27 September 2012
An American Odyssey | 2012 Honda Odyssey 3.5L V6 AT
Words by Niky Tamayo | Photos by Ken Tamayo
Fans of the brand and the car in the Philippines have been clamoring for the Odyssey for decades. Well, it’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here. Strangely, this isn’t the Odyssey any of us pictured coming in. Don’t be fooled by the Japanese logo, this one’s an American mini-van through and through. Designed, built, and sold in America. While this American focus has reaped it great sales and accolades in the US, the concept and execution are radically different from the Odyssey’s Asian market competitors. Well, if you can’t have a market segment all to yourself, sometimes it pays to make your own.
Published in
Van & MPV
04 September 2012
A First Class Ticket on the Tokyo Express | 2010 Toyota Alphard 3.5 V6
Words by Niky Tamayo | Photos by Ken Tamayo
Japanese culture is an eclectic mix of Western, traditional, and futuristic influences. Nowhere is this better seen than in its railway system, which ranges from jam-packed urban subway systems, to quaint, picturesque rural lines that allow travelers to savor the sights and foods of Japan in slow-moving comfort. But when asked to consider a “Japanese train,” most people immediately picture the Shinkansen, or the “bullet train”. This land-bound jet-liner is one of the most iconic symbols of Japanese progress from the 20th century.
Perhaps not quite as iconic, but equally pervasive in Japanese culture, is the minivan. While the modern minivan is arguably an American phenomenon, Japan has put its own unique twist on it. Where the US minivan is a fop to the so-called “soccer mom”, the Japanese minivan is an ostentatious status symbol. In a land teeming with diminutive Kei cars and bicycles, it’s the king of the road. And they don’t come much more kingly than the Toyota Alphard. Its reign is so dominant, in fact, that there are more of these vans in Japan than Corollas.
Published in
Van & MPV
09 August 2012
Adventures in Cube-Space | 2011 Suzuki APV Type II
Words and photos by Niky Tamayo
It’s an odd sensation, puttering along in traffic, head and shoulders above everyone else... to look down upon lowly SUV drivers, as you sit at the stoplights. Sir, you do know you have a bald spot, right? No, I mean the one where the paint’s flaked away on your roof.
This sensation is made even odder by the fact that the car I’m driving weighs less than most cars. You’re towering over the crowd, yes, but like that tall, skinny kid in high school, that won’t keep you from getting beaten up at recess. Thus, you don’t get the swelled head that most SUV drivers and van drivers get from the rarefied air at this altitude. That’s a good thing, by the way. All cars on the road should be shaped like this. Perhaps thinking outside the box means putting wheels on it.
Published in
Van & MPV
Words by Niky Tamayo | Photos by Ken Tamayo
The Avanza is the brainchild of corporate collaboration. Originally engineered in Indonesia as the Daihatsu Xenia, it slotted in under the Innova as a replacement for the wildly popular Kijang/Revo. It addressed the taxi market that the Innova was too expensive to service.
Being a taxi special, the original Avanza was dirt cheap. The base model interior was straight from the 80’s, complete with analogue odometer and wind-up windows. While the 1.5G was infinitely better, it cost as much as the bigger Innova. Yet the Avanza had its charms. It was light and nimble, and the unibody construction gave it a lot of interior space for its size. Now, there's a new Avanza in town, we take it out for a spin to find out if its still as good as the last one.
Published in
Van & MPV
Words and photos by Christopher Kho
Aren't MPV's supposed to be bland, boring, bouncy bricks whose primary duty is lugging around family members or children, and are best associated with soccer moms? Well, for a change, Chevrolet's out to beat the MPV stereotype with the Orlando - an MPV dressed to look like an SUV, built to drive like a sedan, yet big enough to seat seven adults like a true MPV should. It all sounds like the perfect solution for anyone who’s torn between the modes of transport, but does it really work?
Published in
Van & MPV
01 March 2011
Korean Limo | 2010 Hyundai Grand Starex Limousine
Words by Kris C. Lim | Photos courtesy of Hyundai Asia Resources Inc.
Hyundai's top seller underwent a makeover and was re-introduced as its latest iteration - the Grand Starex. Noticeable changes of the new version are its larger dimensions and a much stronger 2.5 liter in-line-four CRDi with a Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) that produces a healthy 170 hp.
To add more sizzle to this variant, the boys from Asan, South Korea further pushed the envelope on how a people mover should feel and look like. Thus coming up with the full-size version Grand Starex Limousine.
Exterior features that exude the vehicle’s classy and luxurious nature includes new side garnish and body mouldings, a massive chromed radiator grille, side step boards for easy ingress and egress, a front chin, and a distinctive bubble roof that's engraved with a golden line and stamped with the word “Limousine”.
Published in
Van & MPV
09 December 2010
Super Size Me | 2010 Ford E-150 Club Wagon
Words and photos by Eric Ayrton S. Soriano
The Ford E-150 Club Wagon is one of the most colossal four-wheeled passenger vehicle in the market today. It has enough space for a fourth-row bench but Ford Group Philippines decided to leave that out to increase luggage space. There are smaller vans that seat more passengers so you can think of the seven-seater E-150 as the Business Class of vans. If, by some weird twist of fate, the starting five of the Boston Celtics decide to pay me a visit, there’s no question what van I will opt for to pick them and their stuff up from the airport.
Published in
Van & MPV
11 March 2009
Getting A New Look | 2009 Toyota Innova 2.0E Gas M/T
Words and photos by Christopher Kho
Introduced back in 2005, the Toyota Innova took the Philippine automotive market by surprise; replacing the aging Revo and providing a revolutionary mainstream multipurpose people carrier. It’s the lovechild of a full sized van and a sedan resulting in a spacious MPV that drives like a car on big wheels. Haven’t I heard this line before? Stripped down, the J variant is a versatile mode of transport but slab on a set of leather seats and an assortment of features and you’ve got a beautiful luxurious motor carriage with the G and V variant. After years of success selling in the tens of thousands, the aging Innova finally received a much-needed innovation late 2008.
Published in
Van & MPV
