Family ties are particularly important to Filipinos, which is why “undas” or the commemoration of All Souls Day is one of the most important holidays of the year. Usually, families travel home to their hometowns or go to the memorial parks to spend the day in remembrance of our dearly departed.

It will be a grand and unique test drive experience for prospective car buyers and motoring enthusiasts as fourteen (14) carmakers and distributors gather for the “2014 Auto Focus Pre-Christmas Test Drive Festival” to be held November 6-9, 2014 at the huge open Concert Grounds at Block 12 of the SM Mall of Asia. Free test drives will be offered to qualified motorists who can select their preferred models from a wide, multi-brand roster that will include: BAIC, BYD, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, MINI, Nissan, Peugeot, Toyota and Volkswagen.

Volvo Philippines is proud to introduce its latest addition to its premium sports sedan lineup, the Volvo S60 D4 Advantage model.

It seems Ford Philippines is re-defining what ‘premium’ in ‘premium compact crossover’ really means with the all-new 2015 Escape. Available in two variants, the 1.6 SE and 2.0 Titanium, it’s bound to draw comparisons with the best compact crossovers available in the market as of now namely, the Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-5, and Nissan X-Trail.

UPDATE: here is the 2015 Ford Escape vs the competition. (10/28)

Christmas came early for would-be compact crossover buyers as Ford Philippines has finally unveiled (and priced) their all-new 2015 Ford Escape. Continuing Ford’s value-for-money approach, the all-new Escape is available in two competitive variants: the 1.6 EcoBoost SE 2WD and the 2.0 EcoBoost Titanium AWD. Both models are already available for reservations at Ford dealerships nationwide with deliveries starting in January 2015.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

When it comes to mid-cycle facelifts, carmakers often tout something sexy like a more aggressive exterior or a more premium interior. Sure, this is all brochure (and press release) worthy, but what about something that substantially changes the driving dynamics? You know, the one that really matters to the guy behind the wheel? Well, Mitsubishi has done exactly that and the result is the 2015 ASX: a crossover that runs better, smoother, and way better than ever before.

The Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID), expanded by 37% year-on-year (YoY) in September ending the month with 3,043 units sold.  Exceptional growth was seen in both the Passenger Car (PC) and Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segments.

Over the past few days, car-sharing company Uber became the victim of a sting operation by the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board or LTFRB. During the said operation, an Uber driver was fined and his vehicle impounded. In light of this matter, we have sought the official statement from Uber’s Press Office. This is their official response:

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Call it “sign of the times”, but car buyers often ask one question when it comes to a new car: how’s the fuel mileage? Although pump prices have stabilized as of late, it seems getting a more fuel-efficient car has become an ingrain thought. And it’s a good thing: not only is a more fuel-efficient car less painful to the own, but it’s also beneficial to the environment. Of course, today’s diesels come in every shape and form: Japanese, Korean, and even Indian; however, the most sought-after ones come from Europe for one simple reason: they’re very good at it.

Ford Philippines has announced an upgrade to its Ford Focus lineup, continuing to raise the bar with additional exterior and interior features that include a Sport styling kit and full leather interior.

The concept of luxury has changed through the years. Today, luxury means more than just lavish spending. Hyundai has redefined luxury into exceptional up-market comfort that you deserve and the convenience of experiencing premium features once thought impossible in, say, family vans.
Through the years, the Grand Starex, Hyundai’s game-changer in the Passenger Van segment has become a household word when it comes to talking about the family van of choice. Its reputation and reliability are a fact, not only among those who have owned a Starex, but also to those who still want to have one.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Driving up to Baguio, the City of Pines, was once considered an automotive torture test. It was where new cars are brought up in the hopes of getting back with tales how everything went smoothly or awfully wrong. Although those days are over, Baguio is still a commonly preferred destination to stretch a new car’s legs, and of course, act as a quick getaway. Thus, it wasn’t a big surprise that Baguio was chosen as the destination to shakedown the all-new Nissan X-Trail—the compact crossover that promises to signal the Japanese brand’s return to glory.

