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November 8, 2015

Tokyo Motor Show 2015: Mitsubishi Sees Potential in Electrification, SUVs

Sharing the stage with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer Tetsuro Aikawa is a new crossover painted in an unforgettable shade of retina-searing yellow: the eX or Electric Crossover Concept. It’s bold and dynamic interpretation of the brand’s Dynamic Shield design is sure to capture the imagination of the public worldwide, but beyond that, it signals a new direction for Mitsubishi as a whole.

Photos by Ulysses Ang and Nissan Press

Autonomous driving is the name of the game for manufacturers at the Tokyo Motor Show. Over at Nissan, they presented their vision of automated driving along with zero emissions in the form of the IDS Concept.

Porsche unveiled a new variant of its performance crossover, the Macan at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show 2015: the Macan GTS. Like the rest of the GTS range, the Macan GTS features black accents, unique wheels, seats, and GTS specific badging.

A year after its revival, Nissan has announced the market expansion of its Datsun sub-brand to other markets such as Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia, and more. This announcement was made at a special event at the Nissan Global Headquarters in Yokohama. The announcement coincided with the first anniversary of Datsun’s sales start in South Africa—the fourth market where Datsun was re-launched.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Driven by “The Power of Dreams”, Honda has always been striving to create new values by converging people’s dreams with the dreams of its own engineers and designers. Since the Super Cub’s debut in 1958, Honda has offered mobility solutions that not only provide dependable Point A to Point B transportation, but also allow people to expand their potential. Though lost in the past few years, Honda is again showing that renowned DNA once more.

Another 19 vehicles went through the Car Awards Group, Inc.'s (CAGI) testfest last October 27, 2015 at the Fontana Convention Center in Clark, Pampanga. This third testing day brought the award giving body one-step closer in the search for the 2015 Car of the Year – Philippines (COTY – P) and Truck of Year Philippines (TOTY – P).

Petron, the country’s leading fuel brand, was the the official fuel sponsor of the 2nd Tour de Cebu, held last October 3 to 5, 2015. Twenty-two vintage sports cars manufactured on or before 1972 participated in the event.

Tokyo Motor Show 2015: Subaru Concepts Form Cornerstone of Prominence 2020 Plan

Photos by Ulysses Ang and Subaru Press

Fuji Heavy Industries, the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, used the 44th Tokyo Motor Show 2015 to show the first and most important piece of its mid-term “Prominence 2020” corporate vision: the Impreza 5-Door Concept. Although purely a design concept previewing Subaru’s entry-level model, the Impreza 5-Door Concept does show cues that hint at the design direction of the entire future line-up.

Photos by Ulysses Ang and Mazda Press

“Never Stop Challenging” has guided Mazda in everything it has done—from the revival of the classic roadster formula in the MX-5 to the engineering behind Skyactiv technology. Of all their accomplishments though, it’s the mass production of the piston-less rotary or Wankel engine starting with the Cosmo Sport and its application in motorsports, particularly the 787B Le Mans racer, that has made it household name for enthusiasts.

Caltex with Techron Now Euro 4 in Metro Manila, Major Cities

Euro 4 Caltex with Techron gasoline is now available in Caltex stations in Metro Manila and select major cities with full availability nationwide by the end of the year.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) recently lend an i-MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle) unit to Visayan Electric Company (VECO) for demo purposes. VECO is the second largest electric utility in the Philippines. It serves the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay, Naga and four municipalities of the greater part of Metro Cebu - Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanilla and San Fernando.

After an exciting year of aggressive and highly engaging marketing campaigns for its new generation products like Zest, Bolt and GenX Nano, Tata Motors is all set to make huge strides in marketing its new product line-up, inspired by its Horizonext strategy. The Company has signed-up the football player star, 4 consecutive times Best Player of the World, Lionel Messi, in a long-term association as it global brand ambassador to promote and endorse its passenger vehicles, globally. To start with, Tata Motors will first roll-out the association campaign, #madeofgreat, starring Lionel Messi.

Carmudi Philippines, the country’s premier online vehicle marketplace, recently forged a partnership with the Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI) that will culminate with Carmudi’s role as presenter of the 2015 Car of the Year – Philippines (COTY-P) and 2015 Truck of the Year – Philippines (TOTY-P) awards.

