July 2021 | CarGuide.PH | Philippine Car News, Car Reviews, Car Prices

July 30, 2021

Chery Auto Sets Target Of Exporting 500,000 Vehicles By 2025

Chery Auto has sold more than 424,457 units globally for the first half of 2021, representing an 80.4 percent growth. In June alone, the Chinese carmaker sold 73,098 units for a year-on-year growth of 58.3 percent.

Bermaz Auto Philippines (BAP), the official distributor of Mazda vehicles in the Philippines is recalling all first-generation Mazda3 models for shattering steering wheel logos.

The National Capital Region will be placed under the strictest of four lockdown levels—the Enhanced Community Quarantine or ECQ from August 6 to 20. This was confirmed by Malacañang at a press briefing.

SsangYong is giving their Musso pickup truck a facelift for 2022 giving it a massive new grille that’s befitting its name which is Korean for Rhinoceros.

Despite the depressed economy and looming semi-conductor shortage affecting the production of some of its vehicles, Toyota Motor Philippines’ steady climb continues. In fact, its cumulative first-half 2021 sales are now steadily returning to pre-COVID-19 levels, while its production figures have now surpassed even pre-COVID-19 levels.

Xpander MPV Leads Mitsubishi's PH Sales In June

June proved to be a strong month for the Mitsubishi Xpander as it registered strong sales improvements versus the previous month.

It has been a long while since my last Honda and in all fangirl honesty, I was secretly excited. If you hadn’t read my previous stories on the Honda Jazz, Mobilio, Brio, and CR-V, I grew up in a Honda-driving family. I practically knew what to expect with the arrival of each test drive unit. However, the one I was most impressed with was the 2018 Honda Jazz. That being said, I had high hopes for the City Hatchback, if only because I wanted it to prove all the doubting Thomases wrong for ever questioning its worthiness as the successor of the beloved Jazz.

With Olympic Gold Medalist Hidilyn Diaz now owning not one, but two brand-new cars, it’s only natural that she’ll need help when it comes to its upkeep. She’s gotten free fuel, so what’s left is the cost of renewing her registration.

The all-new Outlander has been a runaway success for Mitsubishi helping them boost their sales by a staggering 65 percent in North America and Southeast Asia. It has also helped them attract higher-income customers—customers who wouldn’t otherwise look at Mitsubishi.

It’s a uniquely Filipino thing, but pickup trucks are decidedly lifestyle-oriented vehicles here, and most buyers can’t just leave them stock for even just one minute. That’s why there are brands like Black Rhino Wheels that oblige.

For her record-making and record-breaking achievement at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Hidilyn Diaz, the first ever Filipino to win a gold medal at the quadrennial summer games, is considered a modern-day hero.

All 22 Chevrolet dealers from different parts of the country gathered online for the virtual launch of the all-new Tracker, Chevrolet’s latest entrant to the highly competitive local crossover SUV segment, and celebrate the big winners of the 2020 Grandmasters.

2022 MG One Set To Battle The Ford Territory

Did MG Philippines just preemptively pull the trigger on sharing official photos of the first-ever MG One? Set for a global debut on July 30, SAIC or MG hasn’t revealed any official pics of their all-new SUV except for shadowy ones. Well, that is, until MG Philippines posted this, and what a sight to behold.

Foton Motor Philippines has announced that it has gifted a brand-new TransVan 13-seater to the Philippines 1st Olympic Gold Medalist Hidilyn Diaz as she brought home a historic triumph in the Women's Weightlifting 55-kg class held in Tokyo.

Petron may be best known for their gasoline stations, but did you know that they also offer quick service for vehicles requiring a fluid change?

Communities along the Tullahan River are now reaping the benefits of the private sector’s flood mitigation efforts after monsoon rains flooded parts of Luzon and some areas in Metro Manila.

Geely’s keeping their sub-compact SUV, the Coolray refresh with a 2021 update that gains revisions both inside and out.

A 1987 AE86 Toyota Corolla GT originally bought to cheer the owner up after separating from her partner has achieved a record price of £46,250 (P 3.23 million). This beat the US record price of USD 40,000 (P 2.015million) achieved in March of this year.

Toyota may have dodged the worst of the global semiconductor shortage, but production at three of their manufacturing plants in Japan have been affected by an unforeseen circumstance: a spike in COVID-19 cases at one of its suppliers in Southeast Asia.

