Motoring Today Column

Dec 22, 2021

Toasting To Great Choices

First off, let me just give a toast to the winners of the 2021-2022 Auto Focus People's Choice Awards (AFPCA) as well as the Auto Focus Media's Choice Awards (AFMCA).

I must say that I am really disappointed not to be there in person during the awards night, but rest assured I was toasting the winners as I watched the proceedings remotely from the comfort of home. (I hope my doctors aren't reading this.)

I would like to express my very sincere and personal gratitude to all automakers and distributors who participated in the awards - as well as car enthusiasts and friends in the motoring media who joined in the voting process.

The AFPCA, organized by Sunshine Television and Marketing Services, Inc. (STV) is an annual public poll that aims to determine the country's most popular automobile brands and models.

It features a unique scoring system that attributes 80% value to public votes from the extended April 1 - November 30 online poll and 20% to unit sales.

In this edition of the AFPCA, two Automobiles of the Year, one for Standard and another for Premium/Luxury models, as well as five standard and four premium/luxury Models of the Year were chosen from 160 models in the 2021-2022 AFPCA Official Entry List.

People's Choice Winners

On to the winners then, starting off with theAFPCA Models of the Year (MOY) and the Automobiles of the Year (AOY).

The Isuzu D-Max pickup emerged as a first-time people's choice for "Standard Automobile of the Year" while bagging the "Standard Pickup of the Year" accolade.

The equally sought-after award for "Premium/Luxury Automobile of the Year" went to another first-time titlist, the Land Rover Defender. It also came away with the award for "Premium/Luxury SUV/Crossover of the Year".

Completing the cast of this year's Models of the Year in the Standard classification were the Toyota Vios (Sedan), Ford Mustang (Sports Car), Isuzu mu-X (SUV), and the Toyota Innova (Van/MPV).

The Vios, already in the AFPCA Hall of Fame (HOF) as the only 3-time AOY winner, added its entry to the AFPCA MOY Hall of Fame after copping its fifth MOY win this year. The Mustang achieved a back-to-back triumph, while the Innova, also an MOY Hall of Famer, earned its ninth MOY award.

In the Premium/Luxury classification, namedModels of the Year were theMercedes Benz E-Class (Sedan) for the third straight year, Lamborghini Huracan Evo (Sports Car) for the first time, and the Honda Odyssey (Van/MPV) for the fourth time.

Media's Choice Winners

Before I go on to the AFMCA winners, let me say that this is an equally important component of STV's annual Automobile Industry Merit Program.

The AFMCA aims 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 that participated in the November 26-December 6, 2021 poll.

AFMCA voting rules mandate that winners in each and every category must get a least 33.3% of votes tallied. If no model attains this, then no winner is declared in the category.

In this edition of the AFMCA,88 award-categories were available but only 46 winners were declared.

These were:

Best Design - Standard: 9 Awardees

Honda City Hatchback (Subcompact Sedan); Mazda3 (Compact Sedan); Mazda6 (Midsize Sedan); Toyota Supra (Sports Car); Mazda CX-30 (Compact SUV/Crossover); Toyota Land Cruiser (Large SUV/Crossover); Isuzu D-Max (Pickup); Kia Grand Carnival (MPV); Toyota Hiace (Van)

Best Design - Premium/Luxury: 5 Awardees

BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe (Subcompact Sedan); Lexus IS (Compact Sedan); Porsche 911 (Sports Car); Mercedes Benz GLE (Midsize SUV/Crossover); Lexus LM350 (Van)

Best Engine Performance - Standard: 8 Awardees

Honda Brio (Mini); Honda City Hatchback (Subcompact Sedan); Honda Civic (Compact Sedan); Honda Accord (Midsize Sedan); Geely Coolray (Subcompact SUV/Crossover); Toyota Land Cruiser (Large SUV/Crossover); Isuzu D-Max (Pickup); Toyota Innova (MPV)

Best Engine Performance - Premium/Luxury: 6 Awardees

Mini John Cooper Works Clubman (Subcompact Sedan); Audi RS6 (Midsize Sedan); Porsche Taycan (Large Sedan); Lamborghini Huracan Evo (Sports Car); Porsche Macan (Compact SUV/Crossover); Lamborghini Urus (Large SUV/Crossover)

Best Safety Features - Standard: 4 Awardees

Honda Brio (Mini); Mazda 6 (Midsize Sedan); Kia Grand Carnival (MPV); Toyota Hiace (Van);

Best Safety Features - Premium/Luxury: 6 Awardees

BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe (Subcompact Sedan); Mercedes Benz C-Class (Compact Sedan); Bentley Continental GT (Sports Car); Volvo XC60 (Midsize SUV/Crossover); Volvo XC90 (Large SUV/Crossover); Lexus LM350 (Van)

Best Value-for-Money - Standard: 6 Awardees

Suzuki S-Presso (Mini); Toyota Camry (Midsize Sedan); Geely Coolray (Subcompact SUV/Crossover); Toyota Land Cruiser (Large SUV/Crossover); Isuzu D-Max (Pickup); Toyota Hiace (Van)

Best Value-for-Money - Premium/Luxury: 2 Awardees

Lexus LS (Large Sedan); Lexus NX300 (Compact SUV/Crossover).

Again, here's a toast to all the winners.

The AFPCA and AFMCA make up the centerpiece of STV's annual merit programs for the local automotive industry and are now into their 17th and 14th editions, respectively.

We, at STV, strongly believe that this tandem programs continue to benefit the motoring public and automobile industry no end, even amidst these uncertain and very challenging times.

STV has now been working for and with local automotive manufacturers and distributors for 36 years.

We've been with them through good times and bad over those years. In our own humble way, we are proud to be able help them and the motoring public in such ways that we've been able to.

It has continued to be a challenging year for the industry, and for the country. But we have begun to see gradual, positive signs of recovery.

We are knocking at the door of 2022, and it is my hope that such momentum carries us farther ahead.

Finally, here's wishing all, Happy Holidays and Happy Motoring!!!

For comments & inquiries:

(email) sunshine.television@yahoo.com

(website) www.motoringtoday.ph

Archive

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)

 

Motoring Today 2024 © All Rights Reserved. Sunshine Television | Auto Focus | Business & Leisure