Welcome to MOBILE LIVING- so the entrance said, last May 19, leading motoring press and dealer guests to the Coconut Palace, home for one day to the Suzuki family introducing a totally new concept in family life and transportation.

Looking at all the launch advertisements of the new Suzuki APV All Purpose Vehicle the following day, one cannot miss quite a prominent logo of a van sporting the words “Mobile Living”, and bannering the slogan “Living room on wheels”. True to Suzuki’s spirit of individuality, living up to being a class on its own, the Japanese manufacturer of value packed vehicles calls this new gallant machine not a van, but a family wagon - such a crystal clear product definition for the brand’s first entry in the unchartered territory of the 1600 8-seater segment.

The affair started out with relaxed afternoon cocktails at the living room of the elegant house and proceeded to a sundown family barbecue picnic round the swimming pool where an Oprah-type lounge had been set in the garden against Manila Bay’s picturesque setting sun. Beauteous mom and energetic dancer Regine Tolentino hosted the evening, exemplifying the true meaning of Mobile Living with her active, on-the-go style. With her onstage was a bubbly family of eight – a mom and dad with six restless children in tow, looking for the comforts of home on their never-ending quest for summer living travels.

The answer to their road worries arrives as the all new Suzuki APV drives into the picnic lawn, serenaded by the bang of festive fireworks in tune with the summer sky. In celebratory colors of blue, red, black and beige, four family wagons perched themselves amidst a crowd thrilled by the totally new product idea Suzuki has introduced.

What shines through this new look is a faithful adherence to Suzuki’s long history of a signature compact design philosophy. This perhaps is the most unconventionally slim and elevated wagon in the market, that is both compact on the outside, but incredibly spacious for 8 passengers inside. It has a foldable third row to create even more luggage space behind, large enough to fit a cooler, a foldable bicycle or a golf club set, typical of what any outdoor-hungry family would stow for a weekend getaway. The fuel efficient 1.6 liter 16 valve engine has a smooth shifting 5-speed manual GL version and electronically controlled 4-speed automatic GLX transmission – perfect enough to get the nod of the budget-conscious homemaker.

The new wagon is not a typical van with ambulance-type sliding door at one side, but has car doors allowing entry through both sides. Headlights and taillights are interestingly elevated, reducing vulnerability in floods and minor collisions. Fold down front and second row seats help exhausted little souls rest through a long-haul trudge, while hydraulic power steering aids the navigator in charge. For added comfort away from home, there are center armrests in the second and third row seats plus head restraints for the outer second and third row passengers. These seats are joyously split fold in design to allow easy entry to the back row. For the protection of precious ones, there are 8 ELR seatbelts in a cabin whose rigid construction is reinforced with side impact beams to resist deformation and help secure survival space.

And so, a new family wagon, created with so much thought for its riders, captured the hearts of a musing audience, flash-happy with cameras clicking to no end. Capping the evening on the happy note it began with, authentic Brazilian music swept listeners off their feet with the rising Guarana band taking over the soundwaves, whilst on the side, eager members of the Press continued on with pockets of interviews here and there. In quiet corners of the house, faces of the popularly cute and cuddly Japanese anime mascot Doraemon colored the evening with a funny blue charm, as he is also formally launched the official cat of the new Suzuki APV advertising and merchandising campaign.

Just two days after this press and advertising launch, Suzuki dealerships are filled with curious customers and actual buyers, awed primarily by its incredible price. In May 27 and 28, Metro Manila dealerships conducted their own respective showroom launches, throwing the signature Suzuki family’s spirit of wholesome fun with cocktails and test driving. Doraemon keepsakes were for taking home, to keep young at heart customers happy – which is really what Suzuki Mobile Living is all about.