New Volkswagen Multivan Kombi gets official PH price

The iconic Volkswagen Multivan Kombi—which has long been a staple of fond motoring memories by our folks back in the day—makes a momentous comeback in the Philippines this July.

Volkswagen Philippines is bringing in the exclusive top-of-the-line Multivan Kombi which is laden with modern features and automotive technologies that will further define the user’s motoring lifestyle, particularly those who are always on the go to attend important business meetings, both online and face-to-face.

Powered by a 2.0-liter TDI diesel engine mated to a 7-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) with Tiptronic function and coasting feature, it boasts a maximum power generation of 150 ps and a top torque of 340 Nm.

This power and efficiency of the interplay between the engine and transmission ensure adequate power with minimum fuel consumption, even when the Multivan Kombi is loaded to capacity. The DSG and cruise control also assure less shift fatigue for drivers even during long road trips.

The Multivan Kombi also has convenience and safety features that will be much appreciated by its owner. The Multivan Kombi offers dual power side doors for ease of entry and exit, while its power tailgate allows you to open and close the rear hatch doors conveniently, so you can do more important tasks at hand.

Inside, the luxurious Nappa leather interior is complemented with ultra-comfortable captain seats in the front and second row, the latter of which can swivel for that instant face-to-face meeting, while the 3rd row can still comfortably seat three people and allow their seats to recline and slide.

Speaking of meetings on the go, a multifunction folding table is available and can be positioned in between the second and third rows, so important group decisions are made even before arriving at the destination.

The Multivan Kombi isn’t just a van. It has become a conveyance of success and prestige, enabling its owner to share his or her success with peers. The Multivan Kombi’s luxurious yet understated design perfectly reflects its owner’s status in life: Accomplished; at the peak of his or her career, but with loftier goals attained.

With the Multivan Kombi, it’s never lonely at the top. And whether you find yourself in the comforts of the Multivan Kombi or in the company of friends and family at the end of the day—it’s still the company you keep that defines and determines your continuing success. People are, after all, still what makes Volkswagen a Volkswagen.

Volkswagen Philippines has also announced that a limited supply of the Multivan Kombi has already arrived locally and will be available in three colors: Reflex Silver, Black Pearlescent, and the Bi-Color Reflex Silver/Starlight Blue for an indicative price range of PhP 3,650,000.

Other color variants of the Multivan Kombi will also be available by special order. For more details on this, contact Volkswagen BGC at (02) 8558-5888; Volkswagen Quezon Avenue at (02) 8558-5818; and Volkswagen Cebu at (032) 517-8226. Private viewing can also be arranged at Volkswagen BGC.

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HONOR 90 Lite: How is it different from the HONOR 90?

09/28/2023

Right on the heels of the HONOR 90 5G, HONOR Philippines has just announced that its Lite variant will now also be available.

Priced at PhP X12,990, the HONOR 90 Lite comes in as the more conservative pick. As of writing, pre-orders are ongoing and come with additional freebies. But as to what you’re getting (or not getting) with this more affordable variant, that’s what we’ll be finding out.

Design and display

Let’s work from the outside in. The difference in design between the two variants is quite obvious. HONOR wanted to give the 90 Lite its own identity by giving it a different look from its bigger brother.

Unlike the HONOR 90 5G, the 90 Lite 5G opts for hard, flat edges. While I find the grip better on the non-Lite mode, the 90 Lite still provides a pretty comfortable in-hand feel.

The next most obvious difference is the design of the camera module. Placement remains the same but on the HONOR 90 Lite 5G we have a Dual Ring camera module that’s supposedly jewelry-inspired.

We also have only two colors available for the HONOR 90 Lite – Cyan Lake and Midnight Black. We have the Cyan Lake colorway with us and compared to the HONOR 90 in Midnight Black, it’s much more fingerprint-resistant thanks to the matte finish.

On the display front, both boast large 6.7-inch screens. With the HONOR 90 Lite, however, you are getting an LCD, 90Hz refresh rate, and Full HD+ resolution. It also doesn’t have an in-display fingerprint reader but you are given face unlock and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner as security options.

Internals, performance, battery

Another area of compromise on the HONOR 90 Lite is its processor. It comes in a single configuration with a MediaTek Dinemsity 6020 5G chip at its heart and is supported by 8GB of RAM. At its price, the HONOR 90 Lite’s 256GB internal storage also becomes a highlight.

Now, while not as high-performing as the HONOR 90 5G, the Lite variant still proves its mettle. Everyday tasks like browsing social media or checking emails are easy to knock out. No problems surfaced either when doing light photo and video editing and casual gaming is also possible.

Heavy gaming isn’t its strong suit with Genshin Impact dropping a few frames now and then but others I’ve tried like Mobile Legends and Pokemon Unite didn’t struggle even when playing for a a good while.

For its OS, the HONOR 90 Lite similarly runs MagicOS 7.1 based on Android 13 so you’re getting the same UI experience here.
Another aspect of this phone that’s gone ‘Lite’ is the battery. Compared to its big brother, the HONOR 90 Lite ships with a slightly smaller 4500mAh battery and no SuperCharge support.

In using it, however, we’ve found that the battery could last a full day even when you’re not using it too conservatively. You will need to charge by the day’s end, though, and it’ll take you more than an hour to completely fill up with its 35W charger.

Cameras

The HONOR 90 5G wowed many with its 200-megapixel camera. With the HONOR 90 Lite, you are getting fewer megapixels but still getting quite a lot.

Offering a 100-megapixel shooter, the HONOR 90 Lite 5G carries on providing high-quality photography tools at an accessible price. Accompanying the primary camera are a 5-megapixel wide and depth, and a 2-megapixel macro.

Out of curiosity, I decided to pit the HONOR 90’s 200-megapixel camera with the HONOR 90 Lite’s 100-megapixel camera.

With the two photos side by side, the compromise is noticeable but both cameras did produce good photos in their own right. The most obvious difference is the level of detail the 200-megapixel shooter on the HONOR 90 produces but the HONOR 90 Lite doesn’t fall too far behind, especially when you consider its price.

HONOR 90 Lite sample mountains
HONOR 90 Lite > HONOR 90

Of course, this was taken in bright light which helps a lot in producing a cleaner photo.

HONOR 90 Lite > HONOR 90

Switch to low-light and, you’ll see the power of the higher megapixel camera. Details are sharper and the overall image is cleaner.

HONOR 90 Lite > HONOR 90

For selfies, the HONOR 90 Lite comes with 16-megapixel front-facing camera. Selfies come out clean and with a good amount of detail; the quality is what you’d expect from this kind of camera.

The only other major downside of the cameras of the HONOR 90 Lite is the lack of 4K video recording. While probably not an essential for most, it’s an often looked-for feature and possibly a deal-breaker for some.

If you’re able to look past that though, you’re getting a pretty capable rear shooter with that 100-megapixel lens and it comes in as a good deal given the price of the device.

Final thoughts

When I think of HONOR devices, I think of affordable but capable devices built for the everyday user. And that stays true with the HONOR 90 Lite.

The HONOR 90 5G is already an affordable offering as it is but if you need something that’s just lower down the ladder, the HONOR 90 Lite could be a contender. Appropriately called ‘Lite’, this device offers a similar experience to its bigger brother but with some compromises that aren’t too surprising given its segment.

For the HONOR 90 Lite official pricing, pre-order promos, and more, head over here.

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