HyundaiPH’s Reina media drive to Pililla windmills

Local motoring media were treated to a test drive with the New Hyundai Reina last February 12, 2019. We all met up at Hyundai Cainta and made our way to the windmills in Pilila. If you are familiar with the route, you’ll recall there are lots of twists and turns with some steep inclines thrown in. HyundaiPH picked this route to showcase the engine power, ride,and fuel efficiency of their latest offering.

Everyone took to the Reina’s flowing exterior. The interior was impressive, as Hyundai’s engineers took space as the main consideration in the design. After a short program and a hearty breakfast, the media teams were given their own Reina and off we went.

The overall shape and design was well thought out, performance was quite impressive for a 1.4 engine which puts out 95Ps at 6000rpms with 132Nm of torque at 4000rpm mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy was decent. Not bad for a brand new car which wasn’t fully broken in yet.

The Reina’s suspension was surprisingly good. You can’t go wrong with the tried and tested MacPherson Strut with Stabilizer up front and the rear Coupled Torsion Beam Axle in the rear. The ride is firm but not harsh, and it showed little body roll during sharp turns. The cornering potential of the Reina is somewhat limited to skinny tires (to keep costs down), but with the addition of aftermarket tires, the Reina could be a canyon carver for sure. We think the engineers knew of the potential of the Reina, and left the upgrades to the future owners’ preferences.

We were joined in by the Queen of HARI herself, Ms. Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo, their President. Announcing a new sales avenue, she expressed, “Hyundai’s partnership with O Shopping ushers in a transformative new era of the car shopping lifestyle in the Philippine market, as it accords customers the convenience of two powerhouse retail channels, TV and online shopping, thereby shaping a more convenient and rewarding car shopping experience for Filipinos.”

Catch the Hyundai Reina on O Shopping website starting February 12, 2019; watch it aired on ABS-CBN Channel 2, Skycable Channel 11, and ABS-CBN TV Plus Channel 8 starting March 15, 2019.

It’s priced at Php598K for the m/t and Php 648K for the a/t variant.  Visit hyundai.ph, Hyundai Philippines’ official Facebook page @HyundaiPH, or your nearest Hyundai dealership to learn more about the Hyundai Reina.

 

 

Words and Photos – Earl Manalansan