Last weekend, Ford held its first Island Conquest event at Festival Supermall in Filinvest, Alabang. From January 27 to 29, the public was invited to test three of Ford’s best-selling models either on a compact obstacle course or a lap circumnavigating the mall in order to simulate both off-road and in-city driving.

At the welcoming tent, tables and chairs were set up to accommodate guests with snacks and “dirty ice-cream” to the side. Salespeople manned the tent floor where several of Ford’s vehicles were displayed — roughly representing the three types of cars available for testing.

Right at the entrance was a Ranger FX4 medium-sized pickup truck, while behind it sat an Everest SUV and the subcompact EcoSport. On the walls, informational banners listing the features of Ford’s different trims read out information for interested parties.

Offered to the public for testing were the following.  Trim packages of the Ford Ranger included the Wildtrak 2.2L 4x2 A/T, Wildtrak 3.2L 4x4 M/T, and the DBL XLT 2.2L A/T SVP. For the Everest, there were the Ambiente 2.2L 4x2 A/T, Trend 2.2L 4x2 A/T, and Titanium+ 3.2L 4x4 A/T. Those interested in the EcoSport had the Trend 1.5L A/T (Black Edition), Titanium 1.5L A/T (Black Edition), and the Titanium 1.5L A/T to choose from. Ford made guests sign waivers and hand over valid drivers licenses for photocopying, as well as paired them up with personnel for guidance.

Testing the Ranger and Everest entailed taking the cars through a controlled course around the allotted Filinvest parking space. At the first section were a series of short ramps with immediate drop-offs; they were to highlight the pickup truck and SUV’s impressive ground clearance and off-roading capabilities — even without changing driving modes or selecting alternative terrain settings.

Personnel stood at the corner with a water sprinkling hose to demonstrate the automatic activation of windshield wipers via sensors. The last part simulated washboard-plagued dirt roads to show off Ford’s absorbent suspension systems.

Test drivers of the EcoSport were invited to make a clockwise loop around Festival Supermall for a taste of urban driving. The EcoSport Black Edition was part of the lineup; accessories included sports pedals, a rear spoiler, and other stylized aesthetics like a blacked out grille, black roof rails, and black wheels.

Aside from forging a stronger connection between potential customers and some of Ford’s most successful vehicles, the event also had some activities in store on the side like a memory game, puzzle-like guessing game, and a basket shootout.

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