Motoring Today Column

Mar 16, 2022

Tunneling for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) will begin soon.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) reports that the first of many Tunnel Boring Machines will be lowered soon for a test run at the Valenzuela Depot.

Following an inspection of construction works being conducted at the MMSP's Valenzuela Depot and Tandang Sora and North EDSA Stations, Transportation Secretary Art Tugade said that the test run of the TBMs may commence as soon as May this year.

Tugade said that if work schedules are maintained, the Valenzuela to North Avenue segment of the metro subway should be completed in two and a half years.

The DOTr said the MMSP will be the first underground mass transit system in the Philippines which will be at par with the rest in the world.

Funded by the Japanese government, the subway is a 33-kilometer rail line that will stretch from Valenzuela City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City , it added.

Four-Car Trains

The plan to further expand the capacity of the MRT-3 just got a boost following the successful testing of a four-car train set.

According the MRT-3 technical team led by Director for Operations Michael Capati, the testing assessed, among other things, the four-car train's running safety, comfort, and stability against derailment.

Said Capati following the successful: "With 4-car train sets, we can further increase our line capacity, which will enable us to serve more the riding public with safe and reliable transport system as the country navigates into the 'new normal'."

The testing of the four-car train set followed the recent completion of the MRT-3's rehabilitation and upgrade which included, among other improvements, installing new tracks and a new signaling system.

Avanza Happiness

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) seems quite confident that the newly launchedAll New Avanza will resonate well with Filipino families.

TMP even guarantees that the third generation Avanza, a seven-seat Multi-Purpose Vehicle that is "fit for the fam" will bring "the joy of driving and more happiness on the road."

Who guarantees happiness?

But any such happiness starts with the All New Avanza being an affordable and practical seven-seat MPV of choice with a surplus of value-for-money features.

During the launch, Toyota said these value-for-money features include push start button system and a4.2-inch TFT Multi-Information display for theG variant, auto-fold side mirrors for both G and E variants, 8-inch Audio Display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a back camera and back sensor, Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Camera Traffic Alert for the G variant.

Toyota Motor Philippines president Atsuhiro Okamoto is upbeat about bringing in the All New Avanza, saying: "We love giving our customers choices! That is why, we are reintroducing our reliable, tried-and-tested model in the compact MPV segment. I am sure this full model change of this well-loved family car will bring more happiness for all."

Sensing Honda

After getting swabbed and showing proof of getting fully jabbed and boosted, motoring journalists got to enjoy taking the All New Honda Civic for more than a spin on the roads heading south out of Metro Manila.

Six units of the latest Civic variants - the S Turbo CVT, V Turbo CVT , and RS Turbo CVT -were made available for the test drive which also covered the many switchbacks and steep climbs and descents in Tagaytay and the backroads of Nasugbu in Batangas.

The itinerary provided the road conditions that showcased the smooth power of the 1.5-liter 4-Cylinder DOHC VTEC Turbo mated to aContinuously Variable Transmission found in all Civic variants, as well as the ride comfort and sweet handling of the Honda's compact sedan.

The test drive also provided road situations-crowded urban streets, open expressways, changing road surfaces - that highlighted driver-assist functions of Honda Sensing, also found in all the variants.

For example, the adaptive Cruise Control proved quite useful in expressways with the fun-stealing speed limits. So did the Lane Departure Warning.

On the other hand, stop-and-go traffic showcased the benefits of the Low Speed Follow function.

The hours-long drive gave participants a good measure of the improvements made to comfort and convenience aspects of the new Civic, including noise, vibration, and harshness levels.

Making the long ride more enjoyable were the smart connectivity features in the new Civic, highlighted by the 9-inch touchscreen display in the RS variant that comes with Wireless Apple Carplay and 12-speaker Bose sound system.

Anybody who owns Bose audio systems knows just how good they can sound.

The jab and swab were all worth being able to participate in finding out that the All New Honda Civics handle and drive as well as they look.

Happy Motoring!!!

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