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December 21, 2012

AVID Posts 14% Growth as of November 2012

The Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID) registers a 14% growth from January to November, with 26,272 units sold from 23,012 units in the same period last year. The Passenger Car (PC) segment lifted overall sales by 21% to 15,320 units sold versus 12,660 units in the prior year. This sustained positive sales performance was attributed to British United Automobiles, Inc. (MINI), The Covenant Car Company Inc. (Chevrolet), and Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) by an increase of 28%, 23% and 8% respectively.

Leading Car Company Ford is offering to make it a greener Christmas with a concept sleigh that would dramatically downsize Santa’s carbon footprint.

Santa’s new ride, packed with cutting-edge Ford technology, would allow Rudolph and friends to enjoy a well-deserved retirement while Santa makes his annual deliveries with style in an environmentally friendly new sleigh.

Hyundai Previews Accent CRDi, Sales Start Q1 2013

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai in the Philippines, made the Christmas season even more brilliant with its exclusive preview of the Accent hatchback during a series of Christmas celebrations themed: “Sharing the Filipino Brilliance.” Displayed in all its green glory at Hyundai’s Christmas events, the Accent hatchback signaled once more Hyundai’s passion to bring even greater brilliance in the lives of Filipino motorists for the coming year.

Toyota Motor Philippines can’t seem to contain their excitement as they previewed the all-new 2012 RAV4 on the same day as their Toyota Media Christmas Luncheon. Although the unit wasn’t there in the flesh or were any indications about final pricing, they did hand out a brochure which sheds some light about Toyota’s compact crossover.

Here are some details contained in their official brochure (full brochure scan below):

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) closed November 2012 recording the highest monthly sales since 1995. In the November 2012 combined Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers’ Association (TMA) report, MMPC registered total sales of 3,840 units capturing a 23.1% market share and keeping a strong post as the second industry leader in country. November 2012 sales also went up to 37.1% as compared to October were MMPC sold a total of 2,800 units. MMPC’s year to date sales of 31,551 units reflected a 4.6% growth as compared to the same 11 months last year.

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) today announced that it has already broke its highest annual sales in just the 1st 11 months of the year. Based on the most recent CAMPI report, TMP sold a total 58,890 units (including Lexus) with a 34.6% market share.

Moreover, the Manufacturer is poised to take home its 11th consecutive Triple Crown with the top spot in the Passenger Car Segment (30.8% Market Share), Commercial Vehicle segment (36.8% Market Share) and overall sales.

Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, in cooperation with Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the official importer and distributor of BMW cars in the Philippines recently held the inauguration ceremony of the Jose Ch. Alvarez (JCA) Technology Complex. The JCA Technology Complex, the new home of Xavier University Center for Integrated Technologies (XU-CIT), is set to be the leading institution for technical education in Northern Mindanao.

Volvo Car Group's future as a strong, independent car maker based in Sweden is now being reinforced with a multi-billion dollar investment in Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) and Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA). The main part of the two projects will be carried out in Sweden, constituting one of Sweden's largest ever industrial investments.

Review: 2012 Honda Jazz 1.5 V

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Editor’s Note: Welcome to “Short Cuts”, where we re-visit cars we’ve driven and reviewed in an in-depth manner in the past. The cars featured in Short Cuts are simply additional variants and/or minor refreshes of models we’ve driven before, so we’ll cut to the chase and drill it down for you. Of course, we’ll give you a link to our full-blown review for your reference.

The Modern Cartographer: An Interview with Google's Lalitesh Katragadda on Mapping Asia

Photo by Ulysses Ang

Cartography or mapmaking has always been regarded as a skill that requires equal parts science, aesthetics, and technique. In fact, cartography builds in the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that can communicate spatial information effectively.

The earliest form of maps was devised by the Babylonians, where it depicted Babylon as the center of the world. As crude and simple as it was, it soon brought about larger maps oftentimes lifting material from past works because of cartography’s sheer physical undertaking and difficulty. Since then, cartography became a more exacting practice thanks to the use of compass for navigation and mechanical devices like the quadrant and vernier for more accurate reproduction.

Traveling with Your Fur Babies: Safety with Dogs

Photos by Ulysses Ang & Bubbles Ang

Traveling safely with children is a widely discussed topic, so there’s little need to reiterate its importance, especially since they’re your most precious cargo. But in case you still don’t get it, here’s a simple mantra to live by: “buckle up and children below 13 in the back”; these are very simple steps, but steps nonetheless that can help save a life.

But how about when it comes to another kind of baby, the furry kind? Today, it’s not out of the ordinary to have dog owners treat their four-legged companions as members of the family and not just the typical bantay or guard dog. It’s a common sight to see a Shih Tzu or two traveling by car just to frolic in a dog-friendly park or mall. Most dogs love to ride in cars, but just like children, there’s actually a proper way to ensure your furry baby’s safety and comfort when traveling. Here’s a simple visual do’s and don’ts guide:

HARI Partners with Synergeia for Education Reform in Mindanao

HARI Foundation, Inc. (HFI), the corporate social responsibility arm of Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai in the Philippines, proudly formalized its funding support for Synergeia Foundation, one of the country’s innovative crusaders for quality education for children through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing last November 17, 2012 in Cagayan de Oro to underwrite its commitment to improving the access to and quality of basic education in Mindanao through its new “Hyundai Embraces Lanao’s Partnership or HELP for Education” Program.

Philippine Car Price Guide: December 2012

This is the December edition of the Philippine Car Price Guide. Since it's already the end of the year, there's not much that's changed from the previous months. Still, there are some manufacturers which have introduced some 2013 models and so they feature this month:

Honda City Modulo
Honda Civic Modulo
Honda CR-V (2013 models)
Honda Jazz Modulo
Nissan Almera
Lexus LFA
Lexus LS
Peugeot (price adjustment)

In addition, we're including links to cars we've tested. Some cars are actually clickable and they'll take you straight to our test drive. How neat is that?

