The 2020 Hyundai Palisade has now received the highest possible overall safety rating from the U.S.-based National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Under the New Car Assessment Program or NCAP, both the front- and all-wheel drive versions of the Palisade earned the maximum five-star scores for safety in frontal and side crash evaluations.

This is on top of the Palisade receiving a 2020 Top Safety Pick from the U.S.-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) when equipped with the LED headlights.

The Palisade strategically uses Hyundai’s Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS) to greatly increase structure strength without the weight penalties or excessive cost of more exotic lightweight materials such as aluminum.

Hyundai says the Palisade is not only formed from 59 percent high-strength steel—versus just 25 percent for the new Explorer—but uses 19 hot-stamped components that reduce weight by requiring less metal overall. Moreover, the structure is optimized in a way that produces a safety cage for side and roof protection, as well as critical small overlap front crash testing.

The Palisade is available on an indent order basis in the Philippines with a price of P 3.240-million.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has confirmed that Jeep Philippines will now start sourcing some of its products from Mainland China. This makes the Philippines the first overseas market for FCA’s Chinese operations.

Land Rover unveiled its newest engine, and it’s one that you’re not expecting: a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine. This becomes the cornerstone in Land Rover’s first-ever Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle (PHEV) in the form of the Range Rover Evoque P300E and Discovery Sport P300E.

The low friction, lightweight engine is joined by an electric rear axle motor giving it a total of 309 horsepower and 540 Nm of torque (the internal combustion engine alone delivers 200 horsepower). Together with a 15-kWh lithium-ion battery, it can run solely on electric power by up to 66 kilometers and return 71.42 km/L.

According to Land Rover, the Range Rover Evoque goes from 0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds, while for the Discovery Sport, the figure stands at 6.6 seconds. In both cases, it can use electric power at speeds up to 135 km/h.

For those who still go off-road, these PHEVs are designed to take some punishment. With new Premium Transverse Architecture designed to accommodate a plug-in variant from the get-go, the battery is protected by a 6-mm steel under tray. Furthermore, it’s packaged beneath the cabin floor without compromising interior space.

The placement even improves dynamics, lowering its center of gravity by 6 percent and further optimizing the front-rear weight distribution.

The engine is mated to a new 8-speed automatic. Not only is it lighter than the 9-speed gearbox used in other models, but it’s specifically designed to match the PHEV’s power and torque delivery.

With almost every carmaker saying that their future business relies on CASE or Connected Autonomous Shared and Electric, a new survey just released by J.D. Power says carmakers may want to dial back on those mobility dreams. Why? Buyers may not want them anymore.

The 2020 Q1 J.D. Power Mobility Confidence Index Study points out that for the first time, consumer confidence on self-driving and battery-electric vehicles have dropped.

The quarterly study is the pulse of market readiness and acceptance for self-driving and battery-electric vehicles, as seen through the eyes of consumers and industry experts. The 2020 Q1 study includes insights from the United States and Canada where more than 8,000 consumers and industry experts gave their opinions about self-driving vehicles and battery electric vehicles.

“Frankly, we’re concerned for automakers,” said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction & human machine interface research at J.D. Power. “They’re pushing forward with technology that consumers seem to have little interest in. Nor are they making the strides needed to change people’s minds. Especially now, automakers need to reevaluate where they’re spending money. They are investing billions in these technologies but they need to also invest in educating consumers. Lack of knowledge is a huge roadblock for future adoption.”

When it comes to self-driving vehicles, J.D. Power finds that majority of respondents (67 percent in the U.S., 75 percent in Canada) don’t believe the technology or society is ready. With the slow rollout of technology from automakers, predictions for when self-driving vehicles have gone up to 18 years—five years later than the last Mobility Confidence Index Study. Respondents also fear in creating “a lazy society dependent on technology and with diminished driving skills.”

J.D. Power also says that the COVID-19 pandemic may steer people away from the notion of shared transportation and more towards private vehicle ownership once more to minimize physical contact. Having said that, driverless delivery vehicles may gain a higher level of acceptance.

When it comes to battery-electric vehicles, consumer confidence is still fairly low with respondents (70 percent in the U.S., and 67 percent in Canada) showing concern regarding long-term usage, cost of ownership, and overall environmental impact. Surprisingly, previous ownership of EVs don’t guarantee future purchases. Among respondents who’ve owned a battery electric vehicle, around 30 percent of them won’t buy again due to high maintenance costs, purchase price, limited range, and performance in extreme weather.

