The ASEAN market didn’t have to wait very long: the refreshed Honda Civic is almost upon us. Previewed at the Thailand International Motor Expo, Honda’s 10th generation compact sedan gets revised styling and more advanced safety equipment.

Accompanying the availability of Brilliant Sporty Blue as a regular color in the Civic’s color palette, the 2019 model comes with a revised front bumper. The RS Turbo receives more tweaks with the high-gloss black grille with a RS badge and high-gloss black 17-inch alloy wheels complimenting the now high-gloss black door handles (bye-bye, chrome).



Inside, the Civic now receives the convenience of a physical volume knob for its 7-inch Advanced Touch Audio Display. It’s also worth mentioning that the Thai-market Civic also gets wood trim for the RS Turbo—something we sincerely hope gets changed before its migration here.

Safety-wise, the 2019 Civic can now be equipped with Honda Sensing—a suite of driver-assistive features that include collision mitigation braking, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation with lane departure warning, and auto high beam. On top of that, the Civic also gets Lane Watch.


Mechanically, the Civic remains unchanged and this means it’ll remain powered by a 1.8-liter SOHC 4-cylinder engine making 141 horsepower and 174 Nm of torque or a 1.5-liter turbocharged VTEC Turbo with 173 horsepower and 220 Nm of torque. Both are equipped with an Earth Dreams CVT.

With Thai market sales starting in January 2019, it’s increasingly likely that the 2019 Civic may see a surprise appearance this December at Honda’s annual media thanksgiving party. Otherwise, expect it to arrive in the Philippines within the first few months of 2019.

This may look like a normal Honda HR-V, but look closely and you’ll notice a very subtle difference: it’s got not one, but two tailpipes coming out the back. If you’re guessing that this is a turbocharged HR-V and you’re right on the money.

We can’t stress enough that Americans like things big so it’s no surprise that Korean automaker Hyundai is giving them just that: the biggest passenger vehicle they’ve ever made: the first-ever Palisade.

Kia’s funky crossover, the Soul is back for a third generation. Riding on an all-new platform and with an available turbocharged engine and all-electric motor, the Soul is just about everything the young urbanite would ever need in a vehicle.

The Philippine automotive aftermarket industry will take center stage once more as two of the most awaited motoring events will be held this November 29 to December 2, 2018 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Pasay City. Presented by Delium Tires Philippines, the 12th Manila Auto Salon will be held back-to-back with the 24th Sport Truck Show.

The wait is over. After countless leaks, spy shots and speculation, Jeep has finally confirmed the car industry’s worst kept secret: the return of the Wrangler pickup truck. Playing up their heritage of unmatched toughness, iconic design, and best-in-class towing and payload, this is the 2020 Jeep Gladiator.

Driving home a brand-new MG is now made even easier with the Hello, MG! Introductory Promo—MG Philippines’s introductory low-down payment offering which runs until December 31, 2018.

Over the last four endurance races, AutoPerformance Motorsport has amassed two class wins, four podiums, and two overall titles. After a surprise 3rd place finish in the 2016 Philippine Endurance Challege, the team and its BMW M3 has been perennial contenders, as well as record holders as the first ever non-Japanese car to win a Philippine endurance race, and the longest race distance accomplished. But one thing has eluded the team: a win in the 8 Oras ng Pilipinas which is held every December at the Clark International Speedway.

Compact car, outboard motor distributor, and motorcycle manufacturer Suzuki Philippines (SPH) further demonstrates its commitment to supporting the Filipino youth and upholding the Filipino pride, by bringing yet again the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) cup, the region’s biggest football tournament.

There’s no need to squint: you’re looking the eighth-generation Porsche 911. Still pretty much an evolution in design, Porsche says its new sportscar will continue to set the standard when it comes to sportiness. Oh, and it’s also helped by the more modern interior, increased tech, and innovative assistance systems.

Having been impressed driving its prototype form last May, Mazda has finally pulled the wraps off its first seventh-generation model: the fourth-generation, all-new 2019 Mazda3.

As the maker of the world’s best-selling battery electric vehicle or EVs, Nissan has envisioned a new way for owners to utilize their cars to store and share energy.

The Honda Passport is back and as expected, it’s basically a chopped-up Pilot. Still, Honda promises a combination of “on-road refinement and off-road adventure capability.” Oh, and like all other Hondas, best-in-class interior room.

With an average of 110,000 road crashes in Metro Manila alone, 40 of which are attributable to defective or faulty car parts, Hella—a leading European manufacturer of automotive parts wants you to give the gift of a safer ride this Christmas season.

Subaru is going green with its plan to install Japan’s largest-scale captive-consumption solar power system at their Gunma Oizumi plant.

Part of their thrust to deepen the bond between car and driver, fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 Program Director and MX-5 Ambassador Nobuhiro Yamamoto flew into Manila to personally present the much-acclaimed MX-5 NA Restoration Service as well as a piece of great news.

DAF Philippines (DAF PH) held a soft launch of its new 600 square-meter showroom located along Pulo-Diezmo Road, Barangay Pulo, Cabuyao, Laguna. A short drive from the Southbound Tollgate along SLEX, the new showroom showcases DAF PH’s line of XF and CF trucks.

General Motors has announced plans to cut its product portfolio and close down manufacturing facilities around the world in a bid to restructure itself for the future.

Seventeen years ago, Hyundai launched an SUV called the Santa Fe—a cut-rate blob that did nothing to counter the notion that Korean cars were a little cheap. Fast-forward to the present and Hyundai has become a purveyor of award-winning vehicles that has helped it conquer the world. The 2019 Santa Fe is certainly a reflection of that progress, and a sign of better things to come.

Lexus Philippines is offering a new gateway into the Japanese luxury brand with the introduction of their first-ever subcompact crossover, the UX. Made for the modern urban explorer, it blends fresh and contemporary style with luxury and dynamism.

The second series of the Petron Limited Edition Toy Car Collectibles is just days away! Joining the line-up is the Ford GT which becomes available at participating Petron stations nationwide starting November 30 to December 15, 2018.

After being sacked by Nissan from his Chairman of the Board position last week, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation moved swiftly and has done the same and ousted Carlos Ghosn their Chairman and Representative Director.

Warring Grab users beware: the ride-hailing company is now introducing a “Passenger Time Out” feature which penalizes you for cancelling a ride.

Waze continues to innovate and now brings two new integration features: Apple CarPlay and Waze Audio Player into the latest version of the app.

Approximately six months ago, Mitsubishi introduced the Xpander, a new-generation MPV that blends the best attributes of a traditional people carrier with that of an SUV. As the Philippines’s fastest growing segment volume-wise, it’s curious as to why it took a while for Mitsubishi Motors Philippines to come up with a proper shakedown for its new offering, round-the-block test drives notwithstanding.

Team Philippines formed by Julius Maranga, Georekey Cantabaco, and Gabriel Hidalgo Jr., was crowned the Regional Champion of the Castrol Asia Pacific Bikes Super Mechanic Contest 2018 after their outstanding performance at the grand finale. Team Vietnam and team Malaysia were announced as the Runner-up and the Second Runner-up respectively.