The awarding ceremonies are set to be held on November 13, 2015 at the Fontana Golden Pavillion as part of the Fontana Clark Auto Motorama 2015. (From left to right): Kris Lim, Head of PR and Marketing, Carmudi Philippines; Subir Lohani, Managing Director, Carmudi Philippines; Robby Consunji, President, CAGI; and Ronnie Trinidad, Corporate Secretary, CAGI.

Suzuki Philippines Welcomes 4 New Outlets in September

Suzuki Philippines Inc (SPH) had a full calendar of events in September, inaugurating no less than three dealerships and holding a groundbreaking ceremony of another outlet across four key cities in Luzon, to continue to bring the Suzuki Way of Life to more Filipinos nationwide.

Review: 2016 Mazda MX-5 2.0 Skyactiv A/T

Photos by Ulysses Ang

It’s amusing how carmakers become obsessed with whoever can build the fastest, most powerful, or best handling car out there. Often, they’ll start quoting things like horsepower, torque, and even Nürburgring lap times. That’s all well and good, but unfortunately, in their quest to build what factually is the best car disregards the most important aspect: the driver. In their plan to build a car with blistering acceleration and rib-hurting lateral g’s, it becomes cold and distant to drive. Yes, it’s fast, but it doesn’t feel enjoyable to the man behind the wheel.

Review: 2015 Toyota Hilux 4x2 G M/T

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Sometimes, you just don’t see the point of pickup trucks especially if they’re used for more than just hauling stuff. Consider this: our roads are overly crowded and then you just had to drive a five-plus meter long vehicle that offers about the same level of interior space as a compact and a versatility factor reduced by about 40 percent given the cargo bed isn’t useful in the urban jungle (unless you want your stuff getting wet or stolen). It makes you think: you should have gotten an SUV in the first place.

Nissan Philippines Adjusts Patrol Royale Price

Nissan’s flagship large SUV, the Patrol Royale is getting a price adjustment for the 2016 model year. Meticulously honed for over five decades, the Patrol (now known as the Patrol Royale) is the first four-wheel drive vehicle, according to Nissan, designed to take on the climatically demanding Middle East region. It packs a 5.6-liter V8 gasoline engine mated to a 5-speed automatic with a 4WD system with a rear locking differential.

Toyota and Lexus Top Auto Focus People's Choice Awards

The Philippine automotive market’s best-selling standard midsize SUV, the Toyota Fortuner and Lexus’ luxury compact SUV, the new NX200t, nailed the prestigious “Automobile of the Year” title in their respective categories at the Awards Night of the “2015-2016 Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards” (AFPCA) held last Friday, October 16, 2015 at the Grand Ballroom of the Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig City. Both are first-time winners of the top award.

Mazda customers from Central and Northern Luzon now have a new home as Mazda Pampanga opens the doors to its latest full-service showroom along Jose Abad Santos avenue in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Subaru, known for its rally-bred sporty handling showed off a very different side at the Eco Challenge Adventure Drive: fuel efficiency. Subaru brought out their entire AWD line-up (sans the Impreza) on a fuel economy challenge that spanned more than 100 kilometers through a mix of both city and highway driving conditions.

Volkswagen Passat Now Officially in the Philippines

After 42 years and 8 generations in production, and with more than 22 million vehicles in its series sold worldwide, the Passat is finally available in the Philippine market (this is after a preview done a month ago).

No other vehicle out there is synonymous with power and prestige as the Toyota Land Cruiser. As Toyota’s flagship SUV since 1951, the go-anywhere and do-anything quality of the Land Cruiser combined with its uncompromising mix of power and comfort has earned it diehard fans everywhere (it’s actually sold in all global Toyota markets barring three—Canada, North Korea, and South Korea). The latest iteration, the Model 200 has been around since 2007 but now sees a substantial upgrade that makes it worthy to be called an all-new model. In other words, power gets an upgrade.

Known for their stellar comfort, reliability, and durability, both the Isuzu D-Max and mu-X are adding a new adjective to their name: powerful. In response to public clamor for a bigger engine, Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) has finally introduced new variants of its well-received D-Max and mu-X fitted with a 3.0-liter VGS Turbo engine.

