Text and photos by Aries B. Espinosa
IT could have been that our lucky (three-pointed) star was shining down at us in the middle of the country’s storm season, especially since we were blessed with clear skies and gentle winds on the two days that the Auto Nation Group — distributor of Mercedes-Benz in the Philippines — held on Sept. 19-20 the “#HungryForAdventure” experiential drive featuring the Mercedes-Benz GLC 200 Exclusive and the GLC 220d 4Matic AMG.
The event itinerary included a tandem paraglide for participants over at the hills of Carmona in Cavite, overlooking the Carmona Racing Circuit, on the first day, and then the mid-morning boat ride across the big lake in Taal, the trek up the smaller Taal crater and down to the steaming inner lake on the second day.
I felt especially jittery over the paragliding part, which I would be doing for the first time. In the pre-flight prep, as I checked my pulse rate in my fitness watch (it read 110 bpm) and my palms turning clammy, my German flight instructor, who was strapped to my back, suddenly shouted “run.” And so I sprinted down that steep mountainside faster than any purse snatcher ever did before. As the paraglider caught the brisk breeze, we sailed up 300… 500… 700 feet, and I could see Mount Makiling and Laguna de Bay in the far horizon, and the forest below looked like clumps of broccoli. Giddiness soon turned to peace and calm, both in my mind and in my empty stomach.
Joseph Anthony C. Ayllon, AVP for PR and communications of the Auto Nation Group, planned this event with one key consideration in mind: What we did outside of the Mercedes-Benz GLCs should be as memorable as what we felt while driving and riding inside them.
“The three-pointed star logo of Mercedes-Benz represents the company’s drive and vision for universal motorization with engines dominating land, water and air. So, it was but natural that we also gave you the experience of conquering land [Taal trekking], water [boating to Taal] and air [paragliding],” he explained.
MERCEDES-BENZ SUVS: BUILT FOR ADVENTURE
The #HungryForAdventure ride-and-drive activity, a regional effort by Mercedes-Benz that intends to showcase the performance and class-leading features which make its SUVs the ideal road companion in any adventure, were first held in Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia in 2016 and 2017.
For this year’s Philippine edition, Mercedes-Benz’s midsize SUVs — the gasoline-powered GLC 200 Exclusive and the diesel-powered GLC 220d 4Matic AMG — were highlighted. The participants experienced not just the luxurious amenities of the vehicles, but its versatility, safety features, and multiple drive modes, as well as the spacious cabin and luggage compartment.
The adaptive suspension system was also tested when the group drove the GLCs on dirt roads in Carmona. The system automatically activates whenever the onboard computer senses uneven terrain, adjusting settings to make the ride more stable and comfortable.
During the 207-kilometer trip, our group was able to get a feel of the power and acceleration of the two variants of the GLC on the South Luzon Expressway, the winding inner roads of Cavite province, the steep ascent to the Tagaytay ridge, and the equally steep descent down to Talisay in Batangas province.
The 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine of the GLC 200 Exclusive (mated to the 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic transmission) generates up to 184 hp and 300 Nm of torque. The 2.1-liter, four-cylinder diesel power plant of the GLC 220d, also paired with the 9G-Tronic automatic transmission, churns out 170 hp and 400 Nm. The GLC 220d also sports the 4Matic permanent all-wheel drive that came in handy during the off-road dirt course. Both variants offer four driving modes via its Dynamic Select function: Eco, Comfort, Sport and Sport+.
The GLC 200 Exclusive, Mercedes-Benz’s entry-level midsize SUV variant, is priced at P3.990 million, while the GLC 220d 4Matic AMG goes for P4.590 million. Going up the line, Mercedes-Benz’s sportier SUV crossovers on display during the event, the GLC 250 4Matic Coupe and the top-of-the-line GLC 43 4Matic AMG, are priced at P5.090 million and P6.890 million, respectively.
That first-time paragliding, and that first glimpse of Taal’s inner crater and its steaming interior lake experience? Priceless.
