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April 16, 2014

Kia Reveals a More Muscular Sedona MPV for 2015

Kia has taken the wraps off its all-new Sedona (local market Carnival) at the 2014 New York International Auto Show. The debut of Kia’s large MPV means that the Peter Schreyer transformation of the entire Kia range (at least in the US) is now complete.

Ford Motor Company has revealed that its compact car, the Focus, remains the world’s best-selling nameplate according to Polk Automotive’s new vehicle registration data for the 2013 calendar year. This growth has been fueled by markets such as China which has seen Focus sales grow as much as 50 percent. And not wanting to rest on their laurels, Ford has unveiled a refreshed version of their four-door model at the 2014 New York International Auto Show.

The odd four-door MINI, the Countryman gets a slight makeover this year, showing off some new exterior and interior detailing which can escape the untrained eye.

In the midst of this summer car buyers and automobile enthusiasts will have the opportunity to conveniently see up close and test drive all brand-new models of BMW, BYD, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Kia, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot and Toyota as they get together at the Mall of Asia’s Concert Grounds for the Caltex Auto Focus Summer Test Drive Festival.

Take advantage of the 20% discount on parts and labor during the Mazda Summer Service Promo when you bring your Mazda in to any Mazda authorized dealership for Preventive Maintenance Service and General Jobs during the month of April and May 2014.

Mazda Motor Corporation has announced that global production of its three full-SKYACTIV vehicles, the Mazda CX-5, Mazda6 (known as Atenza in Japan) and Mazda3 (Axela in Japan) has surpassed one million units, reaching 1,040,000 units as of the end of March 2014. All three models adopt the full range of Mazda's SKYACTIV technologies. The milestone was achieved approximately two years and four months after production of the Mazda CX-5 began in November 2011.

Showing that Chevrolet and its Camaro’s a class act, the Bowtie brand has sent a birthday greeting to the Ford Mustang which is celebrating its 50th birthday this coming April 17. The intense rivalry between these two so-called “pony cars” has been intense as of late to the point that Chevrolet’s been comparing them to other great rivalries outside the automotive industry. If these two great rivals could get along once in a while, why can’t we all?

Hyundai Philippines Posts 19 Percent Growth in March 2014

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines, experienced 19% growth in March to a total of 2,030 units compared to February sales of only 1,710 units. March’s gains pushed three-month sales to grow modestly by 1% to 5,983 units from last year’s first quarter sales of 5,951 units.

As the only and the biggest Filipino fuel refiner, Petron takes pride in its capability to formulate world-class products for Filipino motorists. Having served the fuel needs of the country for more than 80 years, Petron has a deep understanding of the driving conditions on Philippine roads, with its R&D team constantly creating fuels that will deliver optimum efficiency for every type of vehicle. Whether you are driving a luxury sports car, a family van, a cargo truck, a motorcycle or a public utility vehicle, Petron has a fuel designed to meet your motoring needs with the best value.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Normally, you launch a new vehicle in the relative safety of a hotel ballroom before inviting motoring journos to flog them on a racetrack or let them loose on public roads. Not so with Mazda. From the company that promises zoom-zoom, the best, and perhaps the only way, to prove your product’s mettle is to drive it 600 kilometers from Manila to Baler, Aurora and back. It’s a baptism by fire—one that not only proves that the Mazda3 is a class-redefining sports compact, but one that clearly says that Mazda’s back big time. (For the complete specs and press release click here or how it stacks up against the competition).

One Challenge, Five Destinations: Isuzu D-Max 4x4 Drive Series to Kick Off in Pampanga on April 25-27

You love the great outdoors, you got the right equipment, you live for off-road fun. So, are you ready to take on the challenge?

Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) is inviting you to the 2014 Isuzu D-Max 4x4 Drive Series in Pampanga. Featuring the exciting all-new Isuzu D-Max 4x4, the event is scheduled to hit full throttle on April 25 to 27 at the Eastgate Center, Brgy. San Jose, San Fernando, Pampanga (at the back of Robinsons Starmills). Activities are set to start at 10:00 am and will last until 6:00 pm for the three-day staging (except on the opening day when the first hour is reserved for invited guests).

