A new way to see history
Published Mar 8, 2018 04:05 pm
By Iñigo S. Roces
A road trip for most families will typically entail a trip to a beach or mountain escape a few hours out of town. There’s likely an abundance of food choices and places to shop and is never too far from a cellphone tower. While these are all well and good, such an itinerary diffuses the whole point of travel, of seeing the world and all the lessons it has to teach. Honda, a perennial favorite car brand for road trips, dares to differ and took us on a far more educational kind of road trip. With a convoy of brand new CR-V all-wheel drive units, we headed to Bataan to learn a few things about history.
After all, Honda itself has a lot of reverence for history. It’s latest CR-V is the fifth in a long line of crossover SUVs stretching back to 1995. Little has changed in the basic formula that has made it a success. To this day, it can still be specced with a 2.0-liter engine and 4WD to competently take on both the daily drive and the occasional off-road excursion. What has changed is its form, how much more power there is, and how it is delivered to all four wheels.
The new CR-V still sits comfortably in the compact SUV class. Though if placed beside its predecessor, how much bigger it is would certainly show.
The new CR-V bears Honda’s ‘Solid Wing Face’ design language evident in its current line-up. This equates to lights and grille that practically appear like one sculpted piece. The body itself appears much more muscular with larger wheels and tires to go with it.
Inside is a very different interior as well. The infotainment system practically dominates the dashboard. The automatic stickshift is mounted there too. And while the front may seem very high tech, it hasn’t lost its luxury touch with soft touch upholstery all around.
Admiration aside, the whole point of the drive was to sample the CR-V’s latest improvement to date: the i-DTEC diesel engine. Honda has finally heard many buyers’ requests and obliged. Now with a diesel engine and seating for seven, the CR-V can now confidently compete against the likes of the Toyota Fortuner and Montero Sport.
Perhaps the real surprise is how the diesel engine behaved — not like a typical diesel at all. This i-DTEC does away with the typical clatter and vibration you expect, returning nothing but smooth power delivery and high fuel efficiency that could fool you into thinking it was a petrol engine. This is paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission that delivers the power to all four wheels. No need for a clumsy knob to shift to 4WD. Built in computers do the thinking for you, delivering power to where it’s needed most without bothering the driver.
With everyone packed and loaded, the convoy headed North to Bataan, driving through the NLEX and SCTEX to stretch its legs and on to our first stop, Mt. Samat. The cross at its summit was erected in memory of the Filipino and American soldiers that held a last valiant but futile stand against the invading Japanese imperial forces.
From there, the convoy made its way to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan. The 400-hectare resort features historical buildings painstakingly sourced and reconstructed from all over the country to create a truly immersive experience of colonial Filipino times. They’re not just for show as each one boasts of period correct furnishings and accommodations for guests, save perhaps for the modern air conditioning. There’s even a tram, kalesas and rafts for those that want to get around the old way.
The final stop was a tour of the old Bataan Nuclear Powerplant, a mothballed project of the former President Marcos. Despite not supplying power to our grid, the building has still been carefully maintained and could be restarted with some minor repairs. Fears of meltdowns have been put to rest with upgrades implemented just after the Chernobyl disaster. Sadly it was only ever powered up for just five minutes. Today, it serves as a relic of what could have been.
History lessons aside, Honda proves that a vacation that doesn’t involve a beach or mountain getaway can still be quite enjoyable. The CR-V made the drive smooth, easy, and efficient. And while much of it has remained the same over the years, what has changed has only made it even better.
A road trip for most families will typically entail a trip to a beach or mountain escape a few hours out of town. There’s likely an abundance of food choices and places to shop and is never too far from a cellphone tower. While these are all well and good, such an itinerary diffuses the whole point of travel, of seeing the world and all the lessons it has to teach. Honda, a perennial favorite car brand for road trips, dares to differ and took us on a far more educational kind of road trip. With a convoy of brand new CR-V all-wheel drive units, we headed to Bataan to learn a few things about history.
After all, Honda itself has a lot of reverence for history. It’s latest CR-V is the fifth in a long line of crossover SUVs stretching back to 1995. Little has changed in the basic formula that has made it a success. To this day, it can still be specced with a 2.0-liter engine and 4WD to competently take on both the daily drive and the occasional off-road excursion. What has changed is its form, how much more power there is, and how it is delivered to all four wheels.
The new CR-V still sits comfortably in the compact SUV class. Though if placed beside its predecessor, how much bigger it is would certainly show.
The new CR-V bears Honda’s ‘Solid Wing Face’ design language evident in its current line-up. This equates to lights and grille that practically appear like one sculpted piece. The body itself appears much more muscular with larger wheels and tires to go with it.
Inside is a very different interior as well. The infotainment system practically dominates the dashboard. The automatic stickshift is mounted there too. And while the front may seem very high tech, it hasn’t lost its luxury touch with soft touch upholstery all around.
Admiration aside, the whole point of the drive was to sample the CR-V’s latest improvement to date: the i-DTEC diesel engine. Honda has finally heard many buyers’ requests and obliged. Now with a diesel engine and seating for seven, the CR-V can now confidently compete against the likes of the Toyota Fortuner and Montero Sport.
Perhaps the real surprise is how the diesel engine behaved — not like a typical diesel at all. This i-DTEC does away with the typical clatter and vibration you expect, returning nothing but smooth power delivery and high fuel efficiency that could fool you into thinking it was a petrol engine. This is paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission that delivers the power to all four wheels. No need for a clumsy knob to shift to 4WD. Built in computers do the thinking for you, delivering power to where it’s needed most without bothering the driver.
With everyone packed and loaded, the convoy headed North to Bataan, driving through the NLEX and SCTEX to stretch its legs and on to our first stop, Mt. Samat. The cross at its summit was erected in memory of the Filipino and American soldiers that held a last valiant but futile stand against the invading Japanese imperial forces.
From there, the convoy made its way to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan. The 400-hectare resort features historical buildings painstakingly sourced and reconstructed from all over the country to create a truly immersive experience of colonial Filipino times. They’re not just for show as each one boasts of period correct furnishings and accommodations for guests, save perhaps for the modern air conditioning. There’s even a tram, kalesas and rafts for those that want to get around the old way.
The final stop was a tour of the old Bataan Nuclear Powerplant, a mothballed project of the former President Marcos. Despite not supplying power to our grid, the building has still been carefully maintained and could be restarted with some minor repairs. Fears of meltdowns have been put to rest with upgrades implemented just after the Chernobyl disaster. Sadly it was only ever powered up for just five minutes. Today, it serves as a relic of what could have been.
History lessons aside, Honda proves that a vacation that doesn’t involve a beach or mountain getaway can still be quite enjoyable. The CR-V made the drive smooth, easy, and efficient. And while much of it has remained the same over the years, what has changed has only made it even better.