To celebrate Ferrari’s 60th year in North America, Maranello has returned to its 1950s and 60s tradition of producing strictly limited edition, built-to-order cars. The result is the F60America, of which just 10 will be produced. The new car combines our American clients’ two great passions - the V12 engine and open-top driving – and is being unveiled tomorrow evening at an anniversary celebration gala dinner at Beverly Hills City Hall.

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines, sold 2,017 units for the month of September, reflecting a laudable 34% year-on-year growth (YoY). Year-to-date, sales reached a total of 17,693 units, marking 9% growth versus year-ago levels.

Simplicity, functionality, a high regard for design, science, and nature, are some of the more known characteristics of the Scandinavian lifestyle. But there is also, love for family and fun. Scandinavians know how to party, and out of the Scandinavian traditions, the summer Crayfish Party is one of those events held annually. In the Philippines, the Scandinavian community has celebrated this fun event for the past 16 years, hosted by the Scandinavian Society of the Philippines (SSP), as a fundraiser for the Chosen Children Village.  This year, Volvo Philippines, the exclusive local distributor of Swedish car brand Volvo, co-presented this year’s Traditional Crayfish Party held recently at the Sofitel’s Outdoor Pavillion.

The BYD F0 driven by Keith Bryan Haw proved unbeatable in the last leg of the Micro Series category of the Circuit Showdown also known as the “Circuit Final Showdown”, when it dispatched its main challengers, the Toyota Wigo driven by Mark Peter Thomann and the Suzuki Capuccino piloted by Mackie Cañete on the challenging Clark International Speedway in Pampanga.

Last October 18, during the final round of the 2014 Toyota Vios Cup held at the McKinley West street circuit in Taguig, Toyota Motor Philippines formally signed its agreement with Toyota Technocraft Co. Ltd. to distribute Toyota Racing Development (TRD) products in the country.

Mahindra & Mahindra Limited (M&M), an Indian multi-national automobile manufacturing corporation with headquarters in Mumbai, has reportedly signed an official agreement with one of the Philippines’ largest automotive groups. The said agreement is set to pave the way for the aggressive expansion of Mahindra’s presence in the Philippines. Sources say that the Indian vehicle manufacturing giant is extremely bullish about their continued expansion of operations in the Philippine market due to confidence in the steady and sustained growth of the Philippine economy.

Motor Image Pilipinas Inc. (MIPI), the exclusive distributor of Subaru vehicles in the country, along with its authorized dealers will hold its 2nd phase of Kansha Festival from October 20-26, 2014. Also known as Subaru customer appreciation week, the Kansha festival is originally a celebration adapted from the Japanese “Kinro Kansha no Hi” or Labor Thanksgiving Day.

The opening of Mazda North EDSA marks the 15th full service dealership in the country and the 5th in Metro Manila.

Few other consolations can beat weather and traffic blues like comfort food. For Metro Manila’s growing penchant for urbane gustatory selections, however, not just any comfort food works. It could be traditional Filipino with a twist, the hearty diner fare, turning-Japanese Tonkatsu meals, or the charm of rustic feasts. Perhaps it’s coffee and desserts, or delightful tapas and cocktails. Somehow, it just does wonders to the soul.

In light of a recent complaint filed by retired Air Force colonel Ricardo L. Nolasco [1, 2] regarding an allegedly defective Audi A6 TDI he purchased last May 30, 2014, Audi Motorcars emphasized that Republic Act No. 10642 – otherwise known as “The Philippine Lemon Law” – is completely not applicable in this case. “In the first place, the car is not defective; the Lemon Law protects consumers against ‘lemons’, or substandard cars. The vehicle is most assuredly not a lemon,” stressed Lito Jose, Sales and Marketing Director of Audi Motorcars, Inc. “Audi is one of the leading and most respected luxury automotive brands in the world, and we make sure to uphold this proud heritage in the Philippines,” he added.

Hyundai Motor Company saw its brand value post another two-digit growth in 2014, fueled by the successful launch of game-changing products such as the all-new Genesis and Sonata, as well as the successful implementation of its Modern Premium brand direction, which has been creating not only a unified image for the brand worldwide, but also an emotional connection with its customers.

