Top 5 Cars of the Decade in Philippines

We can’t even begin to imagine the sheer number and variety of cars that the last decade has produced. From hatchbacks to SUVs, sedans to pickup trucks, vans to MPVs; there was everything. So while we were sitting back and taking that all in, we thought to put up a list of the top 5 cars of the decade in Philippines.

Volvo XC90

There is no denying that in the past decade, Volvo had spent a lot of time and money in the development of a plethora of new and highly advanced safety features for its vehicles. No wonder Volvo’s vehicles are considered to be some of the safest ones out there. Sitting at the top of Volvo Philippine’s SUV segment we have the XC90. It has been available in the market for many years now and in its latest avatar, gives its rivals a run for their money.

Volvo XC90 price in the Philippines is Php 3.83 million. It is available in a single variant only - Volvo XC90 D5 AT - which is powered by a 5-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that produces 200 bhp of max power and 420 Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to Volvo’s Six-speed Geartronic transmission and we also have AWD. The Volvo XC90 specs sheet includes high-end safety features like DSTC anti-skid system, Roll Stability Control (RSC), Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), and much more. Volvo also provides an opulent and comfortable interior in its XC90.

Ford Ranger

Over the last few years, the pickup truck segment in the Philippines ‘picked up’ quite some pace. Today, we’ve got several capable offerings in this category coming from different and well-known brands. Ford has been manufacturing pickup trucks for many decades now and it is all that experience that gave birth to the Ford Ranger, one of the best pickup trucks available in our country.

Available in a total of 8 different variants, Ford Ranger price starts at Php 1.03 million and goes as high as Php 1.7 million. And if you want to go completely berserk, there’s a Ford Ranger Raptor available, too, that costs Php 2 million and offers some serious off-road hardware. In its latest iteration, Ford Ranger seems to be a complete package - great looks, tons of interior space and cargo space, powerful engine options, available in both 4x2 and 4x4 trims. Looking at Ford Ranger specs, we can say that it’s a tough contender to beat and will continue to be so in the future.

Toyota Hiace

The first Hiace to roll out of Toyota’s factory (not in the Philippines) was way back in 1967. Today, after almost five decades, the Hiace is still being produced and is currently in its sixth-generation. Just like in many other countries, Toyota Hiace is very popular in the Philippines, too. It is the primary option for people and businesses looking for a large van. Available in a total of 6 variants, the Toyota Hiace price starts at Php 1.63 million.

Powering this long vehicle is a 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine that produces a healthy 174 horses and 420 Nm / 450 Nm of torque, depending on the variant. Coming from the house of Toyota, the Hiace has various safety features that have enabled it to score a perfect 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating! For a van, that’s super impressive. Spend Php 2.98 million and you can have the Toyota Hiace Super Grandia Elite AT, the top-end model, which was launched last year. It is much more luxurious than the rest of the variants. So much so that it is comparable to Toyota’s own Alphard.

Honda City

We’ve seen numerous great sedans in the last decade and picking the best one out was really difficult. However, after a lot of brainstorming, we narrowed down our choice to none other than Honda City. This car has been in production for many decades now. Over the years of its existence, It passed through different generations and changes. Today it continues to impress us with its features and design.

In the Philippines, Honda City price starts at Php 820,000 for its base model. It is available in a total of 6 different trims and all of them are powered by the same 1.5-litre petrol engine which churns out 120 PS of max power and 145 Nm of torque and is very refined, something that Honda is known for all around the globe. The City’s interior is quite spacious and offers a good amount of comfort. The ride quality is pretty great as well. Even today, the City has an attractive design and looks fantastic. Honda has already revealed its 2020 City in Thailand and it is expected to hit the markets pretty soon.

Toyota Fortuner

Toyota Fortuner is unmistakably one of the best-selling midsize SUVs in the Philippines. It marked its entry in the country in 2005 and caused a stir in the segment and still is nothing less of a nightmare to its rivals. With the Fortuner, Toyota hit a home run. It lured in people with its masculine looks, gigantic dimensions, utmost road presence, powerful engines, and spacious interior. Currently, in its latest iteration, the Fortuner is available in a total of 5 different trims that offer 3 engine options - 2.4-litre diesel (147 bhp / 400 Nm), 2.7-litre petrol (163 bhp / 245 Nm), and 2.8-litre diesel (174 bhp / 450 Nm) - manual and automatic transmission, and 4x2 as well as 4x4 drivetrains. The Fortuner also performs quite well in off-road situations.

For safety, the Toyota Fortuner specs sheet is loaded with several features including seven airbags, hill-hold assist, ABS with EBD and brake assist, active traction control, vehicle stability control, hill-descent control, and much more. In short, it is a car that’s hard to resist. Toyota Fortuner price starts at Php 1.61 million and goes all the way up to Php 2.26 million.

So these were the top 5 cars in Philippines of the decade. Of course, there were various other names that we wanted to add to the list but we had to pick only five. It wasn’t easy for us to create this list for you guys but considering that we have entered a new decade, we thought it would be worth the effort.

Also read: Top 5 hatchbacks of the decade - Philippines