7 cars we’d love to see in the PHL
We hope these beauties are coming ‘swoon’
IT’S THE SEASON of love and what better way to celebrate this — at least for car lovers — than to make a list of cars that make our hearts beat faster. In the spirit of Hearts’ Day, I made a wish list of cars that we currently don’t have in the Philippines — but whose local showroom appearance will make it seem like Christmas came early.
But first, a caveat: Some of these cars aren’t exactly designed for our market — not just for the Philippines, but for the whole of Southeast Asia. So don’t hold your breath waiting for these models to appear in your neighborhood dealer. That said, some inspired (and aggressive) marketing people might just be able to convince their HQ principals to bring these vehicles here.
Here is our dream list, in no particular order:
1. Ford Bronco
Decades before the Expedition and the Explorer hit the road — 1966 to be exact — Ford already had the Bronco. Five generations of Broncos came out in the US market over three decades, but the model took a 25-year hiatus and only reappeared on the international stage last year. And it’s a smash hit, with a design that harkens back to the original, but with the high build quality and cutting-edge technology of this digital age. The midsize Bronco comes in three-door and five-door body styles, and even as a smaller compact Bronco Sport model.
2. Cadillac Escalade
This is one car brand and model that will be an absolute game-changer in the local luxury car scene. It’s amazing that a brand name that has never been sold in this country can still have so much impact and recall. But without a doubt, having a Cadillac Escalade as an option will make every single luxury SUV buyer think long and hard before plunking down money on another German SUV. If the Escalade becomes officially available here, expect it to be a fixture in every golf and country club, as well as the parking lots of Senate and Congress.
3. Mazda CX-50
Often based on sedans, most crossovers are biased more for road comfort than actual heavy-duty off-roading. And rightly so, as most of them spend more time trundling through mall parking lots than traipsing through the woods. The Mazda CX-50 tries to break that mold. One look at the army green paint with bold CX-50 graphics, the raised ride height, the big off-road wheels and tires, and that prominent roof rack (which can accommodate kayaks and tents) and you’ll know that this is one Mazda that’s trying to break free from the exquisitely smooth — and very car-like — styling of the CX series. Even the cabin is designed for ruggedness and resilience. Best of all, it’s got the muscle (as much as 253ps and 434Nm from an available 2.5-liter turbo) and the traction (from the standard i-Activ all-wheel drive) to put its money where its mouth is. The Mazda CX-50 may yet be the crossover that actually crosses over to a more faithful overlanding experience than any other model of its kind.
4. Toyota Sequoia
Filipinos (and the rest of the world) are perennially making a beeline to a Toyota showroom to drive off with the Land Cruiser. Toyota can’t seem to build them fast enough. But there’s one other humongous Toyota SUV that might stop them in their tracks: the Sequoia. It’s entirely appropriate to name Toyota’s North American flagship after that country’s tallest tree. The Sequoia projects an imposing aura, mostly from that bold and compelling front end and the vehicle’s massive bulk. The best part is, the all-new 2023-model Sequoia (it’s an eight-seater with a seven-seat option with middle-row captain chairs) comes as a fuel-efficient hybrid powered by a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 that teams up with an electric motor for a combined 437hp and a whopping 790Nm of torque. If there’s an unbeatable tag team, it can only be the Land Cruiser-Sequoia.
5. Peugeot Landtrek
Pickup trucks are the bread and butter of most brands that sell them here. All of them come from the usual suspects. But there’s one truck out there that’s certain to shake up the status quo. It comes from a French brand but is made in China (by Changan) and is sold mainly in Latin America and Africa. It’s the Peugeot Landtrek, a midsize pickup powered by a 1.9-liter turbodiesel engine or a 2.4-liter turbo petrol engine. Pickups are some of the most customized vehicles on the planet; owners simply want to stand out — or at the very least differentiate their truck from countless others. Having a premium French-branded pickup in a sea of Japanese models will certainly appeal to those owners.
6. Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Here’s one vehicle that should neatly fill a niche in Mitsubishi’s crossover portfolio. It’s the Eclipse Cross — and it’s the perfect model to elevate the triple-diamond brand to a level of premium in the compact crossover class. The Eclipse Cross may not be new on the global stage (it became available in Japan and the US in 2018) but it should surely make many heads turn with its novel sleekly shaped silhouette if it finds itself in Metro Manila streets. The Eclipse Cross name is also a significant reminder of how the world is turning from sedans and sports cars to SUVs and crossovers. The Mustang muscle car name now graces the electric Mustang Mach-E SUV. The Corolla begat the Corolla Cross. And now, the Eclipse, Mitsubishi’s iconic sports car, has morphed into the Eclipse Cross.
7. Nissan Z
The current Nissan 370Z was hailed as one of the greatest sports cars ever. It also comes from one of the most illustrious bloodlines in the sports car realm. But it has been too long in the market and is now more than ripe for retirement. Thankfully, Nissan has the all-new Z car waiting in the wings. Like its immediate predecessors, it has a somewhat chunky styling when viewed from the side. But the front end is a beautiful throwback to the original Fairlady Z while the rear end — especially the taillights — hark back to the sensational 300ZX of the ’90s. Together with the Toyota Supra, the new Z signals a renaissance of high-powered Japanese sports cars. Bringing in the new Z to the Philippines is not as much a wish as it is a must.
