January 2016 | CarGuide.PH | Philippine Car News, Car Reviews, Car Prices

January 31, 2016

Ford Sales Up in ASEAN But to Shutter Japan, Indonesia Operations

Ford Motor Company announced that its overall retail sales for the ASEAN region in 2015 rose 3.3 percent from the previous year to a record 103,975 units.

The California T, Ferrari’s immensely successful front-engined V8 model with retractable hard top and 2+ seating configuration, is now available with the brand-new Handling Speciale (HS) option.

Tata Motors has appointed Mr. Guenter Butschek as Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director. Mr. Butschek will lead all operations of Tata Motors in India and in international markets including South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, and South Africa. Jaguar Land Rover would continue to be managed by its Chief Executive Officer and Director, Dr. Ralf Speth, who is also on the Board of Tata Motors. Mr. Butschek will be joining the company on February 15, 2016.

The connection between what you wear and what you drive is strengthening with help from Ford’s new wearables research laboratory, where scientists and engineers are working to better integrate wearable devices and vehicles to help keep drivers safer behind the wheel.

Slowly but surely, the missing pieces of the electric vehicle industry puzzle are falling into place. One big piece just got plugged in recently: financing. This was revealed by Rommel T. Juan, president of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines to Launch All-New Outlander, Refreshed Mirage

They say, you can’t keep a good man (or company) down; they’ll only get stronger and better when they get up. It’s a saying that’s so apt for Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation or MMPC. After being embroiled in the non-existing issue dubbed Sudden Unintended Acceleration, the country’s second best-selling nameplate is already looking forward to 2016 with great optimism.

The Philippines is welcoming back SsangYong Motor. The fourth largest Korean automaker has found a new distributor, Berjaya Philippines. Berjaya, the company who successfully turned around Mazda and made it one of the biggest nameplates in the country, is poised to weave its magic anew.

You’re not exactly sure how to classify the Trax. Chevrolet officially calls it a crossover, but from some angles, it can actually pass for a hatchback. Now, whether you’re in “camp lowered crossover” or “camp raised hatchback”, one thing is for certain: it’s a vehicle that’s worth more than just the sum of its parts.

“Car of the Year” is an honor not bestowed on just any car. It takes something quite special to elevate a car from being just “good” to being “extraordinary”. See, it’s actually hard to find a bad car nowadays. Sure, there are some cars that are better than others, but for the most part, any modern automobile is better than anything being cranked out five years ago. Such is the playing field the Mazda2 had to overcome to win not just one, but two car of the year trophies—one in Japan and, more importantly, here in the Philippines. The question is: does it deserve the title?

Volkswagen Philippines Lays Down 2016 Product Plans

At their annual Media Appreciation Night held at the Volkswagen Bonifacio Global City showroom, the German carmaker outlined their product plans for 2016 after a banner 2015. This includes the introduction of upgrades and enhancements to existing product lines and introduction of sought-after new models.

We already reported that Columbian Autocar Corporation (CAC), the exclusive distributor of Kia Vehicles in the country, has begun pre-selling the 11-seater Grand Carnival last Christmas for just P 1,575,000. The reason for that aggressive pricing can now be told: the passage and implementation of the ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Agreement or AKFTA.

Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC)—the local arm of the Japanese manufacturer—is welcoming the New Year on full throttle after finishing strong, selling more than 22,000 units for the full 12 months last year and selling more than 50 percent of their 2014 sales feat.

Volvo Cars’ all-new XC90 has won the prestigious North American Truck of the Year 2016 Award from a field of strong contenders. This new generation Volvo SUV has been reaping awards since its inception and is now available in all Volvo dealerships nationwide.

Petron Euro-4 Fuels Now Offer Tri-Activ Performance Benefits

Industry leader Petron Corporation continues to blaze new trails in fuels technology with its Tri-Activ gasoline and diesel products. Petron’s Tri-Activ fuels have advanced additives uniquely formulated to meet Philippine driving conditions and cater to the needs of Filipino motorists.

India’s first fully indigenous sedan, the Tata Indigo gets a safer upgrade to go with its frugal diesel performance for 2016.

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI), Honda’s automobile business unit in the Philippines, sets record with over 3,000 All-New Mobilio sales since its local debut in April 2015.

Ford Philippines announced its third consecutive record year with overall retail sales in 2015 that increased 25 percent to 25,372 units, driven by strong sales across its entire Ford lineup in the country.

All-New Mazda Makati Opens

Berjaya Auto Philippines, the exclusive distributor of Mazda vehicles in the country and Auto Zoom Zoom Inc., the proprietor of Mazda showrooms in Cavite, Iloilo, and Sta. Rosa, Laguna, have collaborated to bring a an all-new, full-showroom and service center experience for Mazda patrons.

