An unplanned roadtrip—"Foton finish" with the Toplander

When life gets too busy, several moments are often marked with a “photo finish”—one that ends well in our favor in spite of getting everything in place only a few moments too close to the finishing line. 

I found myself in that situation, yet again, for this past week. While most people had started to go on leave by the Wednesday of Holy Week (for trips planned months ahead), I had to sit in a Joint Congressional Hearing until late afternoon and working until late that night. By Holy Thursday morning, I was still working right before leaving for our road trip. Not only did I pack last minute, I hadn’t given much thought about the car best suited to take me to our Holy Week destination. Thanks to a last-minute coordination with Foton, the Toplander SUV was ready for me by Wednesday evening. 

Last-minute packing meant over-packing—clothes thrown into an oversized luggage (better to err on the safe side by packing too much clothes than less), bags of snacks, and other miscellaneous items. My husband and brother also rode with me. I didn’t have a hard time fitting all our luggage and my oversupply of wardrobe and food in the Toplander. With a seating capacity for seven people, the Toplander’s luggage compartment is generous especially with the rearmost seats folded (while the second row seats are retained).

As expected with the Holy Week exodus, there was heavy traffic in the South Expressway. I maneuvered my way around tight spots and constant stops with the Toplander’s 5-speed manual transmission. At that moment, I wished that the Toplander had an automatic variant. At least the Toplander’s gearshifts were relatively smooth.

The Toplander’s infotainment system was user-friendly and easy to navigate via its touchscreen.  Since most radio stations didn’t have regular programming, we had to rely on my brother’s smartphone for music. We easily connected his smart phone with the car’s audio system through the Toplander’s Bluetooth connectivity. 

I usually give much thought about what car to bring when going to my parents’ vacation spot in Punta Verde, Batangas because it is one of the best destinations to test a car’s performance. The route going there offers a perfect mix of going through wide highways, small rural streets, some patches of uncemented gravel surfaces, winding roads through a mountain, and some sandy patches going to the beach. The Toplander negotiated these routes with ease, although the suspension tended to be a little bumpy. The Toplander’s power was amply tested when speeding through the highways and going up the steep roads of the Lobo, Batangas mountain. The Toplander is equipped with a Cummins ISF 2.8L, CRDi 16-valve turbo intercooler diesel engine, which delivers a torque output of 360 Nm from 1,800-3,600 rpm. The 4x4 variant which I drove could easily be switched to 4x2, Auto, or 4x4 through a control knob next to the stick shift.  

The Toplander’s fuel consumption is quite economical, with only half of the 70-liter tank consumed after driving from Manila to Batangas and back to Manila.

The best thing about the Toplander is its price. Foton is a Chinese brand that manufactures the Toplander in China, and it upholds Foton’s slogan—“quality you can afford.” The 4x2 Toplander costs around P998,000, while its 4x4 variant costs around P1,298,000. 

In hindsight, I could have felt more relaxed if I planned my Holy Week more carefully, but I give credit to my car choice for pulling off my last-minute plans without a snag. The Toplander drove comfortably and met my travel needs sufficiently without extensive planning ahead—that’s what I call a “Foton Finish.” 

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Atty. Karen Jimeno is a lawyer licensed to practice in the Philippines and New York. She co-anchors for New Day on CNN Philippines Mondays to Fridays, 6-7:30AM. As an avid motorist, she incorporates different cars and her driving experiences with her professional life.