1964 was a milestone for Sweden’s automotive industry. That was the year Volvo Cars opened its gates at the Torslanda plant, marking the biggest industrial investment in Sweden’s history.

With a capacity for building up to 200,000 cars a year, the plant raised the bar for the development of new models, production volumes and manufacturing technology.

So where does the all-new 2014 Mazda3 stack up against its compact car competition. Here, we’re pitting the 2.0 R 4-door against its most likely 2.0-liter competition: the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla Atlis, Mitsubishi Lancer EX, Subaru Impreza, and Ford Focus.

The information presented below cannot be too segment specific since this will be a new feature of this site (each time a new car comes out), so you cannot expect things like Active City Stop, i-Eloop, etc. This serves as a handy reference guide only. The best figures are presented in bold.

The chart below is a high-resolution .PNG file. In order to see it, you can simply click it. Otherwise, you can open it in a New Window or click ‘Save As’.

Summer has officially arrived and what better way to enjoy this yearly vacation by heading on to your next get-away destination! Have a worry-free road trip by making sure that your vehicle is in tip-top shape.

Have your Toyota checked by Toyota-certified technicians for free! Simply visit any of our 41 dealerships nationwide from March 31 – April 16, 2014 to avail of a Free 20-point vehicle safety inspection.

MMDA Posts Complete EDSA Re-Blocking Details (and They're All Here)

UPDATE: MMDA has said that South-bound re-blocking schedule has been postponed and will start at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, April 16 and not Tuesday, April 15 while North-bound re-blocking has been moved to 8:00 PM on Friday, April 18 instead of 5:00 AM.

The Metro Manila Development Authority or MMDA has officially published the complete re-blocking schedule along EDSA this coming Holy Week. The affected areas will have some lanes closed next week as early as Holy Tuesday, April 15 and work is expected to be completed by Easter Monday, April 21.

UPDATE 2: Our first drive of the all-new Mazda3 is here (4/15/2014).

UPDATE: See how the all-new Mazda3 stacks up against the competition here (4/14/2014).

Ten years since the Mazda3 nameplate made its debut on Philippine soil, its third and latest generation arrives on local shores. Packing the most recent evolutions in all the key aspects that have made the first and second models (launched locally in 2004 and 2012, respectively) a success both here and abroad, the all-new Mazda3 pushes the boundaries in vehicle design, engineering, and manufacture not just at the level of the C-segment, but of the automotive industry as a whole.

Effective April 1, 2014, Mazda Makati dealership closes its operation temporarily while a new facility is being planned and developed. The new facility, currently under study and development, will meet the new requirement of Mazda’s new standard in providing superior sales and service customer experience.

In continuous effort to provide utmost customer service, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) together with its dealership network nationwide will set-up its annual Honda Emergency Assistance Team (HEAT) to provide on-site road assistance, service and support in different travel destinations nationwide from April 16 to 20, 2014 (except April 18, Good Friday).

The NLEX, CAVITEX and SCTEX have drawn up contingency measures to cope with the expected surge of vehicles during the Holy Week.

The move has become a traditional exercise for the three expressways to ease traffic flow and make it more convenient for motorists as they turn up in droves for the traditional observance of the Holy Week in the provinces.

The application of Columbian Autocar Corporation (CAC), exclusive distributor of KIA vehicles in the country, to join the PBA pro basketball league, has been approved by the PBA Board of Governors.

Ms. Ginia R. Domingo, president of CAC, said in a press statement "We are elated to receive word of the acceptance of our application to join the PBA and thank the board of governors for their vote of confidence."

Domingo added that the basketball community can look forward to more exciting times ahead with Kia's entry into the PBA. "KIA's joining the PBA bodes well for the game given the renewed interest and popularity in the league.”

"KIA's joining the PBA is yet another testament to the success of KIA 's global strategy of engaging our customers through sports marketing. With our entry into the PBA, expect us to live up to KIA's marketing axiom as the brand with the Power to Surprise", Domingo quipped.

April 11, 2014

MIAS 2014: Facts and Figures

Barely a week has passed since The Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) 2014 opened its doors to a record crowd last week, Worldbex Services International (WSI), the organizer of MIAS has released several interesting key facts and figures about the 10th year of MIAS:

Ford Soars to Best-Ever Philippine March Sales and Strong First Quarter Performance

Ford Philippines rounded up the first quarter of the year with record breaking performance for the month of March, with retail sales soaring 34 percent year-over-year to 1,339 units. Sales in March helped the first quarter increase 38 percent from the same quarter last year to 3,692 units.

