Members of CAGI pose with vehicles examined on the third testing day.
contributed photo
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Another 19 vehicles went through the Car Awards Group, Inc.’s (CAGI) testfest last Oct. 27 at the Fontana Convention Center in Clark, Pampanga.
The third testing day brought the award-giving body a step closer in its search for the 2015 Car of the Year – Philippines (COTY – P) and Truck of Year Philippines (TOTY – P).
As per procedure, all entries were subjected to both qualitative and quantitative tests. Qualitative testing has CAGI members rate each vehicle according to criteria such as design, fit and finish, ergonomics, comfort and driving dynamics. The Quantitative tests, on the other hand, are conducted by the CAGI Technical Team to measure the vehicle’s performance on a safe closed track. VBox is internationally recognized as a quality standard in automotive testing.
Adding to the list of entries were nominees from Chevrolet, Ford, Haima, Kia, Isuzu, Subaru, Suzuki, Tata and Volkswagen.
Freshly launched earlier in the month, the all-new Trax is Chevrolet’s lone entry this year. Returning for another day of testing were Ford with the all-new Mustang 5.0 V8 Premium; and Haima with the Haima 2 1.5 GLS C-Sport MT. Kia’s entry-list consisted of the Sorrento, Carnival and the Forte in sedan, hatchback, and coupe.
Isuzu entered the updated MU-X and D-Max that now has a more powerful 3.0 VGS engine, while Subaru entered the WRX 2.0 MT, Legacy 2.5i S, and Outback. Suzuki and Tata also made a second appearance with the Celerio GL MT, and Xenon 4×2 MT, respectively. Volkswagen’s nominees are the Polo Hatch and Golf GTI.
“CAGI is overwhelmed by the number of cars available for testing from the car manufacturers and distributors. If you plan to buy a car soon, the COTY Awards on Nov. 13 will identify the best car available on a category and overall basis. And if you already bought a car, the COTY Awards will tell you if you already chose the best,” said Robby Consunji, president of CAGI.
With these entries, the number of vehicles vying for the coveted awards has now reached 63 nominees. CAGI has also scheduled an extra testing day to accommodate the sheer number of entries this year before the awards night on Nov. 13.
The 2015 Car of the Year – Philippines is co-presented by Carmudi Philippines, and is made possible by event partners Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks & Casino, and R. G. Manabat & Co. / KPMG, and sponsors Bose, Air Asia, HitchPro, the Manila International Auto Show, Worldbex Services International, Manila North Tollways Corporation, North Luzon Expressway, Sonax, Ultra Modular Concepts, Inc. (UMCI), Romac Group of Companies, Columbia Sportswear, SpeedLab, and LG Electronics. Media partners are BusinessMirror, Malaya Business Insight, Manila Bulletin, Philippine Star and Philippine Daily Inquirer.