The J.D. Power survey also notes that the same three barriers to the acceptance of battery-electric vehicles—charging station availability, driving range, and purchase price—remain. These were the very same barriers in 1997. It shows that 23 years on, consumer perceptions haven’t budged. Even those who have owned a battery-electric vehicle previously have these items as their top 3 barriers.

One of the car launches greatly affected by the Enhanced Community Quarantine is this: the Geely Azkarra. Supposed to have launched at the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS), local distributor Sojitz G Auto Philippines instead had to press pause to all activities surrounding its compact SUV.

Still, before the ECQ, Geely was able to reveal some of the Azkarra’s vital statistics—there will be two variants, a 4x2 Premium that costs P 1.438 million, and a 4x4 Luxury that bumps up the price to P 1.598 million. Both share the same engine with the Coolray—a turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine with 177 horsepower and 255 Nm of torque, though the 4x4 Luxury adds a mild-hybrid system that bumps up the figures to 190 horsepower and 300 Nm of torque. It also comes with an N95-certified air filtration system perfect in this COVID-19 world, too.

The rest of the Azkarra’s details—specs, features, and the like were supposed to come out at MIAS. But with the official launch scuttled, those juicy bits remained a mystery, until now. Sojitz G was kind enough to give us a full copy of the Azkarra’s feature set, including the full brochure if you scroll below:

2020 Geely Azkarra Premium (Luxury) Specifications:

• Engine: 1.5 DOHC, turbocharged, 3-cylinder (1.5 DOHC, turbocharged, 3-cylinder w/ 48V EMS)
• Fuel: Gasoline
• Displacement: 1,477 cc
• Transmission: 6-speed AT (7-speed wet-type Dual Clutch)
• Drivetrain: 2WD (4WD)
• Horsepower: 177 PS @ 5,500 rpm (190 PS @ 5,500 rpm)
• Torque: 255 Nm @ 1,600-4,000 rpm (300 Nm @ 1,500-4,000 rpm)
• Drive Mode Selector: With
• Overall Length: 4,544 mm
• Overall Width: 1,831 mm
• Overall Height: 1,713 mm
• Wheelbase: 2,670 mm
• Front Suspension: Independent, MacPherson Strut
• Rear Suspension: Independent, Multi-Link
• Power Steering: Electric, w/ 3 Modes
• Adjustment: Tilt & Telescopic
• Audio Controls: With
• Cruise Control: With
• Parking Brake: Electric, w/ Auto Brake Hold
• Front Brakes: Ventilated, Disc
• Rear Brakes: Disc
• Brake Assist: With
• Tires: 225/60 R 18
• Airbags: 6
• Electric Stability Control: With
• Traction Control: With
• Hill Start Assist: With
• Hill Descent Control: With
• Rear Spoiler: With
• Headlights: Full LED w/ Daytime Running Lights
• Outer Door Handles: Body-colored with Chrome Accents
• Sideview Mirrors: Power Fold with Puddle Lamps, Side Turn Signals
• Antenna: Shark’s Fin
• Seating: PVC (Nappa Leather)
• Driver’s Seat: 6-Way, Power Adjust
• Passenger Seat: 4-Way, Manual
• Rear Seats: 60/40 w/ Two-Position Recline
• Wireless Charging: No (With)
• Console Storage: with Cooling
• Climate Control: Dual Zone w/ Rear Vents
• Infotainment System: 12.3-inch, 720P w/Phone Integration
• Speakers: 8
• Parking Sensors: Front & Rear, w/ 360 Camera

If you’ve been to Japan before all this COVID-19 business, you would have noticed this quirky Toyota taxi, particularly around Tokyo.

Called the JPN Taxi, it’s a specialized Toyota model that would have served tourists for the 2020 Olympics. With the Olympics now postponed, the JPN Taxi is doing a different job now: transporting COVID-19 patients.


Like Honda’s move with their Odyssey MPV, Toyota has quickly transformed a fleet of its JPN Taxi to safely transport COVID-19 patients while preventing any potential spread of infection to the driver. A plastic partition has been installed between the front and rear seats, while the climate control has been re-engineered for a one-way air flow from the front to the rear seats.

So far, Toyota has re-configured five of their JPN Taxi units to serve hospitals around the Chiba prefecture.

Most Filipinos buy pickup trucks because they look cool, but now and again, carmakers remind them that they’re great at doing one thing: hauling stuff. Ford did exactly that when its “Built Ford Tough” truck helped transport food and medical supplies to various front liners during the Enhanced Community Quarantine.

Ford Philippines partnered with San Miguel Foods to deliver over 49,000 pieces of baked products and breads to front liners in various local government units (LGU), police districts, parishes, charities, and hospitals around Metro Manila. The delivery took place daily over a course of two weeks.