The Road to Roland-Garros Begins at Peugeot Philippines Tennis Open

Peugeot Philippines announces the first ever Peugeot Philippines Tennis Open (PPTO), a nationwide tournament aimed to discover Filipino tennis champions who may, one day, represent the country in international competitions.

R.G. Manabat & Co. (RGM&Co.), the Philippine member firm of KPMG International, partnered with the Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI) as the official tabulator of the Car of the Year-Philippines (COTY-P) Awards and Truck of the Year Philippines (TOTY-P) Awards 2015. RGM&Co. will conduct an independent validation of the scores and aid in refining the process and methodology of the awards. The awarding ceremonies will be held on 13 November 2015 at the Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks & Casino in Clark Field, Pampanga.

Established in 2004, CAGI is an organization of motoring journalists from the country's leading print, broadcast and online publications. Since its incorporation, the group has strived to find the best vehicles in the country through comprehensive testing involving quantitative and qualitative analysis of the vehicle's performance, design, safety, value and other relevant factors.

October 20, 2015

UPDATED: Reborn: The All-New Honda Legend Arrives in Manila (w/ Specs)

UPDATE: Added photos from the launch event (10/21).

Car enthusiasts of a certain age will remember the Honda Legend from the 1990’s. Locally, it was Honda Cars Philippines (HCPI)’s first (and at the time, the only attempt) to crack the premium sedan segment. Although it didn’t really translate to strong numbers on the showroom floor, it did pave the way towards the realization that Honda wasn’t just about pocket rockets and screaming VTEC engines; they could build a car that can challenge the best that the world has to offer. Fast-forward to today and HCPI is once more challenging the norm by introducing the all-new 2015/16 Legend—the brand’s new crown jewel poised to deliver an unprecedented mix of driving pleasure, refinement, comfort, and environmental performance.

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November 8, 2015

Tokyo Motor Show 2015: Mitsubishi Sees Potential in Electrification, SUVs

Tokyo Motor Show 2015: Nissan's Idea of Autonomous Driving, Performance Showcased

Tokyo Motor Show 2015: Porsche Shows New Macan, 911 Models

Tokyo Motor Show 2015: Nissan's Datsun Brand to Expand to More Markets

Tokyo Motor Show 2015: Honda Shows What Sweet Dreams Are Made Of

Search for 2015 Philippines's Car of the Year Enters Final Stages

Petron Fuels 1,000-km Tour de Cebu

November 6, 2015

Tokyo Motor Show 2015: Subaru Concepts Form Cornerstone of Prominence 2020 Plan

Tokyo Motor Show 2015: RX-Vision Concept is Clear Sign of Mazda's Never Stop Challenging Spirit

November 5, 2015

Caltex with Techron Now Euro 4 in Metro Manila, Major Cities

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Expands EV Testing to Visayas Region

Messi is Tata Motor's New Global Brand Ambassador for Passenger Vehicles

Carmudi PH Partners with Car Awards Group, Inc.

Suzuki Philippines Welcomes 4 New Outlets in September

November 3, 2015

Review: 2016 Mazda MX-5 2.0 Skyactiv A/T

October 27, 2015

Review: 2015 Toyota Hilux 4x2 G M/T

October 25, 2015

Nissan Philippines Adjusts Patrol Royale Price

October 24, 2015

Toyota and Lexus Top Auto Focus People's Choice Awards

Mazda Pampanga Rises Again

Subaru Eco Challenge Adventure Drive Shows Fuel Efficiency of Subaru Vehicles

October 22, 2015

Volkswagen Passat Now Officially in the Philippines

Power Gets an Upgrade: Toyota Unveils 2016 Land Cruiser 200 (w/ Comparative Specs)

Isuzu Philippines Adds More Power to mu-X and D-Max with New 3.0 Engine

October 21, 2015

The Road to Roland-Garros Begins at Peugeot Philippines Tennis Open

RGM&Co. Partners with Car Awards Group, Inc.

October 20, 2015

UPDATED: Reborn: The All-New Honda Legend Arrives in Manila (w/ Specs)