C O V E R     S T O R Y

I’ve always had fond memories of Baguio.  I could remember the Christmas stories by the fire place and the freshly baked cookies that go with them.

The breath-taking sights and almost Americana setting is without difficulty though as there are certain vehicular prerequisites.  From memory, my dad always recommended a car with a big displacement and a comfortable ride.  Come to think of it, the only two vehicles of ours to make it unscathed were the two-door Toyota Corona and the Nissan Maxima.

The memories of the warm wood fire and chewy chocolate treats over a decade ago were more than enough to convince me to take the trek once again. 

Being a car buff, the first consideration for such a journey would be the car.  Based on my dad’s criteria, the new Honda CR-V 4x4 fits in nicely with its gutsy 2.0-liter engine and retuned suspension.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock these past years, you’d know that the current CR-V was introduced as an odd ten-seater, front-drive AUV.  Die-hard loyalists cried foul, and before they started to torch Honda’s office, the Japanese car company rectified this problem with the CR-V 4x4. 

Like the CR-V it replaced, it features the Real-Time All-Wheel Drive system.  This means that the CR-V is essentially a front-wheel drive car with the ability to transfer power to the rear wheels if slippage is detected.  In addition, this version attempts to re-align itself with the true meaning of CR-V as the “Comfortable Runabout Vehicle”.

Honda Cars Philippines wanted to demonstrate the traits of their Civic-based SUV, and thus organized the CR-V Peak Drive last November.

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