Things are apparently heating up for the Manila International Auto Show. The biggest annual motoring event, which opens its doors on Thursday, March 29 is already playing host to the Philippine launch of the Subaru XV compact crossover.

Now, it's just been confirmed that Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai cars and commercial vehicles in the Philippines is set to launch the Veloster and Eon at MIAS. The Veloster, which is already grabbing headlines in the North American market for its head-turning looks as well as fun but fuel-efficient drivetrain will be the star of HARI's more than 1,000 square-meter display at the World Trade Center. Meanwhile, the Eon, which is a sub-compact city car designed for the Indian market, will also make its debut at MIAS. The Eon, which is in the same category as the Suzuki Alto should become a game-changer for HARI.

We'll be live from the MIAS floor on March 29, so follow us then!

carguide.ph recently just returned from a two-week vacation in Japan. Of course, expect from juicy stories from us including some pretty interesting future cars we'd be seeing on Philippine roads.

Well, while you wait for those stories, here's the updated pricing guide for March 2012. The notable new entries here include the all-new Lexus GS, the new Toyota Innova as well as new variants of the Mitsubishi Adventure.

Enjoy!

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines is inviting the public to the 23rd Mitsubishi Lancer Junior Tennis Championship (MLIJTC) at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center starting March 20. The tournament, which is free to the public is where stars such as Lleyton Hewitt made their start.

Also on Sunday, March 25, there will be a free tennis clinic that's once again open to the public. National coaches will personally share their experiences and train participants. Interested parties may register at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center starting March 20. And if you're one of the first twenty (20) registrants for the tennis clinic, you will receive a free Mitsubishi Ralliart item as well.

For the second straight year BPI Family Auto Loan presents the 8th Manila International Auto Show (MIAS). With this year’s theme: “Life in the fast lane”, BPI Family Auto Loan makes it easy to live life in the fast lane especially for BPI and BPI Family Savings Bank clients.

Slated to open from March 29 to April 1, the MIAS remains the Philippines’ biggest motoring event of the year. It features the best and latest in the local automotive industry; from the coolest sedans to the monstrous 4x4 pickup trucks, all exhibited on the World Trade Center Manila. MIAS brings the biggest brand, the latest car models, and the coolest car accessories under one roof. 

If you're thinking of getting into business, then now's your chance with Mitsubishi's Business Booster deals. Lasting only from March 14 to 25, this special promo offers zero interest plans for the L300. There are special too for the Adventure. Some models will also offer P 10,000-P 15,000 worth of BPI Master Express Cash Card as well as a free 22-inch Samsung LCD TV for selected models.

Photo courtesy of Mazda Press

Mazda Philippines has recently announced the adding of Mazda Dagupan among their growing list of dealerships in the country.

Run by the Laus Auto Group, Mazda Dagupan is located at the automotive district of Lucao in Dagupan City. It boasts of a 5 vehicle showroom and full service bays. Aside from Mazda Dagupan, the Mazda brand is expected to erect 7 other dealerships this year: Manila Bay, Pasig, Cavite, Tarlac, Cabanatuan, Iloilo and Davao bringing the total number of Mazda dealerships to 16 by the end of 2012.

All this good news comes as part of Mazda's exciting plans for 2012 including the launch of three new vehicles which includes the all-new Mazda 3 compact car as well as the Tribute/CX-7 replacement, the CX-5.

Ford Group Philippines continues to be battered hard by the effects of the Thai floods by posting a weak unit sales volume of just 415 units. This is due to the fact that most of Ford's Philippine products--namely the Fiesta, Ranger and Everest are all built and manufactured in Thailand.

Ford has said though that it expects to bounce back in the coming months especially with the launch of 3 new vehicle launches including the North American-built Ford Explorer 2.0 GTDi at this month's Manila International Auto Show (MIAS).

Kia Motors has seen tremendous growth for the month of February, posting a global growth rate of 21.3 percent! Predominantly, the highest increase in sales is due to the Chinese market which posted a 42 percent gain and then North America at 36 percent.

Read more about Kia's global growth after the break.

Photo courtesy of Mitsubishi Press

Photo courtesy of Hyundai Press

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Photos courtesy of Autostrada Motore Press

Have a VISA credit, prepaid or Electron cards? Regularly gas up at Shell? Well, here's the perfect change for you to win some cool gadgets such as one of Ten (10) Apple iPad2, Ten (10) Apple MacBook Air, Ten (10) Canon DSLR EOS 1100D and Ten (10) P 25,000 worth of cash rebates.

