Seven Suzuki Jimny 5-door, seven Suzuki XL7 Hybrid, 26 motorcycles, nine speed boats powered by Suzuki outboard engines and some 80 motoring and motorcycle journalists. The Suzuki management and staff also came in full force to make sure their first event for the new year goes as planned.
These form the cast of a blockbuster event mounted by Suzuki Philippines to kick off their 50th anniversary celebration.
The “One Suzuki Kick-off Ride” started with a briefing and breakfast at the Mills Country Club inside the Canlubang Industrial Park in Calamba, Laguna.
We were welcomed by Koichiro Hirao, president of Suzuki PHilippines. Here, we were also handed our brown jackets and assigned to our respective rides.
We had our ceremonial flag off at the Suzuki parking lot with the riders taking first position in the convoy. It was quite a sight seeing all the motorbike models of Suzuki- the Avenis, Raider R150 Fi, Smash Fi, Burgnman Street Standard and EX variants, Gixxer Series,and the V-Strom 250 SX in a long convoy. Then the four-wheelers followed.
We zoomed thru Nuvali then on to
the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road and on to Nasugbu and Tuy, Batangas.
We had our stopover at the Clean Fuel station in Tuy where we also had our photo and drone ops.
It was our first time to travel with the motorcycles joining us in the more than 100-km drive. This writer drove the Suzuki XL 7 Hybrid with two passengers.
It was a comfortable, smooth ride as we passed thru various mountain passes and flat highways. In another hour, we were entering the Pico de Loro Resort which has its own charm and a share of twisties. The red Jimnys also stood out in the convoy as they negotiated one pass after another.
Lunch was at the main hall of Pico de Loro in Nasugbu after which we checked in to our respective rooms. By 3 pm, we took the shuttles which would bring us to the Punta Fuego Port some 15 minutes away.
This perhaps was the surprise Suzuki officials were talking about. We boarded nine speed boats that are equipped with Suzuki’s DF300s and DF350s. It was another show of force by Suzuki as we headed out to the scenic Batangas Bay which boasts small islands, rock formations and cliffs along the way.
As the nine speed boats made a triangle formation with our big boat in the lead, the sight of boats splashing through the waters with their front rising above the waters was like a chasing scene in the movies. It was exhilarating but we noticed the engines were quiet but powerful. It’s a WaterWorld with some semblance of Apocalypse Now. Just like in the movies we told ourselves.
Heading back to the port was another treat as the sun was already setting down. The boats were a spectacle as they continued with the fast maneuvers with the beautiful sunset in the background.
The boat ride was the topic of conversations as we took dinner by the beach at Pico de Loro.
Our hosts had Suzuki trivia contests, raffle, photo contest and best-dressed participants and band music to cap the evening.
The “One Suzuki Kick-off Ride” was just the start of Suzuki’s yearlong celebration with more activities such as new vehicle launches in the months to come.
Interviewed by the in-house crew, I recalled that my first exposure to Suzuki was seeing the 2-door Samurai on the road in mid-90s. I also test drove the Suzuki Vitara JLX in the hilly roads of Jala-Jala in Rizal. I also organized for our show, Auto Review, the Suzuki Grand Vitara 48-hour non-stop challenge which made a loop through Isabela and Cagayan Valley and Ilocos Norte and Sur with a stopover in Baguio City. We also used the Samurai as a backup vehicle.
Suzuki Philippines has come a long way introducing the Celerio, Swift, Dzire, Ciaz, Alto, APV, Super Carry, S-presso, Vitara, 3-door and 5-door Jimny and the Ertiga and XL7 and their hybrid variants thru the years. Their line-up of motorcycles have also evolved from scooters to bigger bikes and they have also shifted to another business- the distribution and sale of marine products to power those speed boats since 2019. Suzuki is committed to its goal of providing quality, innovative and reliable mobility towards carbon neutrality. They see their vehicles as the Filipinos’ Life Companion on and Beyond the Road.
Happy 50th year, Suzuki Philippines!