To Tagaytay and back aboard new Jaguars and Land Rovers

Short road trips are deceptive. While dangling the promise of easier travel and abbreviated seat time because they usually occur within of proximate distance to the city, getting caught in ubiquitous congestion is always a real possibility. All said, closer doesn’t mean quicker.

Tagaytay used to be a bit of a secret —promising ready, instant relief from the oppressive urban heat, while proffering a most captivating vistas. Not anymore. Experience has shown that people are wont to beat a path to one of Cavite’s most famous cities when given an open window on their perennially cramped calendar. 

Thus, we took the opportunity to experience the city anew at the drop of a hat—an email, actually —because, well, how does one turn down a drive to and from Tagaytay aboard a Jaguar and a Land Rover?

Exactly.

The invite came from All British Cars, the exclusive local dealer of the British brands brought together when Tata Motors acquired them from Ford in 2008. The drive was meant to “dovetail on the brand’s re-entry to the market following the announcement made by Jaguar Land Rover Asia-Pacific last November naming Coventry Motors Corporation as the sole authorized importer and distributor of the premium car brand in the Philippines,” according to a company release. 

Our small group of media had the opportunity to drive the current lineup of JLR releases—with each assigned to one car going up and another going down. In my case, I was partnered with fellow STAR Motoring columnist Uly Ang and assigned to a Land Rover Discovery Sport SE for our drive to Cavite. Other cars in the drive included the Jaguar XE, XJ, and F-Pace; the Land Rover Discovery; and the Range Rover Evoque, Velar, and Sport.

The Discovery Sport is an attractively designed sport ute priced from P4.39 million, and is a good introduction as any to this more premium of marques. It distinguishes itself with an elegantly aggressive exterior styling—nothing over the top. I agree with the view that it’s downright “dapper,” as a caranddriver.com writer puts it.

Motivated by a 2.0-liter diesel engine developing 150ps and 380Nm, this Land Rover is equipped with a lot of tech niceties which conspire to make negotiating (and enduring) chaotic city traffic a lot less painful. A nine-speed transmission system makes the most out of the grunt.

The unit we drove didn’t even have 20 kilometers on it yet, and it smelled all shades of new-car fresh. The interiors are classy as expected, but we thought the front console was a little too understated. The robust, two-zone climate control system is a welcome feature for finicky individuals who can’t agree on a temperature setting, just as the second-row, pillar-mounted vents must be for the passengers ensconced within. There are also touches here and there that distinguish this delightful SUV from its host of competitors. But then, you should already know this is not your average sport utility vehicle.

Lunch and a chat with Coventry Motors Corporation and All British Cars executives ensued at Balay Dako, truly a default stop if you’re craving Pinoy and find yourself in Tagaytay. After downing strong coffee, we headed back to Manila. Uly and I now found ourselves in a Jaguar XE 2.0XD Prestige sedan.

Priced from P3.69 million, the diesel-powered XE is distinctively styled befitting its premium stature. Jaguar calls this “the most advanced, efficient and refined sports sedan (it) has ever produced,” bestowed with “lightweight construction, streamlined styling, and outstanding ride and handling.” I tend not to disagree, as I found the XE compliant and enjoyable to drive even as we found ourselves in stop-and-go madness on C5 at rush hour. But when I had my druthers, I really enjoyed feeling the torque-y goodness of its acceleration (rated at a maximum of 430Nm, to go with 180ps).

As with the Discovery Sport, the XE boasts convenient a Stop/Start button and shift gears via a rotary knob. But while the Land Rover is a picture of muted luxury, this Jaguar serves up more obvious hints to its pedigree—from the twin-needle leather stitching on leather surfaces, generous, comfortable seating, to satin chrome air vents, to wood-grain accents.

So, the decision to go with a Cat or Rover is totally up to you. I think you can’t go wrong, either way. Ain’t life grand?

Good Stuff

As your Designated Driver chatted with a few key officials, we learned some good things to come for the two brands. First, JLR’s showroom along EDSA will open in May or June. The 450-square-meter facility will replace the current smaller one beside Dodge. Second, the Manila International Auto Show (opening tomorrow) will debut the E-Pace— Jaguar’s crossover offering said to rival the Porsche Macan, BMW X3, and Audi Q5.

A range of rovers: Range Rover Evoque, Velar, and Sport

We also learned that the Mercedes-Benz dealership on 32nd Street in Bonifacio Global City is set to close shop and move to a CATS Group facility on the corner of 5th and 24th Streets. This new location will also feature a JLR showroom that can house four or five cars. The Benz portion should be open by the end of the year; the JLR display will be in business about six months later.

Finally, this bit of information taken from a release should help allay fears: “The (JLR) dealer accepts all Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles for service, regardless of whether the units were bought from the current or former distributor,” but please call All British Cars (784-5003) first to schedule an appointment.