For the third consecutive year, Ford Philippines and Avon Philippines joined forces in the fight against breast cancer. Appropriately dubbed as the “Pink War”, the campaign culminated with its annual walk and run event last October 12, 2014. A specially-designed pink-stickered all-new Ford EcoSport led a crowd of thousands around SM Mall of Asia for the fight against breast cancer.

The Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI) has completed its annual testfest in search for the 2014-2015 Car of the Year – Philippines and 2014-2015 Truck of the Year – Philippines. Over 60 vehicles enlisted in the three-day event which was held last October 6-8 at the Filinvest City in Alabang.

The Ferrari 458 Speciale A made its world debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. A limited edition special series of just 499 cars, the 458 Speciale A enhances the pleasure of Ferrari drop-top driving with the blistering performance of the company’s most powerful normally-aspirated V8 engine.

In line with its commitment to deliver topnotch service, the recently unified Nissan Philippines, Inc. (NPI) held its first Nissan Service Technician Excellence Competency Award (NISTEC) and Nissan Service Advisor Excellence Competency Award (NISAC) National Competition last September 27, 2014 at the Nissan Training and Research Center in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Honda dominated at the recently concluded New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) Grand Prix Awards 2014 among 18 participating car manufacturers. Honda received 5 awards in the Crash Worthiness Performance category and 1 award in the Safety Technology category for the Honda LanWatch technology. The All New City was recognized as the overall winner for Adult Occupant Protection (AOP).

Chevrolet Philippines – The Covenant Car Company, Incorporated rocked the SM Mall of Asia for the 5th time in a row as thousands of Chevy enthusiasts herded to the 2014 Chevrolet Motorama event last October 9 to 12. Showcasing the American automobile brand’s constantly evolving products, passion and creativity in engineering great automobiles, auto fanatics both young and old experienced the Bowtie brand in Chevy’s grandest motorshow event of the year.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

The barrier has been broken. The mold, reshaped. The standard, raised. Honda’s all-new wonder twins, the Brio and Brio Amaze, have impressed during its Tagaytay Highlands sneak peek last August before a grand unveil at the 5th Philippine International Motor Show. Now, a full two months later, they’ve finally thrown what’s left of the sub-B segment rule book out the window as they passed their first grueling test with flying colors.

Chevrolet Philippines - The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI) celebrates its fifth year as the exclusive distributor of Chevrolet cars in the Philippines. TCCCI announced that sales for the Chevrolet brand has grown by 41 percent on average each year since it began operations in October 2009.

Volvo delivers a unique combination of performance and efficiency with the High Performance Drive-E Powertrain Concept - a triple boost 2-liter 4-cylinder petrol engine with no less than 450 hp.

Following the successful introduction of Volvo’s Drive-E Powertrain range in 2013, Volvo’s powertrain team once again demonstrates its technological leadership in emission-reducing turbo technology.

Honda Cars Philippines is finally answering the prayers of tech-savvy Filipinos by unveiling a new variant of its best-selling City, the City E Navi+. Equipped with a new Audio-Visual Navigation (AVN) system, the City E Navi+ slots in-between the entry-level City E and higher-end City VX models. The new City E Navi+ retails for P 816,000 for the manual and P 856,000 for the CVT.

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc. (JAMA) unveiled the show theme and poster design for the 44th Tokyo Motor Show 2015 to be held at Tokyo Big Sight (Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo) from Thursday, October 29 through Sunday, November 8, 2015 (open to the public from Friday, October 30).

Ford Philippines today announced it delivered an all-time record monthly performance in September with retail sales jumping 63 percent year-over-year to 2,010 units.

The record month capped off the company’s best-ever quarterly performance in the Philippines with overall retail sales rising 71 percent in the July-September quarter to 5,700 units.

“The Ghibli Ermenegildo Zegna Edition is still “conceptual” but absolutely feasible in terms of content and has the possibility of further color combinations” said Maserati CEO Harald Wester, “it is a demonstration of the commitment with which Maserati and Ermenegildo Zegna continue to think of an automotive product outside the classical schemes, in addition to confirming the foresight and bond that unites us.”

