The ongoing CAMPI-organized 8th Philippine International Motors Show got off to a great start last Thursday with a mixed showcasing of internal combustion engine cars (ICE), hybrid and futuristic electric vehicles (EVs).
The media people also experienced a mixed feeling of excitement and tiring day as they went around the World Trade Center watching the every 30-minute presentations of all the 13 car manufacturers who showcased their respective new and spanking vehicles on that first day. Imagine watching all the respective presentations of all the participants such as Nissan, Suzuki, Foton Honda,Kia, Chery, Geely, Isuzu, BMW, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Mazda, and Toyota. You can still catch up until tomorrow before this spectacular motor show ends.
We can say that our local international motor shows are now comparable with the best in the whole world!
There are two world-class EVs that caught the eyes of all and these are the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6 that are currently dominating the electric vehicle market in the European theater.
I must admit that I was also one of those who were thrilled to see these two EVs up close since they have generated a lot of great reviews from the international media.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 dominated this year’s World Car of the Year Awards as it bagged three out of the 6 major awards at stake. It was adjudged as the World Car of the Year 2022 together with the World Electric Car of the Year and the World Design of the Year awards, respectively. A total of 28 vehicles vie for the distinguished awards last March 15 in New York
It beat Kia EV6 and the Ford Mustang Mach-e in the all-electric vehicle finals of the World Car of the Year, the most prestigious award held during the New York International Auto Show. In the World Electric Vehicle of the Year, it beat the Mercedes-Benz EQS and the Audi e-tron GT while it also topped the World Car Design of the Year by beating the Audi e-tron GT and the Kia EV6.
According to the reviews from international media, the Ioniq 5 has an electric-only powertrain that’s available in multiple capacities. The standard-range battery paired with a single, rear-mounted electric motor generates 168 horsepower. With the longer-range battery, the rear-drive configuration generates 225 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, which Hyundai says will propel the 5 from zero to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds. The all-wheel-drive version is much more powerful, with 320 horses and a substantial 446 pound-feet, and quicker, too. It’s said to catapult to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. Impressive indeed but we have to see it when it hits the local market early next year, as promised by the Hyundai Motor Philippines officials.
Kia, on the other hand, is expected to go head-to-head with Hyundai here in the Philippines next year for selling their respective EVs as Kia Asia Pacific head of sales Joey Hong admitted that the Philippines is Kia’s second biggest market and the fourth country to launch the EV6 in Southeast Asia. The EV6, which counted the iF Design awards, the Red Dot Design awards, the 5-Star NCAP rating and the European Car of the Year among its distinguished honors, had already penetrated Europe, North America, and the Middle East markets and they are now focusing their eyes on the Asia and Pacific regions.
CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez, during his opening ceremony remark, claimed the continued rise in the vehicle sales posted by their members after the economy opened up recently.
But while the ICEs are still dominating the local market sales, we think that next year will be a test case if the EVs can easily penetrate the Philippine auto market.