Photos by Ulysses Ang

About a decade ago, the bulk of automotive sales was comprised of compact sedans. Think Toyota Corolla; Honda Civic; Mitsubishi Lancer and Nissan Sentra. But soon, a great sales paradigm shift happened, and pretty soon, every car manufacturer had a crossover in their line-up. Though they stood on the very same platform that underpinned compact sedans, crossovers are regarded as a status symbol and combined with its higher ground clearance, ‘command seating position’ and flexible interior meant everyone had or wanted a crossover.

Ford Philippines today reported overall retail sales that rose 46 percent year-over-year to 1,225 units – representing its second-best ever monthly performance, following record sales in October.

The strong November performance was led by an all-time record month for the Ford Ranger pickup, with the all-new Ranger delivering retail sales of 344 units.

Nissan Almera Arrives at Dealerships, Officially Launching January 2013

To welcome the festive holiday season this year, Nissan Motor Philippines, Inc. (NMPI) announced that the all-new Nissan Almera will arrive at all Nissan dealerships nationwide starting December 14.

Though NMPI’s newest compact sedan will be officially launched in January 2013, customers will be able to see and experience the vehicle’s class-leading comfort and space, as well as upscale design coupled with great functionality. For those who will avail of the early reservation, NMPI is also offering a free and exclusive accessory package, which includes chrome side molding, exhaust finisher and chrome front lower grille finisher.

Photo by Ulysses Ang

SINGAPORE—Twelve years ago, the internet was seen as a tool for the wealthy and the privileged. Today, being ‘connected’ is seen as a necessity and in some countries, a basic right. Times have changed, and Google seems to be taking the lead as the company outlines its vision to bring the next billion people online.

‘Tis the season to celebrate as Volvo Philippines shares more reasons to be merry. This December, whatever your interests are, there’s a gift waiting for you for every purchase of a brand new Volvo from December 1 – 31, 2012. Choose one among the twelve gift selections that were carefully thought out to fit your lifestyle.

Ford Philippines celebrated its 12th Annual Henry Ford Awards (HFA) by recognizing outstanding work and contributions in automotive journalism. A total of 12 awards were given out in eight regular categories and four special categories.

Ford Group Philippines announced that its Chairman, Henry Co, will retire at the end of December, closing a remarkable career of more than 14 years of dedicated service to the company.

Co first joined Ford in 1997 as Manufacturing Director of Ford Motor Company Philippines, and later moved to Bangkok, Thailand where he served as Business Office Director for Ford ASEAN.

Rolex is Official Formula 1 Timekeeper from 2013

Rolex has just been announced as the official timekeeper of Formula 1 from the 2013 season onwards.

The deal was announced as a long-term partnership between Formula 1 and Rolex. As a result, Rolex will provide the time in different locations during each grand prix weekend. At the same time, the Rolex logo will be positioned around the circuit and at several corners during the Formula 1 races.

Honda Cars Philippines Updates CR-V for 2013

The final pieces of the Thai puzzle are finally in place as Honda Cars Philippines has announced the availability of the Thai-built CR-Vs starting today at all Honda dealerships nationwide. While the Japan-made CR-V models dubbed 2.0 LX and 2.4 EX are available for a limited and at a discount (P 100,000 for the 2.0 LX and P 130,000 for the 2.4 EX), the arrival of the Thai-built CR-V means more variants, more features, and of course, a cheaper price tag.

Mazda Motor Corporation’s compact crossover SUV, the CX-5 has been named the 2012-2013 Car of the Year Japan. The award was announced by the Japan Car of the Year committee on November 29, 2012.

The CX-5 was the first model to adopt the full suite of Mazda’s SKYACTIV technologies including the engine, transmission, body and chassis. It offers a predictable and refined driving experience together with outstanding environmental and safety performance. It is also the first model to fully embody Mazda’s new design theme, KODO–Soul of Motion. With finely-honed vitality and dynamism, its styling is reminiscent of a cheetah about to pounce on its prey.

The Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID), a private, non-stock, non-profit business association pioneered by 11 leading automotive firms representing 20 world-class brands in the Philippines, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the premiere science and technology body in the country, to formalize their partnership in launching the Innovation Congress, dubbed iCON, early in 2013.

Volvo Car Group has a philosophy that an electrified car should be as safe as any other new Volvo car. This is now highlighted by the latest Euro NCAP results. The new Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid has achieved the highest- ever score for a plug-in hybrid. The five stars in the recent test, which included a frontal offset collision at 64km/h (40 mph) demonstrates that the V60 Plug-in Hybrid has the same high safety level as the standard V60.

Hot on the heels of their 59 percent growth rate year-on-year, Motor Image Pilipinas, the country’s official distributor of Subaru automobiles has finally declared that “the wait is over” as they pulled the wraps off their much awaited, much anticipated Subaru BRZ sports car just last night in an edgy, young launch party for owners and media.

Review: 2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Sedan

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Whether Chevrolet likes it or not, the Sonic story actually starts with the Aveo, a cheap and crummy sub-compact from parent General Motors’ Korean subsidiary, Daewoo. It certainly was cheap for its time, but it wasn’t cheerful in any sense of the word. It was one unsatisfying car to drive with a dismal design and abysmal driving dynamics. It was so bad that Chevrolet’s micro car, the Spark, was a much better drive.

That was 2004.

UPDATED: Will This Fix Everything? Honda Reveals 2013 Civic Redesign at LA Auto Show

Panned for its lackluster design and dynamics, Honda has rushed a redesign of its Civic compact and here it is. The question is: are the changes enough?

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