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December 20, 2024

Review: 2025 Hyundai Tucson 1.6T HEV GLS

When Hyundai Motor Philippines brought in the fourth-generation Tucson in 2023, there were high hopes for the compact SUV; after all, besides the Starex and Santa Fe, it’s managed to carve a name for itself in the Filipino car buyer psyche. Unfortunately, it was let down by a spec sheet that seemed to cater more to reducing its price tag rather than giving buyers the features that they want. Fast forward to 2024, and it’s finally time for some course correction. The refreshed Tucson is here and it now packs much more equipment than ever. It also gains a hybrid powertrain which, at, P 2,290,000 is pricey but ultimately worth every peso.

2024 Isuzu mu-X LS-E 4x2: Going Beyond The Engine

For a long time, Isuzu was known as the ‘Diesel Specialist’ thanks to the robust and reliable diesel engines in their SUV and pickup truck. They also know they can’t stay afloat with just that and so with the latest generation of their vehicles they did something new for them. The mu-X and D-Max became techy as they were given contemporary features and Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS).

Review: 2024 Lynk & Co 01 PHEV

Lynk & Co likes to harp on its Swedish origins. True enough, a quick search reveals that the company is headquartered in Sweden, and until this year, had Volvo Cars as one of its major shareholders. And among its line-up of vehicles, the flagship Lynk & Co 01 is the Swediest you can get given two things: one, it’s actually sold in Europe; and second, it rides on the same platform as the Volvo XC40.

For a car company marketing itself to the “connected generation,” it’s a mystery why Lynk & Co went with such a convoluted name. Those who know a bit of programming know that the ampersand—the “&”—can potentially corrupt websites. Those who don’t, know how difficult it is to use Lynk & Co in hashtags and even website URLs.

First Drive: 2025 Nissan X-Trail E-Power E-4orce

If there’s one criticism that you can throw the Nissan X-Trail’s way, it’s that it doesn’t have a strong identity. When the first-generation appeared in 2000 (2003 in the Philippines), it was this boxy pseudo-off-roader complete with plastic fenders and a fairly advanced all-wheel drive system. By the time the third-generation model rolled out in 2021, it was the very definition of “ho-hum.” It had a set of jump seats at the back, but even that wasn’t enough to overcome its plain-as-vanilla personality. Buyers seemed to agree.

The 2025 Honda Civic Is Your New Car Crush

By now, we’ve seen what electrification does to a car’s performance. It’s a simple equation of an engine plus a battery plus electric motors equals more horsepower and torque. So, when Honda put the powertrain of the CR-V into the Civic, some of us were giddy with excitement. It’s basically putting a compact crossover’s engine into a much lighter sedan. The power figures will be the same but the power to weight ratio will yield a different experience on the road.

Trust The Car Bro: Driving The Audi Q8 e-Tron From Manila To Baguio (And Back) On A Single Charge

I’ve already driven the Audi Q8 e-tron before; only it was more on fun driving than anything else. I didn’t bother putting it to its limit range-wise, because that would mean I can’t enjoy its 408 horses and 664 Nm of pull. I just treated it like I would my phone: charge it when you have time so that you always have a good amount of range buffer. What I consumed for the day, I made up for by charging it at night.

Review: 2024 Kia Sonet 1.5 SX

I’d be the first to admit: there’s nothing exciting when it comes to sub-compact SUVs. Often, people buy them for their utility; as a means of getting around from point A to point B, nothing more. Suffice to say, they do their job, and they do it very well. Filipinos seem to love them and they make up the fastest growing segment of the auto market in the past five years or so. Any mainstream brand should compete in this segment if they want to make any sort of impression market share-wise.

The Mazda CX-60 HEV Turbo Diesel With The AutoExe Sports Suspension Is The One To Get

The Mazda CX-60 was off to a rough start. Despite being branded as the face of Mazda’s premium push, it faced mixed reviews and was the subject of no less than 11 customer satisfaction or service campaigns. As proven in our time with the CX-60 3.3 HEV Turbo Sport (the gas variant), the issues have been fixed. Building on the now solid foundation, what can this five-seater mid-sized SUV now offer to buyers and customers who’re looking for more? What about an AutoExe upgrade?

If there’s one car that can be considered as the king of reinvention, it’s the Hyundai Santa Fe. In the five generations it’s been around, each one feels like a complete re-think of the one before; it’s made even more obvious when you start putting them side-by-side. The latest one, codenamed MX5 (no relation to the Mazda sportscar), is the most striking one yet. The big question is: can the Santa Fe Hybrid live up to the hype?

For The Few: Driving The Ferrari 12Cilindri

Enzo Ferrari is alleged to have said, “when you buy a Ferrari, you pay for the engine.” That’s a pretty fair assessment when it comes to the 12Cilindri—the latest in Ferrari’s long line of storied V12-powered grand tourers.

The 2024 GAC EMKOO Hybrid Is An Alluring Green Contender

I’m liking GAC’s aggression in the Philippines. They keep launching cars one after another and all of them are formidable in their respective segments in terms of features and pricing. However, they can’t turn a blind eye to the steady influx of hybrid cars in the market. These electrified cars are, obviously, selling otherwise, they won’t keep on arriving like tourists in Boracay. So, it was a matter of time for GAC Motor to enter the fray as well.

