The Hyundai Getz Atlantic Edition gets a spare-no-punches review from AccelerateBristol.com, which summarizes its Hyundai Getz review with this statement:

“As a car for the young or even young at heart, the Getz Atlantic makes pretty good sense all round.”

Some of the more noteworthy points:

• The Hyundai Getz in review seems to be a special Getz for the British market, which explains the airbags and ABS. In addition, the Hyundai Getz Atlantic – as Hyundai titles this special Getz freak of nature – adds a rear roof spoiler with brake light, color-coded carpet mats and carbon grain interior trim, add-ons not available for 1.1 Philippines Hyundai Getz-es. It’s such a limited selection that only 750 Getz Atlantic models are being made; one may select from vibrant Hip Hop Red, Sky Blue Metallic, or Blue Onyx Mica paint. Once again, the white people get everything! (Joke joke.)
• The reviewer likes the look of the new Hyundai Getz, especially its clear, wraparound headlights which the reviewer then goes to describe as ‘feminine.’ (Guess Gina wasn’t such a bad name, now was it?)
• The reviewer feels the Hyundai Getz’s 1.1-liter engine needs to be kept on the boil to extract any meaningful performance. I agree. On the bright side, its engine now meets Euro IV emissions standards, something I’ve yet to confirm with local Hyundai Getz distributors, especially in light of Shell’s E-10 fuels, which is PHP1 cheaper than standard unleaded gasoline.
• The Hyundau Getz 1.1 is supposed to be fuel efficient, and they’ve averaged fuel economy of 51.4mpg (that’s roughly 21.8KM/L. Lucky British bastards.
• Versatility is a big feature of the Getz. The rear seat, which can recline and split in a conventional 60/40 fashion, is noteworthy, at part with the Citroen C3. It is also nice and small, terribly easy to park and realistic transport for five, for as long as they aren’t rugby league players. Hahaha.

Read the full review here.

Hyundai Getz owners may be in for a bit of a surprise, if contrasting news is to be believed. Sources at Kia World report that a concept car called the i20 is set to replace the Hyundai Getz by July of next year. While the report doesn’t identify which particular global markets will initially phase out the Hyundai Getz, the comments section indicates that Europe may be tiring of the Hyundai Getz and competition is becoming so fierce that a new variant every few years is almost necessary to remain relevant and in competition.

Personally, I think the Asia-Pacific region is still ripe for total Hyundai Getz domination. Aside from increasing sales in Asian regions like the Philippines and India, there are signs that show Hyundai still feels that its Getz has a few solid years  before phaseout. For me, one sign is that Hyundai Getz producers in India have launched a powerful Hyundai Getz diesel variant. The Getz Prime, an increasingly popular car in India, will be available in a 1.5 diesel engine that is both quiet and powerful. (Damn it! I want that!)

Why invest precious research and marketing resources in launching an important variant (i.e., diesel version) if you’re phasing your car model out a few months from now? Certainly, models with gas/diesel variants can make or break the difference, especially in budget-conscious Asian countries. (For instance, Ford Philippines is now phasing out its gasoline 1.6 Focus in favor of its 1.8 model, which I’ve heard is now in the works for a diesel version as well.)

IMHO, the Hyundai Getz is still a strong car that hasn’t reached critical momentum in the Philippines. It’s only been three years, and the Getz is a solid performer in the small car class, holding its own against the Honda Jazz, the Suzuki Alto, and  its main rival and sister company’s offering, the Kia Picanto. The Hyundai Getz Club is starting to build up its numbers. Hyundai would be out of its mind to phase out the Hyundai Getz in the Asia-Pacific region at this time.

Philippine Hyundai Getz fans may get a kick out of these two Hyundai Getz commercials, which, unfortunately, were never aired here.

This 2007 Hyundai commercial is from Greece. The Hyundai Getz is sold in Greece as the Hyundai Hellas.

This 2006 Hyundai Getz commercial is one of the more popular videos for the Hyundai Getz. I like how it features Michael Buble’s version of Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

I am in love with the concept of smoked headlights! Gina, my Philippine Hyundai Getz, will look… wait for it… LEGENDARY!

This thread on the Hyundai Getz Philippines forum – the Getz Club – features the work of a Tagaytay-based Philippine car detailer who goes by the name Hanzander. He’s popped several threads in several local car forums, including www.kotse.com and tsikot.com, and, judging by both the number of jobs he’s had and the photos he’s placed online, he’s one of the best.

