Motoring Today Column

Sep 19, 2018

Current vote rankings of People's Choice Awards

This year's search for the country's most popular automobiles in the Standard and Premium Luxury segments as well as the most preferred models in each automobile category of sedans, SUVs/crossover, pickups, sports cars and vans/MPVs based on actual sales and the public's votes ends this September 30.

With a few more days of voting left in the 2018 -2019 Auto Focus Automobile of the Year-People's Choice Awards , perhaps a quick update of present rankings is in order.

Let's start with the top three (3) leading models in each category.

STANDARD

  

PREMIUM/LUXURY
 

Sedan

  

1. Toyota Wigo

  

1.Lexus IS 350

2. Mitsubishi Mirage G4

  

2. Lexus LS 500

3. Hyundai Accent

  

3. BMW 7 Series
 

Sports

  

1. Ford Mustang

  

1. Audi R8 V10

2. Subaru WRX

  

2. Lexus LC 500

3. Subaru WRX-STI

  

3. Lamborghini Huracan
 

SUV/Crossover

  

1. Mitsubishi Montero Sport

  

1. Lexus NX 300

2. Isuzu Mu-X

  

2. Lexus RX 350

3. Ford Everest

  

3. Lexus LX 570
 

Vans/MPV

  

1. Toyota Hi-Ace

  

1. Honda Odyssey

2. Nissan NV350

  

2. Toyota Alphard

3. Suzuki Ertiga

  

3. Mercedes-Benz V-Class
 

Pickup

  

1. Toyota Hilux

    

2. Nissan Navara

    

3. Ford Ranger

    

 

Here are the leading contenders for this year's Auto Focus Automobile of the Year—People's Choice Awards, distinct for each market segment.

STANDARD

  

PREMIUM/LUXURY
     

1. Toyota Wigo

  

1. Lexus NX 300

2. Mitsubishi Montero Sport

  

2. Lexus RX 350

3. Toyota Hi-Ace

  

3. Lexus LX 570

This year marks the 14th staging of the Auto Focus People's Choice Awards and it has been a long learning process for the awards' creators and organizers to come up with the most accurate method to determine the motoring public's prevalent choices.

For 2018 the equation of combining actual votes and unit sales with valuation of 80% for the former and 20% for the latter to determine individual scores shall hold steadfast with the actual nationwide registration figures of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) still the basis to determine actual sales.

Voting this year has been done so much easier with the application of the 'top of mind' principle. The on-line voting is simplified with voters having to enter just 1 to a maximum of 5 picks for Automobile of the Year in either or both Standard and Premium/Luxury classifications in entering their daily votes.

The last day to cast your vote for your favorite car is on September 30. And you can do this everyday, wherein you stand a chance to win valuable prizes likeT-Shirts andcoffee mugs (with Auto Focus logo) in daily electronic raffles, which will culminate after the deadline with a grand raffle that offers3 cellphones namely; Vivo Y53C, a Huawei Nova 2 Lite and a grand prize of a Samsung Galaxy J8-all free for you to own.

For details on how to cast your vote and qualify to win any of the raffle prizes visit our website www.autofocus.com.ph or search for our Auto Focus Facebook page.

Auto Focus Media's Choice Awards

Another much-awaited annual recognition awards by the local auto industry for remarkable automobile models in the market are the Auto Focus Media's Choice Awards (AFMCA). It seeks to acknowledge the automobile industry's continuing efforts to offer car buying public the best possible products. It gives honors to models that demonstrate the top features, value and performance as adjudged by a panel consisting of motoring media professionals and practitioners. Awards are for those chosen for best inDesign, Engine Performance, Safety Features andValue-for-Money for each of the 12 Standard and 10 Premium/Luxury model categories.

But, with very stringent criteria applied, the highest voted model does not necessarily merit an award. In order to merit a win, a model must exceed at least half of the total media votes cast within a specific model/award category. No winner will be declared unless the 50% majority vote is achieved. Perhaps, this single factor is what gives an AFMCA award much more value.

Fitting ceremonies to hand out the distinctivePeople's Choice Awards andMedia's Choice Awards, the 'Oscars' of the local automobile industry are scheduled on October 18 when most of the industry's top executives and their associates come dressed for the occasion.

2018 Pre Christmas Multi Brand Test Drive Festival—a full house

Like the Summer Multi Brand Test Drive Festival, which was held last March, its Pre Christmas version, which will also be held at the open concert grounds of the SM Mall of Asia fromNovember 15 to 18 ( Thursday to Sunday) is expected to again bring in the crowds of car buyers and enthusiasts for free test drive of brand new vehicles from the country's top automobile manufacturers, importers and dealers.

