Another 19 vehicles went through the Car Awards Group, Inc.’s (CAGI) testfest last October 27, 2015 at the Fontana Convention Center in Clark, Pampanga. This third testing day brought the award giving body one-step closer in the 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 have 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. Meanwhile, 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 forms.
Isuzu entered the updated Mu-X and D-Max that now has a more powerful 3.0 VGS engine, while Subaru is vying for a win with the WRX 2.0 MT, Legacy 2.5i S, and Outback. Suzuki and Tata also made a second appearance at the testfest with the Celerio GL MT, and Xenon 4×2 MT, respectively. Finally, 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 November 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 the Car Awards Group, Inc.
“We welcome Carmudi Philippines as a co-presenter for the COTY Awards. As the country’s leading on-line vehicle marketplace, Carmudi.com.ph will be instrumental in enabling the Filipino consumer to make informed choices based on the independent judgment of the CAGI jurors,” Consunji added.
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 November 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 include BusinessMirror, Malaya Business Insight, Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer and The Philippine Star.
The Car Awards Group, Inc. is represented by the following media entities: Business Mirror, Cebu Daily News, Daily Tribune, Malaya Business Insight, Manila Bulletin, Manila Times, Mindanao Daily News, Philippine Daily Inquirer, AQ Magazine, Brand Magazine, C! Magazine, Gadgets Magazine, Motorcycle Magazine, Power Wheels Magazine, Speed Magazine, Stuff Magazine, Top Gear Philippines, Autodeal.com.ph, Autoindustriya.com, CarGuide.ph, Carmudi.com.ph, Interaksyon.com, Kotse.com, ManilaSpeak.com, MotionCars.com, SprocketPH.com, TessDrive.com, TimeAttackManila.com, Yugatech.com, Auto Focus, Auto Review, Motoring Today, Stoplight TV, Motoring sa DZME, DZMM, The Motoring Page on Mellow 94.7 FM, and Inside Motoring on DZRJ 810 AM.