I contacted Hanzander yesterday to inquire about his services. He was easy to talk to and his rates are very reasonable (Php1,200 for both headlights). A sample of his work on a Hyundai Getz is reproduced to the right; it’s a shame that the outside lighting reflected too strongly on the headlights, and obscured our opportunity to view the quality of Hanzander’s work.

The only kink in the arrangement is that this Philippine car detailer lives in Tagaytay, which is a three-hour drive from where I live. Hardly the most convenient of arrangements. If I were to ask him to meet me up in North EDSA, where I live, I imagine I’d have to shoulder his gasoline, which could be an additional cost of anywhere up to Php1,000.

I played around with Photoshop to see how Gina would look with smoked headlights. I’m terrible at this kind of thing, though, so Gina comes across looking a bit like an insect more than anything else. But then again, three factors come into play: 1) the color of the paint for smoking (black is a sleek color, but is it appropriate with a golden beige Hyundai Getz?); 2) is it still fair to call my Hyundai Getz Gina when the smoking of the headlights make my Getz look more like a boy than a girl; and 3) the idiocy of Ganns as a Photoshop dweeb.

At any rate, I think I’ll think about this a wee bit more before I launch into any further dreams. I actually am toying with replacing the steering wheel with a Type R steering wheel, and possibly installing foglights. In the midst of all these pipe dreams, though, the immediacy of my two kids’ tuition fees loom imminent, and I look precisely like a middle-aged man trying to recapture his youth by pimping his Hyundai Getz.

(Any startup Philippine car detailers out there wanna do business with me? Send an email to ganns at gannsdeen dot com and let’s see if we can come up with a handsome ex-deal that’ll have us both end up winners.)

This morning, My Philippine Hyundai Getz 2007 Gina and I attended the first eyeball (EB) of members of the Hyundai Getz Club Philippines based in the north. Meeting time was 9AM at the North Parking Lot of new Quezon City shopping hall Trinoma.

According to the Getz Club thread, around ten Philippines Hyundai Getz owners confirmed attendance. Most of them showed up, alongside a couple of others who did not confirm their attendance but showed up anyway. I was one of those ‘others.’ I dragged my wife and son along with me – dragged not such a difficult word, since my son loves Trinoma – to the Hyundai Getz Philippines North EB, but they left to go around the mall as soon as we arrived.

Anyway, the Hyundai Getz owners who arrivedwere:

1.janmichael
2. nytrico
3. logan03207
4. docchikito
5. Coach
6. Shlomo498
7. Airanie

Despite the searing heat, which wilted everyone – okay, that’s a lie, just me – the Hyundai Getz Club north-living owners talked shop about our cars and the modifications made to their cars, our jobs and families, and how awesome it is to own a Hyundai Getz.

It was also fun to watch other Getzes zoom on by with nary a care for our EB. One red Hyundai Getz entered the parking lot and ignored the group of Getz owners gathered. One of our party went to him and invited him to join us, only to be told that he was not the owner of the Hyundai Get. Ah well, if some people don’t want to socialize, well, we don’t wanna force ‘em…

The Hyundai Getz owners who came to join the fun were truly amazing people, down to earth, extremely friendly, and terribly proud of their cars. It was an absolute blast. Until next time!

Care to see photos of Philippines Hyundai Getz cars at the EB.

I wash my Hyundai Getz Philippines, Gina, myself. That’s right. I have several pieces of chamois, decent car shampoo, Turtle Wax, a dashboard/vinyl polish/protectant, Rain-X windshield protectant, and now, Armor-All Leather Care Gel. I wash Gina at least once a week, usually on Saturday mornings, to start me active on a weekend.

There are days, though, when I want it professionally done. Since I live way up north, my Quezon City car wash of choice is Genki Car Spa, a Quezon City car wash along Maria Clara Street, Banawe, Quezon City. For just PHP100, they’ll wash my Gina, my Hyundai Getz Manila, down pat, with double foam, tire black, and interior cleaning and vacuum. I feel that Gina  is more than presentable when I drive her out after a Genki Car Spa cash wash.

Genki Car Spa, my favorite Quezon City car wash, is located beside the extremely popular Tazza Cafe, where people who go to have their cars washed can eat in air-conditioned comfort. You can even bring a laptop along and work, or surf with WiFi access. (They’ll charge you to plug your laptop in, though.) Tazza Cafe’s Kahluea Walnut Cake is to die for.

If you do decide to have your car washed at Genki Car Spa, be sure to go early. The lines of cars waiting can stretch as long as nine. (There is ample parking if you’d like to wait, and Tazza Cafe can accommodate you for as long as you’d like.)

Genski Car Spa
98 Ma. Clara St., Quezon City