Volvo Philippines is launching a pair of new sporty variants of its highly popular S60 and XC60 models: the R-Design. Both models promise a blend of sporty appearance, a dynamic driving-focused chassis, and a powerful engine.

Ford Motor Company today announced overall retail sales for the ASEAN region in 2014 that rose more than five percent from the previous year to a record 100,824 units.

The company’s ASEAN sales were driven by record full-year performances in the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia and Myanmar, as well as full-year market share gains in Thailand amidst a significant domestic industry slowdown.

2014 ended on a successful note for Maserati across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The Italian luxury brand has not only rapidly accelerated in terms of sales, new product launches and market visibility in 2014, it has also been honored with 12 awards across different categories in the Global Overseas Markets region covering Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia & Pacific.

Getting a new car this New Year? Choose from Nissan Almera, Sylphy, Urvan, and Navara and get the hottest deals with Nissan’s ‘New Year, New Nissan’ promo.

From January 5 to February 28, 2015, Nissan gives you the opportunity to drive home your own Nissan vehicle by offering the All-In Low Down Payment promo and pay for as low as P66,000.

Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) steadily built momentum throughout 2014 to finish the year with robust sales performance. The country’s reputed leader in diesel technology last year registered vehicle deliveries of 14,134 units, 2,341 more than the company’s 11,793-unit overall sales in 2013, or a remarkable 19.9% surge.

Throaty rumbles and nimble handling aren’t just for sport coupes. Meet the all-new 2016 Lexus GS F performance sedan. It is not a standard luxury sedan or track car. The GS F rolled into the North American International Auto Show today with a growl, four doors and enough cabin space to comfortably accommodate five adults.

Kia Motors Corporation announced its 2014 full-year global sales figures (export sales, domestic sales and sales from overseas plants) for passenger cars, recreational vehicles (RVs) and commercial vehicles, recording a total of 2,907,757 units sold. This figure represents a 5.9% cumulative year-on-year increase compared to 2013.

Starting today, BPI Family Auto Loan gives you the full-fledged motorist value card that allows you to enjoy tons of exciting deals and numerous privileges as you own your new car. From now until March 31, 2015, all clients who successfully avail of an auto loan will get a free BPI Family Auto Loan-Petron Value Card.

The North American International Auto Show sees the launch of the most race-ready road-legal Ford Mustang ever: the new Shelby GT350R Mustang. This limited edition model is the modern interpretation of the 1965 Shelby GT350 Competition which is one of the most iconic variants of the Mustang ever made.

The Batangas Racing Circuit, Inc. (BRCI) has recently published the much-awaited 2015 National Drag Racing Championship (NDRC) season calendar and it's all set to begin this January 17.

UPDATE 1: We included the official press release below the break (1/16).

When he’s not waving to the crowds atop the white, open-air jeepney, His Holiness Pope Francis will be using the Volkswagen Touran as his official car in Manila when he attends private meetings and functions. You could say therefore that it’s the alternative Popemobile during his visit here.

Chevrolet is taking a crack at the extended-range EV vehicle (EREV) market with the 2016 Volt. After being lauded for its technology, the previous Volt failed to live up to sales expectations due to a less than enthusiastic reaction from the North American market and the arrival of offerings such as the Tesla Model S. Chevrolet aims to change that with the all-new, second-generation Volt which features a top-down re-think.

Carmudi, the leading vehicle platform around the world, has recently tapped the Philippine automotive scene in providing buyers, sellers, and car dealers an opportunity to experience safe and convenient online transaction.

Ford Philippines celebrates motoring journalism excellence today at the 14th annual Henry Ford Awards (HFA), the country’s most prestigious journalism award-giving body that recognizes the best multimedia work of journalists that helped drive and shape the automotive industry in 2014.

Ford unveiled its next-generation muscle car for the off-road, the F-150 Raptor at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Compared to the outgoing model, the all-new Raptor features a purpose-built, high-strength steel frame (no more bent chassis issues, I presume) and a lightweight aluminum body that sheds more than 500 pounds (226 kilograms).

Modern urbanization is impacting the market in a broad way, and this trend is especially strong with young adults, who face tighter parking on streets and parking garages, and increasing congestion overall. These trends are not confined to one specific region; they’re happening in urban hubs everywhere. These “Urban Adventurers” have a different mindset, being very active both socially, and in their communities, bringing a pioneering spirit to make their neighborhoods a better place to live and work.

