HONDA Cars Phils. Inc. (HCPI) recently staged a driving event in the country’s provinces up north in order to test the mettle and to experience the attributes of its full model lineup.

Called “Experience Anew,” the event let the invited motoring journalists to check out Honda models sold in the country, including two hybrid vehicles, the CR-Z and the Insight. All right, the Insight is yet to be part of HCPI’s roster, but its inclusion in the event indicates its arrival on Honda’s local showroom floors may just be a matter of time.

The models used in the event were Honda’s big babies, the Pilot full-size SUV and Odyssey minivan; the CR-V sport-ute, Accord midsize sedan and Jazz subcompact hatchback that have been fitted with Modulo genuine accessories; and the Civic sedan and City subcompact. The vehicles were used to roam the Cagayan Valley, starting from Tuguegarao, then to Cagayan before ending in Laoag, Ilocos Norte. Making the event memorable was that participants had to drive through a scenic route that traversed the northern provinces of the Philippines, allowing them to experience anew its charms.

All shapes and sizes
Although there is a huge difference in the vehicles’ shapes and sizes, the common characteristics among the Honda models are that they all have powerful yet fuel-efficient engines, comfortable and versatile interiors, and high levels of safety and quality. But despite all the vehicles being headturners—and it was undeniable during the two-day event—the CR-Z sport hatch and the Insight sedan were the stars of the event.

To their credit, however, the Jazz, City and Accord—which I alternately drove or rode in to cover around 513 kilometers of northern roads—ably kept up with the more powerful models, the cars running at high speeds with ease. Among the three, my easy favorite was the Jazz. Besides its ability to run 130kph or even faster, its agility and ample space were a marvel.

Using it on the first day where we covered some 198 kilometers of road, rough patches included, the Jazz had enough horsepower to run with the much bigger models as we headed for the Callao Caves and to Santa Ana.

For their part, the City showed much in terms of mileage while the Accord proved it has ample power and pampering features for its driver and passengers.

The next day, we traveled 315 kilometers and went to the famed Patapat Bridge, the postcard-perfect Bangui windmills, before winding down to the Laoag Airport—where we, sadly, had to end our superb driving experience.