Mark your calendars as the all-new 2022 Subaru WRX is set for a global debut on August 19 at the New York International Auto Show.

Nissan Celebrates 70 Years Of The Patrol

The iconic Nissan Patrol has continued to drive into uncharted territory and become one of the longest-running continuous automotive nameplates as it celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.

Just last week, I got to try out the three-door Land Rover Defender 90—the “smaller” entry-level, albeit more characterful variant of the Defender revival. Now, it’s the turn of its big brother—the five-door Defender 110.

Last week, we reported that Honda Cars Philippines is bringing in a limited number of the new 2021 Civic Type R. You can check out our story here, but if you want the official info from HCPI, read on.

Confirmed is that there are three colors available—the classic Championship White and two new shades—Racing Blue and Sonic Gray.

The 2021 Civic Type R also comes with a refreshed exterior design and a new front grille that decreases coolant temperature by up to 10 degrees—perfect for constant hammering on the race track.

Inside, it gets a new Alcantara-wrapped leather steering wheel, redesigned shift knob, and an updated 7-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (hurray physical knobs).

The 2.0-liter VTEC Turbo remains unchanged, but it does now benefit from Active Sound Control as well as improvements to its suspension and brakes.

The 2021 Civic Type R also comes with Honda SENSING as standard. Using a monocular camera and a millimeter wave radar, it gives this hot hatch an array of driver assistive functions.

Okay, here’s the best news of all: to celebrate the arrival of the 2021 Civic Type R, Honda Cars Philippines’ giving a P 100,000 discount until September 30, 2021. That brings down the price of the better equipped, better handling Civic Type R from its P 3.21-million suggested retail price to just P 3.11-million—this effectively makes it cheaper than the outgoing Civic Type R.

Check out the full specs and press release below.

Press Release: Honda Officially Launches New Civic Type R In The Philippines

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc., Honda’s automobile business unit in the Philippines is pleased to introduce the New Honda Civic Type R, refreshed with a new sporty exterior design and mechanical updates which aims to further improve the model’s already exhilarating driving performance.

The Civic Type R was first introduced in the Philippine Market in 2017. Having the highest distinction for performance for the Civic model line-up, the Civic Type R has been phenomenally sought after with the first one hundred (100) units made available for the Philippine market, booked within 48 hours upon the announcement of its availability.

The Civic Type R continues to be one of the most sought after and desired performance vehicles today.

This is due to the model’s strong following, multiple recognitions, rich racing heritage, and several track records broken in some of the world’s most challenging racetracks.

Exterior

Outside, the New Civic Type R receives a refreshed sporty update while still boasting a comprehensive and improved aerodynamic package. The front and rear bumper get updated with new lower fog light surrounds. It features a new symmetrical design, smooth surfaces, and sleek styling blades which contributes to the New Civic Type R’s cleaner styling. The front and rear bumpers and side skirts continue to sport a carbon fiber effect front splitter, side underspoilers, and rear diffuser with a sporty red accent line, which runs around the entire vehicle contributing to its distinctive look.

At the rear, the Type R spoiler works in conjunction with vortex generators found by the rear edge of the roofline. Diverting air flow across the tail and generating additional downforce on the rear axle, the wing contributes to overall negative lift, and improves road-holding abilities, particularly through high-speed corners for better high-speed stability.

The New Civic Type R sports a new front grille design with a new thinner grille beam. It provides a 13 percent larger air intake area. Combined with the Type R’s updated radiator core, this decreases coolant temperature by up to 10 degrees (under Honda internal testing) during high-demand situations, such as track driving.

Filling the enlarged wheel arches are 20-inch Berlina Black alloy wheels completing the New Civic Type R’s sporty exterior stance.

Interior

Inside, the New Civic Type R builds on the sporty, sleek and sophisticated interior space of the 10th generation Civic’s cabin. The New Civic Type R features a high center console complemented by the striking Type R spec bucket seats sporting a suede-effect red and black fabric trim. It gives the driver and passenger that sports car feel given its low seating position. Carbon center inlays and red accents can be found on the Type R’s dashboard extending towards the side door panels.

A new Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel and a new teardrop style gear knob, similar to previous Type R models, have been introduced for the New Civic Type R. These updates aim to provide optimized steering wheel grip and improved gear shift feel and accuracy. These subtle changes combined aim to enhance the driver’s feel once behind the wheel. On top of these new upgrades, the exclusive Type R serial number plate is found below the gear shift lever.