The promo, which runs from March 1 to April 30, 2012 allows you to gain a raffle entry by presenting the original VISA transaction slip from the following shops: Shell Quality Fuels, Shell Lubricants, Shell Shop, Shell Select, Shell Helix Service Center (excluding Mini Stop located in Shell Stations). The draw date is on May 14, 2012.

For more information, visit: Shell Swipe & Save Promo website or Visa Go Explore.

Photos Courtesy of Lexus

"The new face of Lexus", that's how the all-new GS is called. This is the car that will finally realign Lexus from simply being a re-badged Toyota into one that's completely engineered from top to bottom as a bonafide challenger to the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. And last night, Manila got the first glimpse of the all-new GS at its launch event at the Lexus Manila showroom.

Among the most noticeable change is the all-new sheet metal that carries the brand-new "spindle grille" design. This love-it-or-hate-it is the latest iteration of Lexus's L-Finesse design language and will slowly make its way to the rest of the Lexus line-up. Aside from the stylish grille, the GS looks strong and athletic riding on standard 17-inch rims while the F-Sport runs on 18-inch rims.

Speaking of variants, there are three GS models available. Two are immediately available at launch and one will follow soon. The GS 350 retails for P 4,238,000; the GS 350 F Sport with additional styling, handling and comfort package goes for P 4,818,000; while the GS 450h will arrive in Manila soon (price yet to be announced).

As the name implies, the all-new GS carries a single engine variant: a 3.5-liter V6 good for 312 horsepower, figures very close to the outgoing 4.6-liter V8 engine. The added power bump is thanks to dual variable valve timing as well as direct injection technology. Mated to a 6-speed automatic, the GS can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds.

You can read and view more photos of the Lexus GS after the break.

Photos courtesy of Ford Press

The folks over at Ford Club Philippines (FCP) have more reasons to celebrate aside from their tenth anniversary which was held at the Bonifacio Global City last Saturday. Ford Group Philippines made it a point to unveil 3 new variants of its best-selling Fiesta sub-compact. These three variants are: the 1.4 Trend A/T Hatchback, 1.6 Trend with Voice Command + Bluetooth and the 1.6 Sport Plus.

You can read more about it after the break.

Photo courtesy of Petron Press

Petron Corporation, the Philippines's leading oil company has been advocating road safety, particularly among motorcycle riders. Recently, they have sponsored a biker meet-up for its Safe-T-Ryders Training Center at the Ortigas Home Depot.

You can read more about their endeavors after the break.

Ford Group Philippines has reported that its January sales have been cut to 367 units due primarily to supply problems caused by the recent floods in Thailand. With most of its products coming from Thailand, supply of cars such as the best-selling Fiesta are hampered.

In fact, the rumor mill is buzzing that the Thai floods may also affect the availability of the all-new Ford Ranger, which is slated to debut at this year's Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) which will run from March 29 to April 1.

Read the entire report after the break.

Photos courtesy of Toyota Press

EDITOR'S NOTE: There will be no update on Thursday, 23 February to Friday, 24 February 2012 because we'll be in Boracay Island for the launch of the 2012 Toyota Innova.

However, please make it a point to follow us live on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/carguideph for the latest scoops, pictures and specs fresh and hot from the launch event. Of course, once we come back from the sun and the sand, we'll post a full story right here!

Goodyear Philippines is extending its free fuel offer up to March 31, 2012. With Goodyear's New Year Bonanza, buyers are entitled to free fuel e-cards ranging from P 500 to P 1,000.

Press Release
Goodyear Announces Free Fuel Promo

• A P500 fuel card for every single-receipt purchase of two (2) tires of Assurance ArmorGrip, Fuel Max, Fortera, Wrangler HP, Wrangler HP AW, Wrangler AT/SA, Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2, Eagle F1 Directional 5 or Eagle EfficientGrip, or for every purchase of four (4) DuraPlus tireA
• A P1,000 fuel card to every single-receipt purchase of four (4) tires of Assurance ArmorGrip, Fuel Max, Fortera, Wrangler HP, Wrangler HP AW, Wrangler AT/SA, Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2, Eagle F1 Directional 5 or Eagle EfficientGrip.

With the Holy Week travels coming up, it is a good time to check tires and get free fuel. The New Year Bonanza promo, with DTI permit number 0513 series of 2012, runs until March 31, 2012. Log on to goodyear.com.ph for details.

The Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI), the nominating body behind the Car of the Year - Philippines has elected a new board for the 2012-2013 year. Strong support is shown to its current set of officers as they have a re-election rate of 80 percent. Ferman Lao, Editor-in-Chief of automotive website kotse.com as well as Technical Editor of Top Gear remains President.