And because front liners can’t live on bread alone, the Ranger also delivered medical supplies and personal protective equipment to various hospitals with the help of The Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service (TOWNS) Foundation and AmCham Foundation.


Ford also transported, via the Ford Ranger, its own donations of medical supplies to medical front liners from Philippine General Hospital, Manila Doctors Hospital, Ospital ng Muntinlupa, and San Juan De Dios Hospital. Ford also donated medical supplies to Philippine College of Occupational Medicine and Bauan Medical Society, its partner medical organizations in its medical missions.

Earlier into the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine, Ford lent its Ford Transit van for the transport of medical front liners. These will be in service until May 4, 2020.

Auto makers are going to be bracing for a very tough year ahead with global production now expected to fall more than 20 percent.

Forecasts from LMC Automotive, a market analyst and insights provider that focuses on the automotive industry forecasts that global auto output will fall 19 million units to 71 million units as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ensuring economic recession.

This steep decline is far greater than what LMC Automotive anticipated earlier this year and yet, they warned that those projections could slip even further depending on how quickly major regions recover.

LMC Automotive expects that vehicle sales in North America and Europe to tank in April with post-pandemic recovery “unlikely to be rapid” after. True enough, carmakers there were forced to delay key model launches including the Ford Mustang Mach-E, and the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe.

China, which was among the first countries hit by the novel coronavirus, already has restarted most of its auto plants, but will still see a sales decline of 12 percent this year.

For the Philippine market, Fitch Solutions is projecting zero growth for the local auto industry this year. Meanwhile, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) expressed that a double-digit decline for 2020 is more likely.

As part of its 100th anniversary, Mazda has been busy tugging at nostalgia such as coming up with models inspired by the R360 and also highlighting one of its crowning achievements: the mass-production of the rotary engine.

On the surface, the Mazda PR seems innocuous enough, talking about the history of the RX-7. However, there are a couple of lines that stick out and we’ve taken the liberty to highlight it for you below:

“…the company developed a prototype Mazda2 EV with a small single-rotor engine used as a range extender. A similar system could find its way onto the Mazda MX-30...”

Mazda’s continued development of the rotary engine is no secret, but this is the first time we’ve gotten official confirmation from the Japanese carmaker as to its layout and application.

As the company’s first all-electric vehicle, the MX-30 packs an in-house developed battery-driven powertrain called e-Skyactiv. Together with a 35.5-kWh lithium-ion battery, it has a range of about 209 kilometers. Once fitted with the rotary engine as a range extender though, range is expected to more than double. Moreover, Mazda says a rotary engine is perfect as a range extender because it’s quiet, vibration-free, and extremely compact.

Audi in the coming weeks will gradually resume producing cars at its plants in Europe after having suspended its operations in mid-March because of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ingolstadt, Germany-based automaker suffered bottlenecks in its supply chain and saw a drop in demand as the pandemic broke out in Europe.

Production at Audi’s plants in Europe will return to normal by the end of the month, with operations in other parts of the world to follow soon. The automaker’s worldwide resumption of production, as well as that of its suppliers and service providers, will be coordinated with its parent company, the Volkswagen Group.

Manufacturing at Audi sites will be ramped up starting in late-April. Engine production in Gyor, Hungary, has already started last week.

In the restart, Audi will observe steps focusing on the safety of employees and will follow the health regulations in respective countries. Among the measures put in place are rules on distance and hygiene, a modified work shift system to avoid contact, and requiring the use of mouth and nose protection for personnel in certain areas. A work-from-home arrangement can also be imposed on some workers.

“On the way back to the first phase after the production shutdown, health precautions for the protection of the employees have the highest priority,” said Peter Mosch, chairman of Audi’s labor council. “Audi teams of experts, consulting with specialists, have therefore adapted processes with a view to health protection.”

The world’s largest tiremaker, Bridgestone said it will be temporarily suspending operation at its 11 manufacturing plants in Japan, including 8 tire factories.

The shutdown, done in phases will happen from late April to early May is in response to the slowing global demand for tires brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes its main passenger vehicle tire factory in Hikone and its main truck and bus tire manufacturing plant in Amagi.

As of April 16, Bridgestone had suspended operations at 19 of its 51 global factories to reflect the weaker demand for tires.

PLDT Inc. is turning over 30 of its service vehicles to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for its use in anti-COVID-19 operations.

The vehicles include 14 Toyota Innova MPVs, 10 Toyota Avanza MPVs, 4 Isuzu mini trucks, and 2 Isuzu Crosswind AUVs. Sixteen of the vehicles were delivered last week and the balance are scheduled for delivery this week.