Toyota Motor Philippines Initiates Special Service Campaign

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) will issue a Special Service Campaign for the spiral cable of the Innova, Fortuner, and Hilux sold locally from November 2004 to June 2010.

Due to the shape and location of the spiral cable retainers, this may cause some connectivity loss related to the air bag system. In such case, the driver side air bag may not deploy in the event of a crash. There are, however, no incidents reported related to this condition.

The number one automotive company in the country sets a new sales record surpassing 8,000 units in a single month last March. Toyota Motor Philippines’ (TMP) sales grew across the board tallying 8,840 units, the highest any manufacturer in the country has ever registered.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

UPDATE 1: Full review of Subaru WRX CVT and WRX MT.

UPDATE 2: Full review of Subaru WRX STI Premium.

It’s not every day you get excited about a car even before it was officially launched. In my case, the anticipation for the all-new 2014 Subaru WRX and WRX STI was so high, I was literally begging on my knees to be one of the first to get my hands behind one. Motor Image Pilipinas, the exclusive distributor of Subaru in the Philippines, literally whetted my appetite to the point where I was salivating like a rabid dog thanks to all the carefully planned teasers including bringing over the WRX Concept to Manila. Everything turned full circle as they held the regional launch of the WRX and WRX STI in Manila—the first time the country played host to our 9 Asian neighbors for quite some time. (For the complete specs, click here).

UPDATE 3: Here is our First Drive story of the all-new Subaru WRX and WRX STI (4/9/2014).

UPDATE: We have now included the complete specs below (4/9/2014).

UPDATE: We have confirmed the prices for the all-new WRX and WRX STI. Details below (4/3/2014).

We’ve carefully followed the steady progress of the 2014 Subaru WRX and WRX STI and hope that it will arrive here sooner rather than later. Well, after a tease with the WRX Concept, Motor Image Pilipinas has launched the all-new Subaru WRX and WRX STI at their stand at the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS).

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April 16, 2014

Kia Reveals a More Muscular Sedona MPV for 2015

Ford Focus Remains World's Best-Selling Nameplate; Gets Updated for 2015

MINI Updates Countryman; Shows It in New York

Test Drive Your Dream Car at the 2014 Auto Focus Test Drive Festival from April 24-27

Be Road Trip Ready with Mazda's Summer Service Promo

Mazda Produces One Millionth Skyactiv-Equipped Vehicle

Chevrolet Camaro's a Class Act; Wishes the Ford Mustang a Happy 50th Birthday

April 15, 2014

Hyundai Philippines Posts 19 Percent Growth in March 2014

Petron Formulates Fuels for the Filipino Motorist

First Drive: 2014 Mazda3 1.5 V and 2.0 R

April 14, 2014

One Challenge, Five Destinations: Isuzu D-Max 4x4 Drive Series to Kick Off in Pampanga on April 25-27

Volvo Cars' Torslanda Celebrates 50 Years of Success

2014 Mazda3 vs the Competition

Toyota Motor Philippines Offers Motorists Assistance

April 13, 2014

MMDA Posts Complete EDSA Re-Blocking Details (and They're All Here)

Mazda Philippines Redefines the Compact Car Class with All-New Mazda3 (w/ Complete Specs)

Mazda Makati Temporarily Closes

Honda Cars Philippines to Provide Road Assistance to Motorists During Holy Week

NLEX, CAVITEX, SCTEX Brace for Holy Week Exodus

Kia Gets Nod of PBA Board

April 11, 2014

MIAS 2014: Facts and Figures

April 10, 2014

Ford Soars to Best-Ever Philippine March Sales and Strong First Quarter Performance

April 9, 2014

Toyota Motor Philippines Initiates Special Service Campaign

Toyota Motor Philippines Sets New Sales Record in March

First Drive: 2014 Subaru WRX and WRX STI

MIAS 2014: Subaru WRX and WRX STI Graces Stand; Gets Pummeled by Russ Swift Shortly After (w/ Complete Specs)