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Toyota Wigo tops 2018-2019 Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards

These are the hottest car models in the Philippines right now according to Auto Focus.

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2018 Toyota Wigo

Wondering what’s the most popular car in the Philippines? Well, here’s an idea. The public survey Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards named the notable nameplates in the local market, and the highest scorer happened to be the Toyota Wigo, with a consolidated score of 3,316.2. It outplayed the much bigger Mitsubishi Montero Sport, which got 2,863 points. 

The Toyota Wigo is the 2018 Automobile of the Year (AOY), as well as the prevailing model in the mini subcompact car category with the third Model of the Year (MOY) crown. The Wigo first won this title in 2015, then got back on the podium in 2017. 

You may be wondering how the AFPCA scores the vehicles on their respective categories. Well, they have a unique scoring system that attributes 80% value to the public’s voice gathered through an online poll from July to September 2018, while 20% is from the unit sales. Sales data was furnished by Stradcom Corporation with sanction from the Land of Transportation Office (LTO). 

There were also some notable nameplates to mention, including the Ford Mustang which got its first domination in the sports car category. The Nissan Urvan performed a back-to-back in the van segment, while the Navara claimed its fourth Pickup of the Year award after having it claimed in 2008, 2010, and 2011. In the SUV/crossover segment, the throne was claimed by the Mitsubishi Montero Sport for the fifth time. This made the Montero Sport a Hall of Famer for Auto Focus’ Model of the Year. 

Meanwhile, the luxury/premium segment saw some interesting topnotchers. The Audi R8 V10 debuted with a Sports Car of the Year victor, while the Honda Odyssey snatched the Van/MPV of the Year award for the third time in a row. The headline-worthy premium title-holder is the Lexus IS350, which got the MOY title for the fifth consecutive time – that's apart from bagging the Sedan of the Year crown. 

Apart from the AFPCA results, the winners in the 2018-2019 Auto Focus Media Choice Awards (AFMCA) were also voted by select motoring journalists. The Awards Committee reviewed the previous year’s majority and opted for 33.3% tally requirement for media awardees. This year saw 45 nameplates which stood out from the 88 award categories. 

For the winners of the AFMCA, check the list below. 

Best Design – Standard: 7 Awards 

  • Chevrolet Spark (Mini) 
  • Mazda 2 (Subcompact) 
  • Mazda 6 (Midsize Sedan) 
  • Civic R-Type (Sports Car) 
  • Ford Ranger (Pickup) 
  • Hyundai Grand Starex (Van) 
  • Mitsubishi XPander (MPV)  

Best Design – Premium/Luxury: 

  • BMW 5-Series (Midsize Sedan) 
  • Porsche Panamera (Large Sedan) 
  • Lamborghini Aventador (Sports Car) 
  • Toyota Alphard (Van) 
  • Mercedes Benz B-Class (MPV) 

Best Engine Performance – Standard 

  • Honda Brio (Mini) 
  • Mazda 2 (Subcompact) 
  • Honda Civic R-type (Sports Car) 
  • Mitsubishi Pajero (Large SUV/Crossover) 
  • Isuzu DMax (Pickup); Nissan NV350 Urvan (Van) 
  • Toyota Innova (MPV) 

Best Engine Performance – Premium/Luxury: 

  • MINI 3-Door & 5-Door (Subcompact) 
  • BMW 5-Series (Midsize Sedan) 
  • Porsche Panamera (Large Sedan) 
  • Porsche Cayenne (Midsize SUV/Crossover) 
  • Toyota Alphard (Van) 
  • Mercedes-Benz B-Class (MPV)  

Best Safety Features – Standard: 

  • Volkswagen Golf GTS (Compact Sedan) 
  • Ford Expedition (Large SUV/Crossover) 
  • Hyundai Grand Starex (Van)  

Best Safety Features – Premium/Luxury: 

  • Mercedes Benz A-Class (Subcompact) 
  • Volvo S60 (Midsize Sedan) 
  • Volvo XC60 (Midsize SUV/Crossover) 
  • Volvo XC90 (Large SUV/Crossover) 
  • Mercedes Benz V-Class (Van) 
  • BMW 2-Series Gran Tourer (MPV)  

Best Value-for-Money – Standard: 

  • Toyota Wigo (Mini) 
  • Toyota Camry (Midsize Sedan) 
  • Suzuki Jimny (Subcompact SUV/Crossover) 
  • Isuzu MU-X (Midsize SUV/Crossover) 
  • Isuzu DMax (Pickup) 
  • Nissan NV350 Urvan (Van)  

Best Value-for-Money – Premium/Luxury: 

  • Lexis IS350 (Compact Sedan) 
  • BMW 5-Series (Midsize Sedan) 
  • Lexus LS500 (Large Sedan) 
  • Lexus NX300 (Compact SUV/Crossover) 
  • Toyota Land Cruiser 200 (Large SUV/Crossover) 
  • Peugeot Traveler (MPV) 

The Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards is an annual public poll organized by Sunshine Television and Marketing Services Inc.

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