Knowing Pinoys have a penchant for customizing their rides, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines is offering a healthy catalog of genuine accessories for the all-new 2016 Montero Sport. This gives would-be Montero Sport owners the chance to make their rides stand out of the crowd.

The long wait is over as Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) officially unveils the all-new Montero Sport for the Philippine market. After seven years, this best-selling mid-sized SUV finally gets a full redesign and now boasts of even better performance, comfort, and safety features.

57 Cars That Prove the 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon was Awesome

The annual Tokyo Auto Salon just ended and the organizers have every reason to be happy. The show, which ran from January 15 to 17 saw a record 105.1 percent increase year-on-year. In total, 325,501 souls walked through Makuhari Messe to see the newest and best stuff the Japanese aftermarket had to offer.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has appointed a new leader of its operations in the Philippines.

Philippine Car Price Guide: January 2016

Happy New Year and welcome to the first edition of the Philippine Car Price Guide for 2016. In this update, we’ve got some new and notable entries including two of the most awaited vehicles this year. Anyway, here are the updated entries:

Audi Q7
Ford Fiesta (price update)
Ford Mustang (price update)
Ford Ranger (price update)
Honda Brio (new variants)
Honda Brio Amaze (new variants)
Honda Civic (price update)
Honda CR-Z
Honda Mobilio (new variants)
Hyundai Grand Santa Fe (price update)
Hyundai Tucson (new variants)
Mazda2 (new variants)
Mazda3 (price update)
Mitsubishi ASX (price update)
Mitsubishi Montero Sport
Subaru Levorg
Suzuki Swift (price update and new variant)
Toyota Avanza (price update)
Toyota Fortuner
Toyota Hiace (price update)
Toyota Land Cruiser (price update)

Subaru and its tuning division, STI shows that it’s “proud of boxer” with a slew of racing and racing-inspired machines at the 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon. STI also used this opportunity to outline their motorsports activities for the year.

“Be a driver” is a slogan adopted by Mazda to showcase the fun-to-drive attitude of its entire line-up. And it showed what could be done to give their line-up that extra edge at the 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon. Although most were left wanting a proper Mazdaspeed version of their cars (this is well and covered by the other exhibitors), Mazda did give racing concept versions of the MX-5 (Roadster in Japan), Mazda6, CX-3, and the Mazda2 (Demio in Japan).

Toyota GAZOO Racing showed off its past, present, and future at the Tokyo Auto Salon by unveiling three new racing car entries for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring this coming May 26 to 29. The three vehicles, the Toyota C-HR Racing (based on the concept but not the eventual production model), Lexus RC, and Lexus RC F took the center stage all dressed in drool worthy racing gear.

Tokyo Auto Salon 2016: MUGEN Brings Out A More Extreme Honda Civic Type-R

Honda’s Civic Type-R isn’t for the faint of heart already thanks to its 300-horsepower, front-wheel drive configuration. However, for Japanese tuner MUGEN, it doesn’t seem crazy enough. At the Tokyo Auto Salon, they showed off a more extreme version of the Civic Type-R with the menacing Civic Type-R MUGEN.

Shots Fired: Toyota Motor Philippines Launches All-New 2016 Fortuner

The country’s largest car company, Toyota Motor Philippines is firing the first salvo of 2016 by unveiling the all-new 2016 Fortuner. After being launched in markets such as Thailand and Australia and even having some dealers leak its pricing days before the launch, it’s officially here.

NAIAS 2016: Everything is Awesome with These Ford LEGO Sets

The Ford Mustang and the F-150 Raptor are getting LEGO-fied. For the kids in everyone, LEGO is launching LEGO Speed Champions version of the Mustang and F-15 Raptor which will be available for retail by March of this year.

Honda is once again challenging the conventional thinking in the pickup truck market with the launch of the all-new 2017 Ridgeline at the North American International Auto Show. Containing exclusive features, Honda hopes it will set the benchmark for versatility, capability, and comfort in the midsized pickup category.

NAIAS 2016: Lexus's LC 500 is a Strong Statement

Lexus debuted a big surprise at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in the form of the LC 500 luxury coupe. Based off the LF-LC Concept which was shown four years ago, the LC 500 is the brand’s new provocative, athletic flagship coupe that makes the strongest statement about Lexus’s future direction.

You can now bring more friends on your off-road hijinks with the introduction of the F-150 Raptor SuperCrew. Still unmatched in terms of performance, the F-150 Raptor SuperCrew adds two full-sized rear doors and more rear passenger room. The wheelbase is stretched adding 12 inches (304 millimeters) to the already long 133-inch (3,378-millimeter) distance between the front and rear wheels.