Review: 2024 MG3 Hybrid+

Just about every car brand is abandoning the B-sized hatchback segment in favor of small crossovers and SUVs. Realizing this gap in the market, one unexpected entrant has arrived and that’s in the form of MG with their MG3. For a brand that’s become a household name locally thanks to a crossover—the ZS—going the small hatchback route seems odd. In terms of branding, however, it’s pure magic. See, MG may have British origins, but ever since it’s been bought by China’s SAIC, there have been apprehensions on the sort of vehicles they come up with. Well, what a better way to shut those critics up with a nice, proper small car, right?

Review: 2025 BYD Sealion 6 DM-i

Hats off to the folks at BYD Cars Philippines—when it came to marketing their first-ever plug-in hybrid, the Sealion 6 DM-i. They managed to grab attention for one thing: its 1,100-kilometer range. They’ve emphasized that further when they decided to test the bladders (and patience) of the motoring press as they drove from Manila to Ilocos and back in just a tank of gas. But beyond the distance it can go between fill-ups, does it offer more than your average compact SUV? Turns out that it does, especially when you consider its P 1.548-million price tag.

First Drive: 2024 MG 50 Plus Luxury

It’s always refreshing to see the other side of the MPV design spectrum, so to speak. Not everyone wants to be an SUV. There are some who want a car suited up for a business affair but can handle a bit of play on the weekends. For that, we have the likes of the MG G50 Plus.

A Year On, Updates And Tweaks Have Finally Made The Mazda CX-60 Worth Recommending

New vehicles, especially those that cram a huge number of tech during its debut, are bound to run into issues. Built entirely new from the ground up, the Mazda CX-60 wasn’t immune to them; in its first year, there have been no less than 11 service or customer satisfaction campaigns. While that’s been a fodder for consternation, it’s proof that Mazda’s taking the matter seriously, rolling out continuous updates to better their premium five-seater SUV.

Driving the Nürburgring Nordschleife Is An N-thusiast’s Dream Come True

I just crossed one off my bucket list. Just when I thought cruising on Highway 1 in the United States and ploughing through the sand dunes in the Sahara Desert couldn’t be topped, I did this: hot laps on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. And mind you, I wasn’t here on the invitation by some German brand, no; I’m here thanks to, of all car companies, Hyundai. Wait, what?

The BYD Sealion 6 DM-i Just Redefined What Hybrids Can Do

BYD is taking the world by storm. They’ve been around for quite a while now but 2023 was their strongest year yet when they ended up as the numero uno New Energy Vehicle (NEV) brand globally. That means they sold more hybrids and battery-electric vehicles than any other brand. Their ‘NEV’ positioning is quite foreign to us though.

Review: 2024 BYD Dolphin EV

When it comes to electric vehicles, there comes a certain level of expectation with the two main ones being relentless acceleration and a high-tech execution. Naturally, that’s possible because EVs also often come with an expensive price tag to match. Now, that’s not the case with the BYD Dolphin. Priced at just P 1.398-million, it’s quite attainable even for everyman standards. Best of all: it’s not a shit box to drive. It’s great whether you look at it from an EV or B-segment hatchback perspective.

Review: 2024 MG 4 Luxury And XPower

When a car’s been declared as “Car of the Year,” it comes with a certain level of weight and expectation. In the case of the MG 4, there’s extra scrutiny involved since it’s the overly critical UK market that awarded it as such. Thankfully, it’s a reputation that, all things considered, this all-electric hatchback lives up to.

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December 20, 2024

Review: 2025 Hyundai Tucson 1.6T HEV GLS

December 10, 2024

2024 Isuzu mu-X LS-E 4x2: Going Beyond The Engine

December 8, 2024

Review: 2024 Lynk & Co 01 PHEV

Review: 2024 Lynk & Co 06 Hyper Halo

December 5, 2024

First Drive: 2025 Nissan X-Trail E-Power E-4orce

December 2, 2024

The 2025 Honda Civic Is Your New Car Crush

November 20, 2024

Trust The Car Bro: Driving The Audi Q8 e-Tron From Manila To Baguio (And Back) On A Single Charge

November 10, 2024

Review: 2024 Kia Sonet 1.5 SX

October 6, 2024

The Mazda CX-60 HEV Turbo Diesel With The AutoExe Sports Suspension Is The One To Get

Review: 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy 1.6T Hybrid

October 2, 2024

For The Few: Driving The Ferrari 12Cilindri

September 30, 2024

The 2024 GAC EMKOO Hybrid Is An Alluring Green Contender

September 22, 2024

Review: 2024 MG3 Hybrid+

September 18, 2024

Review: 2025 BYD Sealion 6 DM-i

September 16, 2024

First Drive: 2024 MG 50 Plus Luxury

September 15, 2024

A Year On, Updates And Tweaks Have Finally Made The Mazda CX-60 Worth Recommending

September 4, 2024

Driving the Nürburgring Nordschleife Is An N-thusiast’s Dream Come True

September 3, 2024

The BYD Sealion 6 DM-i Just Redefined What Hybrids Can Do

August 31, 2024

Review: 2024 BYD Dolphin EV

August 18, 2024

Review: 2024 MG 4 Luxury And XPower