7 Things You Missed at the Manila International Auto Show 2019
Seven hundred car companies. 18 car brands. If that doesn’t give you an idea of the scale of the Manila International Auto Show 2019 held last weekend, then nothing much will. And if you didn't have the chance to drop by the four-day event, you missed some pretty incredible things.
1| Super cars
MIAS has always been THE car event because of the sheer number of vehicles it displays every year, even if most of them are consumer cars because it isn’t a competition show after all. Still, some exhibitors brought out the big guns this year. There were a couple of McLarens, a Ferrari, the new 2.0-liter Camaro, a Corvette...the list goes on! Safe to say that if you’re a car enthusiast, you probably would’ve drooled all over your shirt.
2| Classics
An auto show wouldn’t be complete without the classics and MIAS 2019 had so many you could've mistaken it for a classic car show. They had JDMs, they had Mustangs, and there were even old-school 4x4s like the Range Rovers that were kitted to the hilt! Fancy a Grand Prix winner? They had that, too.
3| New cars
MIAS is where manufacturers have the chance to woo everyone who’s interested in cars, so it is where they also usually unveil new models for the Philippine market. Some of those revealed at this year’s MIAS were the Kia Stinger, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Jeep Compass, Subaru XV GT, and others. Head on over to our brother publication Top Gear Philippine’s website for the complete list.
4| Accessories
While most cars nowadays have stock feature sets that were only available in aftermarket stores a few years ago, it doesn’t mean that you won’t ever need additional accessories for your car. The sheer range of gear and accessories at MIAS 2019 proved that the market is better than ever. From exterior add-ons to lubricants to tires and wheels, MIAS was a one-stop shop for anything and everything car-related.
5| Innovative gimmicks
In the old days, attending an auto show meant seeing some pretty impressive booth setups. But manufacturers at this year’s MIAS took it up a notch with their elaborate booth gimmicks. British brand MG (Morris Garages) had a full band setup which, predictably, was swarmed by guests. Other manufacturers opted to make their booths as comfortable as possible, offering lots of seats for guests.
Nissan stood out for having a full lab-like setup, which allowed visitors to experience the new Nissan Intelligent Mobility platform on an actual Nissan Terra. And it was well worth it for Nissan as it took home the best booth award for MIAS 2019.
Even non-car manufacturer exhibitors joined in on the fun. Petron put up an actual gas station on one side of the event.
6| Trucks and other vehicles
According to MIAS co-organizer Jason Ang, the last few years have seen a huge increase in interest among businesspeople who want to see other vehicle types in MIAS. So this year, they set up a separate tent pavilion just for trucks. From trailer trucks to cement mixers, the business crowd had a field day with all the new machinery available on the market. There were even ambulances and passenger vans.
7| Bikes
It’s an “auto” show not a motorcycle show, but that didn’t stop a few brands from featuring some of their bikes! KTM’s new 390 Duke was featured at the BPI booth, while a drop-dead gorgeous BMW R nineT Option 719 in Mars Red was displayed at Top Gear Philippines’s booth.
So we’re guessing you’ll be at the MIAS next year? Good, see you then!
