Volkswagen Philippines: The World’s Best-loved Car Brand is coming back to town! (Part 1)

That's right! The iconic car brand that was once ruled the streets of Metro Manila, and probably still does in some places in the country, is having a come back and boy, they're launching it BIGTIME—because you might get a chance to win and be the first official owner of a 21st Century Beetle!

But before I give you the mechanics,
let me walk you through on what Volkswagen can greatly offer you.

The beginning of a new era: Modular Transverse Matrix platform (MQB)

In the last few years, Volkswagen has been preparing for this moment. 

A thousand engineers at Volkswagen and many thousands more engineers at the suppliers have been involved in one of the biggest development initiatives in the creation of the matrix platform system, which is intended to secure the future of the Volkswagen Group and will be used in every segment from the Polo to the Passat. 

Everything has been optimized in recent years with an eye to the aspects which matter for the customer and for society, today and in the future: efficiency, safety, comfort, convenience, design and driving pleasure.

Design and package benefit.

The forward relocation of the front wheels results in especially balanced proportions in the design, plus the optimized use of space for the vehicle's occupants: in other words, the package. 

In contrast to the platform concept, a modular matrix principle opens up much more scope for the design of all sorts of vehicles, including emotional niche models—thanks to variable wheelbases or track widths, for example.

Lower fuel consumption and less pollution.

With the entirely redeveloped engine families, consistently trimmed for lower CO2 figures with start-stop recuperation systems as standard, the global innovation of active cylinder management in four-cylinder engines, EU-6 certification and a CNG option, emissions are significantly reduced. 

Several million new customers will benefit in the final development of the MQB. The MQB will reduce CO2 emissions by more than a million tonnes per year. And if you want emissions-free motoring, you can get it from 2013 with a purely or largely (plug-in hybrid) electrically powered Blue-e-motion model.

Reversal of the weight spiral.

On an intelligent mix of materials and ultra-modern construction principles, the MQB will also lead to a reversal of the weight spiral.

More driving pleasure, lower fuel consumption.

More safety and comfort.

The modular matrix principle makes possible around 20 innovations in the areas of safety, driver assistance and infotainment which were previously reserved for the higher vehicle segments. This is not only a positive development for new customers but is also of benefit to other road users.

The high number of vehicles based on the MQB means that we can expect a significant reduction in the number of secondary collisions in real traffic situations. Along with the new active safety systems, the MQB increases passive safety in all models thanks to an improved impact-absorbing structure.

More versatile infotainment options.

The modular matrix principle has also been translated for all the info-tainment systems. This provides the driver with access to functions which until now have only been familiar from higher vehicle classes, if at all.

Vehicles can be equipped with a touchscreen which, thanks to an innovative surface, enables intuitive and safe use of the controls even while driving. This is made possible by a proximity sensor system especially developed for Volkswagen—with the look and feel of leading smartphones and tablet PCs.

Sights firmly set on sustainability.

The modular matrix principle makes the latest sustainable technologies accessible even to new car buyers in emerging markets. Above all, a genuine positive effect for society is achieved by means of innovations that make road transport safer for all road users around the world, and developments which reduce air pollution in every market. 

The high flexibility of intelligent modular systems makes the implementation of regional requirements more feasible.

Exploiting synergies for the present and for the future.

All these aspects help to secure the success of the Group from both economic and ecological perspectives. As a result of the high number of vehicles and customers that will benefit, as well as suppliers to the Volkswagen Group in Europe and worldwide, they also represent a contribution to meeting the social challenges of the present and of the future.

That said, Automobile Center Enterprises Inc. (ACEI), the local distributor of Volkswagen products under the auspices of the Ayala Group of Companies, will officially launch Volkswagen Philippines on September 27 and will be open to public viewing on September 28-29 at Greenbelt Park, Makati City. 

Get a chance to win and be the first official owner of a 21st Century Beetle! 

Here's how:

1) Go to timeforvolkswagen.com and register your name, birthdate, address, email address and mobile number.​

2) ​You’ll receive an email confirmation that contains an exhibit map of the Greenbelt Park display, a participant’s guide on next steps, and a questionnaire and answer sheet.

3) Print out the email confirmation and present it to the registration counter located in Ayala Museum for barcode tagging.

NOTE: Tagging must be done before your journey/activity starts through the exhibit areas. The exhibit will be open from 10 AM of September 28 to 10 PM of September 29.

4) Find all the answers to the 7 trivia questions on the email confirmation by visiting the different parts of the exhibit:

a) Heritage/History Area
b) Brand Video Area
c) Car Displays
d) Volkswagen Plaza
e) Racing Pavilion
f) Innovation Area
g) various entertainment area. 

5) Take your completed trivia sheet back to the registration counter for verification and second tagging to earn you one raffle entry.

NOTE: Contest registration will run until 5 PM of September 29, 2013. You can submit your entry from 10 AM on September 28 until 6 PM on September 29, and the winner will be announced at 8PM at the Greenbelt 3 grounds. 

The winner will be notified via registered mail and will also be pubslished on a newspaper of general circulation.

For more details about the contest mechanics, click here.

World-renowned as the "People's Car", Volkswagen Philippines will introduce its first four car models on the grand launch and public viewing, which I will be writing about, along with the initial SRPs on the Part 2 of this post. 

So make sure to check back! :) 

(To be continued)


Related article: 

Volkswagen Philippines: The Time is Now Grand Launch (Part 2)
Volkswagen Philippines Grandeur Launch and Weekend Display