With twelve of the top players in the local auto industry participating, the event will literally be a 'full house' of the most desired automobile models in the local market-indeed a very convenient haven or 'one stop shop' for those who are looking for their first or succeeding vehicle for their personal use or the family's. The formidable list includes, (alphabetically) Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, SsangYong, Subaru, Suzuki and market leader, Toyota.

Similar to last year, Phoenix Petroleum shall be thePresenting Sponsor of the'multi brand' institutional industry event withPhoenix Fuels with Pulse Technology as its 'official fuel', which means all test drive vehicles will have a tank full all throughout the staging of the test drive.

Don't forget the mantra for car buyers for a more complete decision-making process, 'Test drive it, before you buy it'.

Happy Motoring!!!

For comments:

(Email) sunshine.television@yahoo.com

(Online) www.motoringtoday.ph

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ray Butch Gamboa graduated from the College of Arts and Letters of the University of Sto. Tomas. It was a course that should have been preparatory to a law degree, but the call of broadcasting aborted his plans.

At the age of 16, while still a student, Butch tried his hand at disc jockeying, landing a job at Mareco Broadcasting Network’s AM stations DZBM and DZLM. From there, Butch moved on with his illustrious career as a popular disc jockey, riding the airwaves of Bob Stewart’s middle-of-the-road music at DZXX, and ending his disc jockeying career at ABS-CBN’s DZYL and DZQL.

From there, he stayed on with ABS-CBN, covering live the proceedings at the Manila Stock Exchange and eventually entered into the world of television sales as an account manager for the premier channel of ABS-CBN Channel 2.

In the early 70’s, at the outbreak of Martial Law, Butch was one of the thousands of professionals who woke up jobless when then President Marcos declared the new status of the nation. With the closure of ABS-CBN, Butch ventured into different fields outside of broadcast. He tried his hand and with ease and success at export (Costume jewelry), real estate (brokerage), and restaurants (fast food).

In 1987, after the revolution, with the broadcast industry back to its free state, and with its irresistible call ringing in his ears, Butch made his inevitable comeback and pioneered in a local motoring show, producing Motoring Today on Channel 4 and co-hosting with local motor sports’ living legend Pocholo Ramirez.

After 4 years, he ventured into another pioneering format by producing and hosting Business & Leisure, which was originally aired on ABS-CBN’s Channel 2. The format eventually espoused similar ones in other different channels. But the clones in due course faded away leaving the original staying on airing on Channel 4 and eventually on Shop TV on Sky Cable’s Channel 13.

The following year, the pioneering spirit in Butch spurred him to produce another TV show, Race Weekend, also on Channel 4, covering circuit racing at the Subic International Raceway after the motor sport’s hiatus of 17 years. But when similar shows with duplicated formats sprouted, he decided to give way and ended the program after a year, although still enjoying unparalleled viewership.

In 1998, when the local automotive industry was in a slump, Butch contributed his share to help the ailing industry by producing another popular motoring-related show, this time exclusive to the automobile and its industry—Auto Focus, which became a vehicle for local automotive assemblers and importers to showcase their products and dwell on the industry’s latest technological developments.

In 2003, Butch teamed up with his brother, Rey Gamboa who was a former Shell executive and presently one Philippine Star’s business columnist to co-produce and co-host the TV show Breaking Barriers on Channel 13. It is a talk show that features guests who are in the news and in the middle of controversies. The program ventures to draw deeper insights into current issues to learn how they impact to our daily lives.

Today, Motoring Today on its 28th year of service to the general motoring public still enjoys its unprecedented loyal vierwership nationwide while Auto Focus, after 16 years has firmly established its niche viewership among automobile enthusiasts and on the other hand Business & Leisure is on its 24th year dishing out current business issues and lifestyle features.

Today, aside from writing weekly columns for the Philippine Star (Motoring Today on Wednesdays and Business & Leisure on Saturdays) and executive producer / host of weekly TV shows (Motoring Today, airs Sundays on Solar Sports Channel 70, Business & Leisure, airs Tuesdays on Shop TV, Sky Cable Channel 13 and Auto Focus airs Thursdays on Shop TV, Sky Cable Channel 13, Ray Butch Gamboa is currently the Chairman and CEO of Sunshine Television Production and Marketing Services Corp., President of Gamcor Management and Development Corp., Chairman of Asia-Pacific Realty Corporation, President and Chairman of Socio-Communication Foundation for Asia and Founding Chairman of the Society of Phil. Motoring Journalists (SPMJ)

 

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