Of the 30 vehicles, seventeen have been assigned to the AFP health services, specifically the Health Service Command, the Office of the Surgeon General and the Military Treatment Facilities of the Army, Navy and Air Force.  These units are providing health care support for troops that are deployed in checkpoints in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

The remaining 13 vehicles will be deployed to various senior offices such as the AFP Command Center, the Joint Task Force NCR, the Special Operations Command, AFP, the AFP Communications, Electronics and Information Systems Service and the AFP Civil Relations Service.

PLDT and its wireless subsidiary has been providing communications support to the AFP and the Philippine National Police for their COVID operations. Earlier, Smart donated SIMs and load cards for more than 1,000 AFP personnel deployed in Metro Manila, to provide for their connectivity needs during the enhanced community quarantine.

PLDT Enterprise has also provided 200 smartphones with free postpaid subscriptions for the use of AFP and PNP personnel manning about 60 checkpoints in Metro Manila. These smartphones will be used to access the Rapid Pass online application which is designed to facilitate movement of people through checkpoints in the National Capital Region.

“Helping the country’s frontliners in the fight against COVID-19 is a key focus of our efforts during this health emergency. This includes keeping our frontliners safe and healthy. With more and more soldiers and policemen falling ill with the virus, we hope that these service vehicles will help the AFP Medical Corp to protect our men and women in uniform,” said PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.

Porsche sold 8,482 units of its iconic 911 sports car in the first three months of the year, a 16 percent increase from the same period in 2019, even as the brand’s total deliveries dipped due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Counting in the 911’s tally, Porsche in the first quarter of the year sold 53,125 cars worldwide, representing a 5 percent decline from the company’s 55,700-unit result during the comparable three-month stretch in 2019. Porsche’s performance in Europe registered a solid 20 percent spike—from 14,004 cars in 2019 to 16,787 this year—cushioning the decrease in most markets.

“We are not alone in clearly feeling the effects of the coronavirus crisis on our deliveries. But our focus now is on standing together with our business partners worldwide. Working together, we are in a position to react quickly and appropriately to further developments,” said Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG.

China emerged as Porsche’s biggest consumer as the brand sold 14,098 cars in the country during the first quarter of the year. But the result is 17 percent less than the 16,890 cars customers there bought during the comparable period last year.

Porsche deliveries in the US, which stood at 11,994 units in the first quarter, were 20 percent lower than the 15,024-vehicle result in 2019’s first quarter. The brand’s collective performance in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East also contracted 8 percent, or from 23,989 cars in the first three months of 2019 to 22,031 cars during the same period this year.

Despite the downturn, Porsche expressed optimism over its prospects in the coming months.

“After this challenging first quarter, we are now actively preparing to restart production. Our top priority will always be the health of our employees, the employees of our retail partners and, of course, the health of our customers. We are confident that the outlook is positive, not least because we see a clear recovery in the Chinese market—almost all of our Porsche Centers there have already reopened,” von Platen noted.

Porsche SUVs remained the company’s bestsellers in the first quarter of 2020, with the Cayenne recording deliveries of 18,417 units and the Macan emerging with a 15,547-unit tally. The Taycan, Porsche’s first fully electric four-door sports car that started reaching showrooms only at the end of 2019, already saw 1,391 units sold.

BMW Philippines is now giving you the chance to spruce up your Viber app with these special stickers now available for download.

Available for free on the Viber sticker market, the BMW Philippines sticker set makes chatting during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) a bit more fun and colorful. Check it out for yourself through this link.

Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) is now gone. Toyota’s European research and development base, and seen aplenty on local Vios as go-fast stickers or plate decals will get a new name moving forward: Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe GmbH (TGR-E).

Established initially as Andersson Motorsport GmbH in Köln in 1979, it then changed its name to TMG in 1993, when it became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota.

In addition to the company’s engagement in motorsports activities, which it has been conducting since its establishment, in recent years, the company has expanded its work with the Gazoo Racing Company (GRC) by applying the expertise and experience it has cultivated in motorsports over the years to the development of GR series production cars.


Toyota says the change in company name reflects this closer relationship with Gazoo Racing.

Going forward, TGR-E will continue to serve as the hub for Toyota’s motorsports activities in Europe, working together with GRC from its base in Köln, Germany, and engage in activities including supplying engines for cars participating in both the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), and helping to develop the GR Supra GT4.

TGR-E will also utilize the knowledge and expertise it has accumulated through its motorsports activities over the years in the development of production cars.