Globally, Ford is promoting driving safety through proper training of drivers, new and old. In fact, they have been doing the Driving Skills for Life as a global program. In the Philippines, it now enters its fifth-year and here's the whole press release for your information.

Press Release
Ford's Global Driving Skills for Life Program Enters Fifth Year in the Philippines

•  Globally, the DSFL program has trained more than 500,000 drivers through online and professional hands-on driver instruction, including more than 20,000 in the Philippines\
• In the Philippines, the program has been tailored to suit the local driving environment and is aimed at raising awareness of safe and fuel efficient driving techniques through classroom and practical learning 

Despite industry figures dipping 16 percent in January 2012, Members of the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID) reported a 37 percent increase.

AVID members sold a total of 2,526 units for the first month of 2012 driven mainly by passenger car sales which counted for 71 percent. Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) contributed a 6 percent growth. The top AVID performer remained HARI. Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc., the official distributor of Hyundai cars in the Philippines contributed 20,297 units. Meanwhile, The Covenant Car Company, Inc., the official distributor of Chevrolet vehicles sold 2,763 units.

AVID members are: PGA Cars, Inc. (Audi and Porsche), Auto Ventures, Inc. (Chana and FAW), The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (Chevrolet), CATS Motors, Inc. (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Mercedes-Benz), Foton Motor Philippines, Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc., Jaguar Philippines, British United (MINI) and Volvo.

Photo courtesy of Kia Press

Photos courtesy of Honda Press

After much delay, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) has finally unveiled the all-new 2012 Civic at the start of their weekend-long festivities dubbed Honda Mania at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.

Though it looks pretty much close to the previous-generation Civic, Honda has repeatedly said that the ninth-generation Civic features an all-new sheet metal as well as extensive work done on its proven platform and drivetrain. Known for its sporty handling and practicality, Honda said that they have kept these traits while focusing more to improve the Civic's fuel efficiency for this all-new model. Among the changes include a design that has a co-efficient of drag that's 3.8 percent lower, a body that's seven percent lighter thanks to 55 percent high-tensile steel and bigger interior room with a wider shoulder width and rear seat room. Honda engineers have also improved the 2012 Civic's overall visibility by over nine percent.

Under the hood, the Civic carries on with the previous model's 1.8-liter and 2.0-liter two-stage VTEC engine. Power generated is 141 horsepower and 155 horsepower respectively connected to a 5-speed automatic. The suspension is independent all-around with MacPherson Struts upfront and Multi-Links at the back. The 2012 model features a longer suspension stroke to further reduce the transmission of unwanted "shocks" into the cabin.


Though the Civic is traditionally Honda's most mainstream model, because of the Thailand plant's shutdown, HCPI is currently offering the Civic in a single flavor: the 1.8 EXi. This sole model, available in four colors (Urban Titanium, Taffeta White, Carnelian Red and Crystal Black) is imported as a completely built-up model from Japan. Because of this, the Civic has a slightly prohibitive price of P 1.074-M. Nonetheless, it comes fully loaded with almost everything as standard.

Features on the 2012 Honda Civic 1.8 EXi include: projector-type halogen headlights, front fog lamps, 16-inch alloys with 205/55 R 16 rubber, door-mounted side turn lights, rear reversing camera, an integrated audio system with CD/MP3/USB connectivity with 6 speakers, steering wheel controls, cruise control, Bluetooth hands-free phone function, 60/40 split-fold rear seats, leather steering wheel, dual SRS airbags, ABS and vehicle stability assist.

More photos and the Press Release after the break.

Photos courtesy of Honda Press

Honda Cars Philippines is saying that the Jazz is back in stock in very big way: by launching the Jazz Special Edition.

Now imported as a completely built-up unit from Japan (as opposed to Thailand), the Jazz Special Edition (1.5 EX) features different front and rear bumpers with fog lamps from the regular Jazz 1.5 (it actually shares its bumpers with the 1.3 variant). Aside from that, the Jazz Special Edition gets cruise control, steering wheel audio controls as well as a cooled upper glove box and power folding door mirrors. In terms of engine, the Jazz Special Edition has a 1.5-liter VTEC engine with 120 horsepower and a 5-speed automatic transmission.

Priced at P 899,000, the Jazz Special Edition is available in three colors including a new retina-burning Fresh Lime color.

More details in the Press Kit after the break.

Want to test drive the all-new Honda Civic? Want to see the Honda Jazz Special Edition? Well, mark your calendars this weekend for Honda Mania at the Bonifacio Global City.