In front of the driver, the instrument display layout provides vivid clarity and highly intuitive user interface. A 7-inch full color Thin Film Transistor (TFT) LCD Display makes up the central section of the instrument cluster and can display a variety of different function readouts including, Driving mode display (+R, Sport, Comfort), LED gearshift indicator light, Turbo boost pressure gauge, Throttle/brake input display and G-Meter.

On top of the center console sits an updated 7-inch Touch Screen Display Audio System with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. The control functions for the infotainment and climate control system have been updated with additional physical buttons and tactile knobs for optimum usability and functionality.

Drivetrain

Under the hood, the New Civic Type R retains its 2.0-litre VTEC TURBO engine that produces a maximum power output of 310 PS at 6,500rpm, and peak torque of 400 Nm from 2,500rpm to 4,500rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission equipped with a rev match control system enabling the car to sustain maximum power during gearshifts.

To emphasize its soulful performance, the New Civic Type R now comes equipped with Active Sound Control (ASC), complementing the Type R’s triple exhaust system’s refined note. With the ASC, the Type R’s audio system provides an enhanced engine sound within the cabin during aggressive driving in Sport and +R modes, refining it during acceleration in Comfort mode and enhancing the driving experience.

To further improve the Civic Type R’s responsive and confidence-inspired handling, improvements on the suspension and brake systems have also been updated for more responsive and sharper handling. The Civic Type R’s Adaptive Damper System’s control software has been upgraded to allow faster road condition evaluation, resulting in improved damper reactions for better handling response and ride quality.

In terms of braking, upfront, the New Civic Type R comes equipped with Brembo four-piston calipers paired to a new two-piece floating 350mm front brake discs and new brake pads. The enhancements in the Type R’s braking system not only improves thermal efficiency but also reduces brake fade for increased capabilities during high-intensity driving for optimized on-track performance.

Honda SENSING

As part of Honda’s aim to provide collision-free and safe mobility, the New Civic Type R now comes equipped with Honda’s SENSING suite of driver-assistive functions. Through a monocular camera and wave millimeter radar simultaneously working to monitor and assess various road conditions in front of the vehicle, Honda SENSING alerts the driver of potential hazards that may occur. Honda’s suite of driver-assistive features provides an array of advanced safety features such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), and Lane Departure Warning (LDW).

Together with Honda SENSING, the New Civic Type R comes standard with an array of safety features such as Front Driver and Passenger Airbags, Side and Side Curtain Airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Hill Start Assist (HSA), and Multi-View Reverse Camera w/ Guidelines.

Colors and Availability

The New Civic Type R will be available at a suggested retail price of P 3,210,000 and will be available in three colors: Championship White, Racing Blue (New Color), and Sonic Gray (New Color).

As a special treat, HCPI is offering an introductory P 100,000 discount for the New Civic Type R from July 27 to September 30, 2021.

Bentley Now Offers The Largest Production Carbon Fiber Wheel On Their Bentayga SUV

After years of development with one of the world’s leading composite suppliers, Bentley is announcing that they’ll be offering a new carbon fiber wheel developed specifically for their Bentayga luxury SUV.

In line to buy the all-new 2022 Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series? Well, you might be in for a special condition for ownership. Toyota will be requiring you not to resell it within the first 12 months.

Beleaguered Korean automaker SsangYong Motor isn’t taking the news of its court-led receivership sitting down. This after they unveiled the design of their next-generation SUV, codenamed the X200.

Delbros Group Donates 12 New KTM Motorcycles To The PNP, AFP

The Delgado Brothers (Delbros Group), a leader in logistics, agriculture and other businesses, recently donated 12 brand new KTM motorcycles to the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines. This is part of its continuing corporate social responsibility and stakeholder capacity building program, which Delbros has been doing throughout its 75 years of operations in the country.

Audi will be using the toughest annual motorsport event to try out the merits of its all-electric powertrain: the 2022 Dakar Rally. Using the new Audi RS Q e-tron, Audi wants to be the first car manufacturer to use an electrified drivetrain to take on other conventionally-powered competitors.

Jaguar Land Rover has announced that they remain committed to the FIA Formula E World Championship into the 2022/23 season through the Jaguar Racing Team.

Richard Hammond of The Grand Tour and Top Gear fame is putting up eight of his vehicles for auction to fund his new business venture: a classic vehicle restoration business called, The Smallest Cog.