After teasing it last week, Hyundai has now made it official: the Veloster N now comes equipped with an 8-speed dual clutch transmission.

Called the N DCT, the 8-speed wet-type dual-clutch automatic enables the 275-horsepower Veloster N to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds—faster than the manual transmission version. And unlike a dry double-clutch transmission, the wet N DCT uses oil to significantly improve lubrication and cooling performance, which is typical of higher torque applications.

The Veloster N’s N DCT also unlocks features such as: N Grin Shift (NGS) which increases peak torque by 7 percent from 353 Nm to 377 Nm by allowing the turbocharger to overboost for 20 seconds; N Power Shift (NPS) which adds a more responsive feel during shifts; and N Track Sense Shift (NTS) which discerns road conditions and selects the shift timing and gear. These are on top of other typical features such as rev matching and launch control.


Aside from the new gearbox, the new Veloster N gets an improved infotainment system with an 8-inch high-def display, available N Light Sports Bucket Seats with Alcantara upholstery (they’re 2 kilograms lighter than the standard seats) with illuminated logos, and Hyundai SmartSense driver assist technology.

The new Veloster N will first go on sale in South Korea this month followed by other markets.

Aside from this DCT gearbox, Hyundai’s high-performance N division has other plans for the Veloster N.

Expected to bow in by next year, is a more powerful version of the Veloster N. According to several reports, the likelihood is that Hyundai will plop a 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine into their hot hatch. This Theta III Smartstream engine will enable the Veloster N to crack the 300-horsepower barrier putting it squarely into Civic Type R territory.

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is expecting to get hold of the first 10,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) coveralls from local garment manufacturers through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) today. This comes after the conglomerate completed delivery of 40,000 sets of protective gear to over 60 health facilities in the country.

The local manufacturers tapped by the DTI belong to the Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP).

“We are inspired by how companies and individuals are coming together in new ways to address the challenges of COVID-19. We thank the DTI and the CONWEP for this. We stay committed to helping ease the strain on our medical system and protecting our medical health workers,” SMC president and COO Ramon S. Ang said.

Recently, SMC has started donating the first batch of ventilators to five public hospitals even as it awaits delivery of more machines along with high-flow oxygen devices for use in caring for COVID-19 patients.

These life-saving ventilators were delivered to Philippine General Hospital, San Lazaro Hospital, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, East Avenue Medical Center, and Lung Center of the Philippines. Fifty-five units of high-flow oxygen device will also be delivered in the next coming days.

The latest donation is part of the P500-million fund San Miguel Corporation earmarked to help and protect medical front liners save lives in the fight against the deadly virus.

“Our medical front liners are in dire need of equipment to combat this pandemic. Again, I couldn’t be prouder of how everyone in our group is stepping up to the plate. They continue to work day and night to find ways to help our country overcome this unprecedented challenge,” said Ang.

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official Philippine distributor of Hyundai passenger and commercial vehicles, reinforces ongoing containment efforts with a fresh supply of personal protective equipment to the front liners at UP-Philippine General Hospital (PGH). UP-PGH is one the country’s COVID-19 designated hospitals.

After a 10-week “deep dive” led by Ford’s newly appointed Chief Operating Officer, Jim Farley, the American carmaker is making leadership changes to its global automotive operations in a bid to fast track its transformation plan.

Lamborghini and Ferrari, two rival Italian supercar brands have switched their efforts to produce life-saving respirators and ventilators as part of its efforts against COVID-19.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, the prospects of the Philippine automotive industry are looking dim this 2020. With the Taal Volcano ash fall and the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) knocking the wind out of car sales, Fitch Solutions is saying that new car sales will remain flat this year.

UPDATED: The DTI responds. See response below. (4/25).

The Philippine Automotive Dealers Association (PADA) has made an urgent appeal to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to allow them to re-open on a skeletal workforce basis by this week.

Ducati is finally getting its first-ever Lego treatment with the Lego Technic Ducati Panigale V4 R. The 646-piece set will be made available starting June 1, 2020 not just in Lego stores (both retail and online), but at Ducati dealerships and even through the Ducati online shop.

If you think the Golf is Volkswagen’s best-selling vehicle, think again. Last year, that record goes to the Tiguan compact SUV.

Volvo Cars is restarting production at its Torslanda plant in Sweden on Monday, April 20, following a short period of downtime related to the coronavirus pandemic.

On its nameplate’s 56th birthday, Ford is celebrating two global sales crowns—the world’s best-selling sportscar and its fifth straight best-selling sports coupe title. This is on top of being America’s best-selling sportscar of the last 50 years.