ownership in our nation will not be determined by these three events. However, they prominently display the types of cars that continue to be purchased by millions of auto fans and are frequently seen on our streets.
And for just this reason, the bulk of automakers and dealers continue to focus their attention on the sales of their ICE-powered automobiles. These are the lifeblood of their company and will continue to exist for a very long time.
