Luxury's Prize
With a long list of cutting edge features, the price to pay for luxury cars is well worth it
 Trust the Filipino’s sense of style to surface even in the gloomiest of environments. Luxury cars are making a presence in a big way in the Philippines, notwithstanding higher taxes and economic uncertainty.
The Philippine market’s penchant for luxury cars is easy to explain. The desire for the finer things in life is universal. Who could resist the allure of powerful engines, intelligent cabin systems, cutting-edge technologies alongside an emblem that signifies a heritage of quality and luxury?
Luxury car sales, though dwarfed by that of compact sedans, continues to be strong. Mark Gilbert, president of BMW Philippines Corporation – one of the top-selling luxury cars in the country – has time and again said that “the market for premium automobiles exists here.” In fact, BMW has grown its dealership network, including dealerships in Pampanga and Cebu. Other dealers are not to be left behind. There are new dealerships of Audi, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz, Volvo, even Porsche, all over the metropolis. Luxury cars are no longer rare sightings – they are all over Metro Manila’s streets. Ownership, too, has become a little more accessible, with banks offering financing schemes.
Of course, there have been changes in consumer behavior that have favored the popularity of luxury cars. A study by Euro RSCG Worldwide noted that among affluent households, today’s indulgences are meant to be enjoyed, more than to impress others. “Today’s affluents are looking for understated, quality luxury, and elegant design. Products with high endurance and timeless appeal speak to the desire to move away from ‘disposable consumerism,” said the study.
At the same time, one’s choice of car signals something about one’s self; it mirrors his aspirations and successes, and tells the world that he is moving quickly to attain them, unless he has already done so. These high-end automobiles represent the owner’s appreciation for luxury alongside functionality and technology.
What makes a luxury car
In the Philippines, cars that carry a tag price of over P2 million all fall under the luxury segment.
Considering that the Philippines usually looks to the US for classifications, it is useful to look at the US luxury car market. This market is divided into three segments - the near-luxury segment ($35,000-$40,000), the mid-luxury ($41,000-$60,000) and the ultra-luxury ($61,000-over).
The near-luxury segment comprises majority of the US luxury car market. Examples of cars in this segment are the Audi A4, the BMW M3, the BMW 3-series cars (325 and 330), the Mercedes Benz C-class cars and the Lexus IS 300 and ES 300 models.
The mid-luxury segment cars feature bigger sedans in terms of exterior, engine displacement/output, interior cabin space and trunk space. Examples of cars in this segment are the Audi A6, the BMW M5, the BMW 5-series, the Mercedes Benz E-class cars, and the Lexus LS 430.
Ultra-luxury cars are the top-of-the-line sedans reserved only for those for whom status is no longer just about money. Conveying both power and luxury, these cars are usually big in all aspects – exterior size, interior cabin space, trunk space, engine displacement/output, and most notably, fuel consumption.
What it takes to own a luxury car
The prestige and glamour that comes with owning a luxury car comes at a cost. Luxury car owners have to measure up to the responsibility of owning such a car. Not only do these cars have to be maintained at considerably greater cost than less-pedigreed automobiles, they also have to be driven responsibly. Because they can go at great speeds, these cars do not belong to irresponsible drivers who think of them as toys whose limits can be tested outside of the racetrack.
Those who measure up to such responsibility should make good owners of these time-tested cars.
Most luxury cars boast of a strong heritage, as exemplified by 100 years of Mercedes Benz and 75 years of Volvo. For BMW, this heritage goes back to the time of the Bavarian monarchs, and their tradition is perpetually carried in the BMW emblem.
Hand in hand with these names, of course, is a tradition of quality steeped in history and carried on to the present. As a result, these cars employ technology to their maximum advantage. Cars in this elite group have engines that register triple digits on horsepower and torque. Luxury cars are synonymous with power. They can accelerate quickly and go to extreme speeds without compromising ride comfort and security. These, of course, could only come from engineering superiority undeterred by cost or other concerns.
Beyond speed, luxury cars boast of so much more. Globally, consumers are seeing more ‘intelligent systems’ in their luxury cars like airbags and side/roof curtains for roll-over accidents that can anticipate and react prior to an accident. There is also a wider application of computer technology in almost every facet of the car.
Though often thought to be gas guzzlers due to their much larger engines, luxury cars are environment-friendly. Most of the vehicles are designed to burn fuel efficiently, with some of the more powerful engines equipped with catalytic converters that greatly reduce emission levels.
They are not wanting in safety features, either. Three-point seatbelts, airbags all around the cabin and various safety tension bars are more than enough to keep passengers out of harm’s way during crash situations.
Comfort is expected of any luxury vehicle. Some models, such as the Rolls Royce/Bentley models and the Toyota Avalon, have exterior and interior sensors that detect cabin climate temperature and sunlight intensity inside the interior. These sensors either adjust or turn off the ventilation and interior air conditioning.
And then, of course, there is the ambience. Luxury cars are noted for having elegant sound systems that faithfully reproduce each and every musical instrument, lyrics, tonal qualities, and dynamic contrasts on each track or song played on the system.
Because these cars are driven by moneyed and powerful men, luxury cars have the most advanced security systems. Just a touch of a button locks all doors when the car hits nine kilometers per hour, turns on all interior lights, or turns on signal lights and headlights (especially handy when one cannot locate the car in the dark). Virtually all luxury cars have remote control features. All these cars also have keys with certain groove patterns etched into them and ignition locks so that the only way to turn on the car’s engine is to steal these custom-made keys. These systems also use a computer code integrated into the key (to unlock the gearshift and the ignition) so that if the key is removed, the electronic computer unit (ECU) is disabled, preventing unauthorized engine starts.
De rigeur in this day and age for luxury cars assembled in the US and Europe are global positioning systems (GPS). This unique feature employs satellite-tracking technology so that drivers looking for a certain destination can find the fastest and easiest way to that destination. Most luxury sedans have a multiple information display, in which several important functions not found on the dashboard are displayed on a console on the driver’s side dashboard or on the front windshield. These functions are derived from the car’s ECU and displays the functions such as cruising range, fuel economy, oil pressure, coolant level, tire pressure, battery power level, and even reminds one that he may have failed to close a specific door.
The list of luxury car features is interminable, with each manufacturer trying to outdo each other in pleasing the customer. This list expands with the whims of passengers who know what a luxurious ride is all about.
It goes without saying, of course, that interiors of these cars are made only of the finest materials. These being the extensions of the homes and the offices of the men and women who ride them, such elegance is to be expected. Just like the men and women who drive them, these cars do not only symbolize power and mobility, they also stand for elegance and integrity.
Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 