The Filipino flag flew high at the racetracks of Fuji Speedway in Japan, as Vincent Floirendo achieved two outstanding podium finishes at the Ferrari Asia Pacific Challenge held last month.

With the development of a new safety feature that locates collision-free escape routes, Volvo Cars has taken one of the final steps towards realizing its vision that by 2020 no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car.

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) is all set for the Vios Cup Season’s 3rd and final race! TMP’s grand dream of bringing the much-talked about motorsports festival closer to the public will finally happen on October 18 and 19 as we move our race to McKinley West, BGC, Taguig City! Let the number one automotive company in the country bring you a fun-filled program and heart-pounding excitement that has already redefined motorsports in the country!

Pilipinas Taj Autogroup, the exclusive distributor of Tata vehicles in the country recently launched not one, not two, but seven heavy-duty eco-diesel vehicles. These new additions to the Tata line-up come in many forms from diesel-fed passenger cars to pick-ups to mini trucks.

Champion Filipina international racing sensation Michele Bumgarner is set to return to the US to continue on her “Mazda Road to Indy” campaign. During a media night, Bumgarner thanked Mazda for their support as she continues in the Pro Mazda Racing Series. She is also set to test an Indy Lights car some time before the year ends.

Marking the halfway point of the season, the fourth round of the 2014 Yokohama Philippine GT Championship was held last September 28, 2014 at the Clark International Speedway.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

When Peugeot says to the world that wanted to become a design-driven car company, it set out an atomic bomb in the form of the RCZ. Living up to the company’s tagline, “Motion & Emotion”, the RCZ quite literally is a head-turner. It’s responsible for quite a number of strained necks from doing double-takes or craning just to take a better look at the car. It has rapidly made the transition between concept car to production reality quickly and as a result pushed the French brand from oddball obscurity to style icon. What Peugeot has successfully achieved here is to put style above everything else; style above performance, practicality, and pricing. And you know what, it’s very French and it works.

Scania, one of the world’s leading manufacturer of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications, and of industrial, marine and power engines, has appointed BJ Mercantile, Inc. as the official sales & services dealer partner for the Philippines. Scania’s heavy-duty trucks, environment-friendly buses and powerful generators will soon become available to the local market. Not only that, local customers will also be able to experience the same level of high quality services Scania has been known to provide in more than 100 countries for more than 100 years.

Volvo Philippines just made it easier for you to drive the car of your dreams and eventually own it, too, with the Volvo Smart Lease program. You can finally drive your dream Volvo S60, the S80, or the SUV you’ve set your sights on – the XC60 or the current XC90.

The Pajero nameplate brings with it a rich heritage, from rally championships to being a symbol of luxury and power. As it proves to continuously perfect the right balance between capability and opulence, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) introduces the new 2015 Mitsubishi Pajero which is available in two variants-3.8 Liter MIVEC Gasoline and 3.2 Liter Di-Diesel.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) is beefing its crossover line-up for 2015 as it introduces significant new improvements to its ASX compact crossover. The Made in Japan 2015 ASX offers new, exciting features that make it better to drive and great value for money in its segment.

The elegant and lustrous Bowtie insignia, which has captured a significant number of motoring enthusiasts in the country, is ready to rock the SM Mall of Asia for the 5th time in the upcoming 2014 Chevrolet Motorama - the grandest and largest gathering of anything and everything Chevy. Admission is free so make your way to the coolest Chevy event happening from October 9 to 12, 2014 and revel in the upbeat music and vibrantly designed Motorama display, enjoy the treats and Chevy booths at the Ice skating rink of the SM Mall of Asia.

Mazda Philippines registered its best sales month on record under Berjaya Auto Philippines Inc, and best sales quarter ever for Mazda in the Philippines.

Aside from the new monthly record, this achievement also sets a new best for Mazda vehicle sales in the Philippines as sales from January to September this year have already surpassed 2013’s full year total. Moreover, the sales figures from each of the months of May to September 2014 reveal that these are also the best consecutive five-month performance by far for the Mazda brand.