A surprise hit for Ford, the Fusion has seen an uptick in sales especially in areas usually dominated by Japanese mid-sized sedans. Now, the Blue Oval is taking things a step further with the most technologically-packed Fusion ever. It also packs game changing drivetrain configurations none of which are available on the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.

BMW is evoking the legendary 2002 Turbo and the E30 BMW M3 with the all-new M2. A direct successor to the 1 Series M Coupe, the M2 delivers outstanding dynamics and exceptional agility in a compact package. With its high-performance inline-6 and rear-wheel drive, BMW says that this is the final world in driving pleasure.

Detroit marks the debut of two new Mercedes-Benz models, one of which made its global unveil at the show floor. 2015 is a record year for the three-pointed star, delivering a 13-percent growth in global sales. Now, Mercedes-Benz wants to build up on that success by re-engineering one of its most important products in its line-up: the E-Class.

After being previewed at their year-end media thanksgiving party, Honda Cars Philippines has announced the official availability of the 2016 CR-Z Sports Hybrid. The best-selling hybrid in the country, the 2016 CR-Z now features a simplified line-up with only one model variant and two transmission choices available.

Volkswagen is showing off the flexibility of its modular MQB Platform by presenting the Tiguan GTE Active Concept at the North American International Show (NAIAS). Based off the all-new Tiguan crossover, the Tiguan GTE Active Concept mixes plug-in hybrid technology with maximum off-road performance.

Audi is offering the all-new A4 in a go-anywhere guise: the A4 allroad quattro. Thanks to increased ground clearance and standard quattro all-wheel drive, it gives utmost confidence and comfort even when the pavement turns to trails.

Chevrolet gave its second-generation compact, the Cruze a sophisticated makeover when it debuted as a sedan last year. Now, they’re adding a new body style, a hatchback, into the mix with the introduction of the Cruze hatchback.

Chrysler is reviving the Pacifica nameplate to signal a new era in its minivan (MPV) offering. Replacing the Town & Country, Chrysler is positioning the Pacifica as not “your typical soccer mom” minivan. To that effect, the company is tapping into their minivan experience—all 30 years of it—creating a product with nearly 40 segment firsts.

It’s hard what to make of the RAV4. What first started as Toyota’s sole crossover in the late 1990’s has now become the middle child in the Japanese automaker’s growing SUV family. It’s been forced to swagger up, now becoming the Camry of Toyota’s SUV line-up when it isn’t even carrying enough trimmings to be considered dapper. And now, for the first time ever, its price point has breached the psychological two-million mark for this top-range 4WD. Is Toyota losing its mind or is it finally giving the often-ignored RAV4 the attention it deserves?

NAIAS 2016: Ford Isn't A Car Company Anymore

You’re looking at the future of the Ford Motor Company. Though it doesn’t look it in terms of design or drivetrain (it’s introducing the Blue Oval’s first use of idle start/stop—something other automakers have been implementing on their products for quite some time), the 2017 Escape it’s the beginning of Ford’s move to make their vehicles smarter (you can read more on the Escape at the LA Auto Show here).

The launch of the all-new 2016 Toyota Fortuner is just a few days away (January 14 to be exact) and because of that, some dealers just can’t keep their excitement. A quick browse reveals that some dealers have begun pre-selling Toyota’s PPV (Pickup-based Passenger Vehicle) and can be reserved with just P 20,000.

Delectable Gourmet Treats for Volvo Owners at Chef Jessie at the Rockwell Club

Volvo serves another gastronomic treat to its valued customers by partnering with renowned chef and restaurateur Chef Jessie Sincioco. Simply by showing their Volvo keys, Volvo car owners can enjoy a 50% discount on their bill when dining at Chef Jessie restaurant at the Rockwell Club. This special gourmet privilege runs from now until March 31, 2016.

Honda Foundation, Inc. (HFI) in cooperation with Haribon Foundation conducts their annual Tree Planting Activity on Mt. Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected Landscape in Rizal Laguna.

Volkswagen is catching up to the rest of the automotive-dom in the realm of EVs or Electric Vehicles. At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the German automaker showed off a new concept riding on the company’s Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB).

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the first-ever standard-production vehicle to be awarded with a test license for autonomous driving in the US state of Nevada, the carmaker revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Chevrolet is introducing an all-new EV vehicle that’s designed to steal the thunder from Tesla Motors. Meet the all-new Bolt. Not be mistaken for the Volt which is Chevy’s extended range EV, the Bolt is the bowtie brand’s new long-range and affordable EV vehicle for the masses.

Last year, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced the development of an all-new aluminium space-frame architecture that will underpin all future Rolls-Royce models arriving in market from early 2018. The company today announced that it has begun the testing phase of this new architecture, with early preparatory activity seeing new engineering mules tested in public around the world.

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