Industry News

The Philippine automotive market's best-selling midsize SUV, the Toyota Fortuner and Lexus' luxury compact SUV, the RX350 bagged the prestigious "Automobile of the Year" title in their respective categories at the Awards Night of the "2016-2017 Auto Focus People's Choice Awards" or AFPCA held last October 13 at the Grand Ballroom of the Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig City. The Fortuner was last year's Automobile of the Year in the standard category while the Lexus RX350 won for the first time.

The AFPCA, which is now on its 12th year, is a nationwide public poll to determine the country's most popular automobile brands and models and is organized by Sunshine Television (STV). The public poll ran from April 1-September 30, 2016. Official sales volume data for the AFPCA was furnished by Stradcom Corporation with the official sanction of the Land Transportation Office (LTO). The data covered only "Completely built" and "New imported" units that were put in for new registration with the LTO from January-September 2016. So-called grey market vehicles were excluded.

The AFPCA scoring system was updated this year to favor public votes. Votes from the 6-month poll on a popular social networking site now carried a weightier 80% factor with unit sales were subject to 20% weight.

Here are this year's winners in the People's Choice Awards:

1. SUBCOMPACT OF THE YEAR
Winner : HONDA CITY

2. LUXURY SUBCOMPACT OF THE YEAR
Winner : MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS

3. COMPACT SEDAN OF THE YEAR
Winner : HONDA CIVIC

4. LUXURY COMPACT SEDAN OF THE YEAR
Winner : LEXUS IS350

5. MIDSIZE SEDAN OF THE YEAR
Winner : HONDA ACCORD

6. LUXURY MIDSIZE SEDAN OF THE YEAR
Winner : LEXUS ES350

7. LUXURY LARGE SEDAN OF THE YEAR
Winner : HONDA LEGEND

8. SPORTS CAR OF THE YEAR
Winner : MAZDA MX-5

9. LUXURY SPORTS CAR OF THE YEAR
Winner : LEXUS RCF

10. MPV OF THE YEAR
Winner : TOYOTA INNOVA

11. LUXURY MPV OF THE YEAR
Winner : MERCEDES-BENZ B CLASS

12. PICKUP OF THE YEAR
Winner : TOYOTA HILUX

13. VAN OF THE YEAR
Winner : TOYOTA HIACE

14. LUXURY VAN OF THE YEAR
Winner : HONDA ODYSSEY

15. COMPACT SUV OF THE YEAR
Winner : FORD ECOSPORT

16. LUXURY COMPACT SUV OF THE YEAR
Winner : LEXUS RX350

17. MIDSIZE SUV OF THE YEAR
Winner : TOYOTA FORTUNER

18. LUXURY MIDSIZE SUV OF THE YEAR
Winner : LEXUS GX460

19. LARGE SUV OF THE YEAR
Winner : JEEP WRANGLER

20. LUXURY LARGE SUV OF THE YEAR
Winner : LEXUS LX570

21. OPEN OF THE YEAR
Winner : NISSAN JUKE

22. LUXURY OPEN OF THE YEAR
Winner : LEXUS NX200t

23. LUXURY AUTOMOBILE OF THE YEAR
Winner : LEXUS RX350

24. AUTOMOBILE OF THE YEAR
Winner : TOYOTA FORTUNER

During the same evening, due recognition was also given to winners of the "2016-2017 Auto Focus Media's Choice Awards" or AFMCA, a second but equally important component of STV's Automobile Industry Merit Program. The distinct purpose of AFMCA is to further recognize the automobile industry's continuing efforts to provide car owners and motorists with the best on-board features, styling, performance and overall value.

A select group of recognized motoring media professionals and practitioners comprised the AFMCA voters' panel in a poll that subscribes to stringent criteria. To earn a Media's Choice award, a particular model must receive at least 51% or more the total votes cast in that model's specific performance category.