Review: 2021 Land Rover Defender 90 S D240 Explorer Pack

Reinventing an automotive icon like the Land Rover Defender isn’t easy. It involves taking special care to pay respects to the original without producing something overly cliched, or even worse, a caricature. It’s something Land Rover thought long and hard before reviving the Defender name, and even then, it had to overcome a deafening roar of opinion, both negative and positive. On one hand, there are people who praised the design and the progressive engineering; on the other, trolling from those who said it’s too posh.

Mercedes-Benz To Be An All-Electric Brand By 2030

Mercedes-Benz is shifting from an electric-first to an electric-only strategy by the end of the decade. This was announced by Ola Källenius, CEO of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG (pictured in lead photo).

How’s this for a tasty proposition? A 300-plus horsepower SUV from one of the more sensible car brands on the planet: Volkswagen.

Mitsubishi Motors PH Opens 56th Dealership

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) officially opens its 56th dealer outlet through its dealer partner Global Excellence Motors Inc. (GEM). The new Mitsubishi Motors dealership is located in the major business district of Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Ford Philippines ended the first half of the year with a strong retail performance, with sales growing by 84 percent from last year to 9,855 vehicles led by the Ford Ranger and Ford Territory.

After offering it in selected vehicles in Europe, Ford will start rolling out all-new standard certified cabin air filters to cover a majority of its lineup by the end of 2023.

Toyota Motor Asia Pacific (TMAP) is proud to announce that its Team Toyota athletes from Asia will be making their way to Tokyo in the upcoming weeks for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (23 July to 8 August 2021), and the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 (24 August to 5 September 2021).

Despite some senators questioning the return of the Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center PMVIC Program back from the dead, it’s systems go for its return starting this Monday, July 26.

The New Land Rover Defender has powered ahead to become Jaguar Land Rover’s second best-seller globally.

Isuzu Bulacan is the Overall Dealer Grand Champion after Isuzu Philippines Corporation concluded its 16th Isuzu Service Skills Olympics or ISSO. ISSO tests the knowledge and skills of service technicians, service advisors, and parts staff coming from Isuzu dealerships nationwide.

When Nissan Philippines launched the all-electric LEAF last May, we did some computations on whether it’ll save you money in the long run. You can check out the full story here, but at the time, we had to do some assumptions, chief among them was the maintenance cost.

Sojitz Fuso Philippines Corporation has turned over several Modern PUVs to two cooperatives—one in Dagupan, and the other in Central Luzon.

Volvo Cars To Buy Back Geely Stake In China Joint Ventures

Volvo Cars has signed an agreement with its parent Geely Holding to acquire Geely Holding’s stake in the companies’ joint ventures in China, with the aim of taking full ownership of its car manufacturing plants and sales operations in the country.

After showing it off at the Shanghai Auto Show last April, Geely’s new flagship SUV, the Xingyue L is now available for the Chinese domestic market. The third model in Geely’s “Star” series, the Xingyue L is the brand’s most advanced SUV ever, and the public seems to agree: over 30,000 bookings have been placed even before its showroom debut.

Despite some of its rivals, notably Suzuki reaching record sales so far this year, Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI) is happy with its steady 5 percent growth in June 2021 versus May. The carmaker says it is a positive indicator of increased economic activity with June being the first full month since the lifting of the strictest community quarantine protocol in the National Capital Region or NCR.

Paymaya Now Accepted At Over 1,000 Petron Stations; Raffles Off 1-Year Supply Of Fuel To Celebrate

Industry leader Petron Corporation is giving away a one-year supply of fuel to three lucky winners in celebration of reaching 1,000 stations equipped with PayMaya QR.

When Volkswagen Philippines announced the arrival of the T6.1 Multivan Kombi in June, it raised a few eyebrows due to the timing. Just a week prior to their announcement, Volkswagen just unveiled the all-new T7 Multivan.

With the pandemic in full swing last year, it brought about a change in new car buyer habits. Since vehicle shoppers were hesitant to venture out to showrooms, they often relied on their relationship with their current brand. This has helped Lexus bag the top spot in the third J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Automotive Brand Loyalty Study.

Volkswagen Philippines has heard you. After releasing a P 3.650-million tentative price earlier this month, Volkswagen has released the finalized price for its new premium MPV, the Multivan Kombi. And surprise: it’s now made more affordable.

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