Fast and efficient Hyundai i30;
conquering the Skyway on foot
The compact class is one of the most hotly contested segments of the motoring industry.
Cars like the Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra are practically omnipresent on Philippine roads. There are also the Subaru Impreza, Ford Focus, and Mazda3 that make the segment just a lot hotter, and soon the Chevrolet Cruze will make its entry.
There is, however, one car that has quietly made its way in and around the scene—the Hyundai i30, the compact offering from Hyundai Motors, now the fourth largest car manufacturer in the world.
We first had a glimpse of the i30 during a tour of the Hyundai assembly plant in May 2007. Our hosts then requested that the product should be for our eyes only until they were ready to launch it. Later that year, it was introduced in the Seoul Motorshow. The i30 eventually made its way to Manila in July 2008 when Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. or HARI, the Philippine distributors, previewed it to the press along with its smaller sibling the i10. It was formally introduced to the public together with the new Grand Starex during the second Philippine International Auto Show in August 2008. Prior to the i30, Hyundai’s compact car was the Elantra sedan.
The first thing that grabs you about the i30 is its exterior—literally. It is a hatchback, a good-looking hatch. The car’s headlamps, front fog lamps, and wing-type grille, along with the clean hatch lines all speak a Euro language—one that says "upscale" all the way. Step inside and you’re immediately greeted by an equally Euro-feeling and looking dash with clear gauges and controls that make for a driver-friendly environment.
The driver is likewise treated to the now-standard onboard computer to make measuring such things as fuel mileage a lot easier. Speaking of which, we managed to get a more than respectable best of 7.8 liters per 100 kilometers or 12.8 kms per liter of diesel.
This isn’t just a driver-friendly car. Silver accents, an iPod-ready 6-speaker sound system, and comfortable fabric seats make passengers equally at home. Of course, all-power luxuries, including rain-sensing wipers are part of the package. The rear seats can also be folded to accommodate extra baggage when needed.
Our unit was fitted with the smooth 1.6-liter DOHC 16-valve CRDi diesel motor that dishes out 115 hp @ 4,000 rpm and max torque of 255 Nm at low 2,000 revs.
Mated to the slick 5-speed manual gearbox, this combination made it easy to find the engine’s ‘sweet spot’ for more than adequate pulling power and more importantly, the very good fuel economy.
While the front McPherson struts and rear Multilinks are more than capable of good handling around bends, the i30 is more about comfort and a supple ride—something that came in very pleasant during our drives around the Metro and on the roads leading to Batangas.
In one of our return drives from Malvar, the town before Lipa City, we were fortunate to encounter light traffic, thus, we were able to enjoy the car’s acceleration and handling at the Star Tollway and the South Luzon Expressway. The i30 was so fast and agile on the road that we made the 90-km drive to Nichols exit in just one hour.
Of course, Hyundai hasn’t left safety to chance. They’ve fitted their compact with dual airbags, ABS with EBD or Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Brake Assist, and alarm with immobilizer.
While many might scoff at the P1.048M price, what you’d be getting in return is a comfortable, good-looking, not to mention fast and fuel-efficient car.
Marathon running continues to attract thousands of adherents and will always be part of activities on major roads especially on weekends. Aside from its health benefits, running gives individuals opportunities to conquer not just distances but also themselves.
Last Sunday, more than 8,000 runners joined the 2010 edition of the Condura Run. A good part of the 42-km and 21-km races ran through the Skyway. I was one of those who took the challenge to run the half-marathon with the goal of conquering the Skyway on foot.
It was my first half-marathon in about 25 years when I ran the distance as part of a "graduation" in a running clinic in the 80’s. I’ve run several 5 and 10-km events since I went back to the sport in 2008. But last Sunday was a real challenge. I only had a two-hour sleep the night before and two weeks before the race, I only logged short distances for my training due to our usual irregular schedule. But it was one of the rare chances to run on the Skyway so I did not entertain any thoughts of giving up. We started at five in the morning on Bonifacio High Street at the Fort. There were about a thousand runners in the half-marathon. I had no problem hurdling the Kalayaan flyover and the stretch of Buendia. Besides, there were the Army bands which provided lively music and cheering spectators in some sections of the race, just like in the October 1 Quezon City International Marathon. Water stations so many I wanted to empty my "baon" of water in my hydro pack belt.
Upon reaching De la Rosa st. from Buendia, the Buendia Skyway off-ramp came into view and it made me more excited. Slowly, I ran up the Skyway until I reached the flat surface. Unlike in driving, I had the chance to see a good part of the Makati skyline without looking at the speedometer of the car. It was almost 6 a.m. and it was good to see the sun coming out from the Antipolo side or from the East. The Skyway section of the race was about 12-14 kilometers and it was good to see EDSA as I crossed it from about 30 feet high. The giant billboards also looked much closer and somehow provided some breaks from the long track ahead. Finally I reached the turn-around point near the TESDA compound which meant I’d done 10.5 kms. Going back was still fun until I reached the 16-km mark. I felt my left foot about to have cramps and my right shoulder feeling heavier. I stopped for a while and after doing some stretching, I resumed my run which looked more like a slow jog by this time. At the 18-km mark, people from takbo.ph have away bananas and provided liniment and quick leg massage in aid of runners like myself. This helped but I could no longer go back to my usual pace as the left foot continued to hurt. All I needed was to go up the Kalayaan flyover and getting to the finish line would be easy.
I did and I made it in 3 hours and 24 minutes which was within my conservative target of 3:30. The organizers ran out of medals for all the half-marathon finishers but I did not complain; completing the race itself was reward enough.
With the running boom, motorists have no choice but to share the road with hundreds of runners at one time or another. It is important for the motorists to be extra considerate and cautious about other users of the road. For them to fully understand why people run, motorists should leave their vehicles once in a while and discover the joys of running.