The winners in their respective performance categories were:

BEST DESIGN
STANDARD
MIDSIZE SEDAN - MAZDA 6
SPORTS CAR - MAZDA MX-5
VAN - HYUNDAI GRAND STAREX
LARGE SUV - FORD EXPLORER
OPEN - NISSAN JUKE

LUXURY
LUXURY SUBCOMPACT - VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI
LUXURY COMPACT - LEXUS IS350
LUXURY VAN - TOYOTA ALPHARD
LUXURY MIDSIZE SUV - PORSCHE MACAN
LUXURY OPEN - LEXUS NX200T

BEST ENGINE PERFORMANCE
STANDARD
COMPACT - HONDA CIVIC
SPORTS CAR - SUBARU WRX STI
MPV - TOYOTA INNOVA
PICKUP - ISUZU DMAX
VAN - TOYOTA HIACE
MIDSIZE SUV - MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT
OPEN - PEUGEOT 308

LUXURY
LUXURY SUBCOMPACT - VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI
LUXURY MIDSIZE SEDAN - VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT
LUXURY LARGE SEDAN - BMW 7-SERIES
LUXURY MPV - VOLKSWAGEN TOURAN
LUXURY VAN - TOYOTA ALPHARD
LUXURY MIDSIZE SUV - PORSCHE MACAN
LUXURY OPEN - BMW 4-SERIES GRAN COUPE

BEST SAFETY FEATURES
STANDARD
VAN - HYUNDAI GRAND STAREX
MIDSIZE SUV - MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT

LUXURY
LUXURY SUBCOMPACT - VOLVO V40
LUXURY COMPACT - VOLVO S60
LUXURY LARGE SEDAN - BMW 7-SERIES
LUXURY MPV - MERCEDES-BENZ B CLASS
LUXURY VAN - MERCEDES-BENZ V CLASS
LUXURY COMPACT SUV - VOLVO XC90
LUXURY OPEN - VOLVO V60 CROSS COUNTRY

BEST VALUE FOR MONEY
STANDARD
COMPACT - SUZUKI CIAZ
SPORTS CAR - MAZDA MX-5
MPV - SUZUKI ERTIGA
PICKUP - ISUZU DMAX
VAN - NISSAN URVAN
MIDSIZE SUV - ISUZU MU-X
OPEN - NISSAN JUKE

LUXURY
LUXURY SUBCOMPACT - VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI
LUXURY COMPACT - LEXUS IS350
LUXURY MIDSIZE SEDAN - VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT
LUXURY LARGE SEDAN - LEXUS LS460
LUXURY SPORTS CAR - FORD MUSTANG
LUXURY MPV - VOLKSWAGEN TOURAN
LUXURY MIDSIZE SUV - VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG
LUXURY LARGE SUV - TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 200
LUXURY OPEN - LEXUS NX200t

SHERWIN CHUA LIM
VP - Marketing
Toyota Motor Philippines

"The media, for the Media's Choice, the trust that they have in our products. That they saw for the specific category, they saw the several of Toyota vehicles the best in its segment. And of course, the people who voted for the Toyota models and of course, the Automobile of the Year which is the Toyota Fortuner, the trust that they have given to Toyota as a whole."

DANNY ISLA
President
Lexus Manila, Inc.

"I would like to congratulate Butch Gamboa and his team for staging this 12th Auto Focus People's Choice Awards and Media's Choice Awards. This has been going on for the past 12 years. Butch Gamboa and his team have been giving the public an opportunity to express their desire and likes for automobile whether you are a motoring enthusiast, a commuter, a pedestrian and you can express your desire. So, it's giving everybody a chance to share their views."

GERRY C. AQUINO
Awards Committee Chairman
Auto Focus People's Choice

"I think the fact that we've been able to develop an application for Androids contributed really to many of the votes that came in this year. I think half were really brought in through the Android application which we used for the first time this year. Now, we will continue that, as I think, the committee will continue to explore other ways of making it even more convenient for voters beginning next year to participate in this. I would like to congratulate, of course, the winners of the People's Choice Awards and Media's Choice Awards. I think also STV would like to thank all those who participated in the vote of this merit program of Butch Gamboa. Congratulations to STV."

The Awards Night was graced by top officials of the country's car manufacturers and distributors, the auto industry's two lead organizations, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and the Association of Vehicle Importers & Distributors (AVID), as well as motoring media professionals.