Honda, through its US luxury division, Acura showed off the production NSX at the 2015 North American International Auto Show. Developed and set to be built in the US, the all-new NSX sets an entirely new direction from the everyday supercar that was discontinued in 2005.

Ford is bringing its EcoBoost technology to the supercar race with the launch of the all-new GT. Picking up where the previous GT left off almost a decade ago (it was launched to commemorate Ford’s 100th anniversary), and in turn, nodding to the Le Mans-winning GT40, the all-new GT comes packing a new 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost engine pumping out some 600 horsepower to the rear wheels. This application makes it the most powerful production EcoBoost engine ever.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

What’s in a name? This is perhaps the question that faced the marketing gurus at Nissan Philippines when they raised their compact car from the grave with an all-new nameplate. Like the builders of the Tower of Babel, there was shock and then utter confusion: Syl-what? How do you spell that? Like “selfie”? Whatever happened to Sentra? From an outsider looking in, it didn’t make sense. ‘Sentra’ had such a strong recall, so why kill the name? You don’t have to look far to realize that Nissan themselves or more specifically the former distributors who handed the brand caused the Sentra’s demise. Ask anyone below the age of thirty what they think of ‘Sentra’ and only two things come to mind: taxi cabs and cold air conditioning. These aren’t exactly the best adjectives to hear when you’re trying to resurrect the brand, but the reality must be faced: the era of the B13 is over. And Nissan Philippines knows that entirely.

Happy New Year! This is the first edition of the Philippine Price Guide for 2015. We apologize for not updating in December—I guess we were in the partying mood quite early. Remember, entries that are clickable contain links to our vast database of test drives. Anyway, for this update there are some sizeable updates throughout including updates of:

• BAIC (new entry)
• Ford EcoSport (price adjustment)
• Ford Focus (price adjustment)
• Ford Mustang 50 Years Limited Edition (2015 model)
• Foton Thunder Strike (new entry)
• Foton Thunder Ironman (new entry)
• Foton View Traveller 15/18-Seater (new entry)
• Honda Civic (price adjustment)
• Honda CR-V (2015 model)
• Hyundai Sonata (2015 model)
• Kia Carens (price adjustment)
• Kia Picanto (price adjustment)
• Kia Rio (price adjustment)
• Kia Sorento (price adjustment)
• Kia Sportage (price adjustment)
• Lamborghini Huracan (2015 model)
• Lexus sedans (price adjustment)
• Lexus NX 200t and NX 200t F Sport(2015 model)
• Mitsubishi Mirage G4 (price adjustment)
• Mitsubishi Montero Sport (price adjustment)
• Toyota Fortuner (price ajdustment)
• Toyota Hilux (price adjustment)
• Toyota Prius C (price adjustment)
• Toyota RAV4 (new naming convention)
• Toyota Vios TRD (2015 model)
• Toyota Wigo (price adjustment)

Volkswagen Philippines announced an aggressive growth plan in 2015 headlined by the arrival of eight new models this year including new engine and transmission variants of its current vehicle line-up. During the Media Appreciation Night, Mr. John Philip Orbeta, President and CEO of Volkswagen Philippines and Mr. Klaus Schadewald, Chief Operating Adviser of Volkswagen Philippines made the announcement that 2015 will be a busy year for the German car brand.

The all-new Hyundai Genesis and Sonata earned GOOD DESIGN Awards for their quality design, function and aesthetics from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

You are looking at the country’s best-selling pick-up truck. After some back-and-forth with its perennial rival (and former best-selling pick-up truck), the Toyota Hilux, the Ford Ranger has emerged as the Philippines’s best-selling pick-up in the country with unit sales of 7,996 units.

Ford Philippines has also revealed that the Ranger is the best-selling pick-up in both 4x2 and 4x4 categories as per industry sales reports. The Ranger’s accomplishment comes hot on the heels of its award-winning year where it won a total of six prestigious awards including a back-to-back win as the country’s Truck of the Year.

Volvo Philippines reports a growth of 20 percent in retail sales for 2014 over the previous year. The increase in sales, according to the company, is due to the success of its revitalized XC60, S60, and V40 models. By October 2014, Volvo Philippines has already surpassed its sales volume in 2013 on its way to a 20 percent increase by end-December. This sales growth coincides with the brand’s 20th anniversary in the Philippines.

Top European brand Scania is now in the Philippines as the first locally assembled truck rolls off the production line. Headquartered in Sweden, Scania is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has today revealed record sales results for a fifth consecutive year, with 4,063 cars sold globally during 2014. This exceptional result means that sales have more than quadrupled since 2009.