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February 8, 2013

Toyota Camry Named Korean Car of the Year

News Flash: the Toyota Camry has been voted by the Korea Automobile Journalist Association as the Car of the Year 2013. The medium-sized sedan earned the highest score of 78.75 points for its value on price, performance, safety and fuel efficiency. On top of that, Toyota's Lexus GS and Prius Hybrid were no. 1 in performance and green-car categories, respectively. This is the first time a foreign model has earned this title since the award was presented three years ago.

Moreover, the Camry is one of the best-selling import cars in Korea. During the same period of winning this title, Toyota’s sales in Korea soared over 200% in 2012 compared to the previous year. In the Philippines, the Camry has been the best-selling model in its segment since 2001.

You can read our review of the Philippine model Toyota Camry 2.5 V here.

Vent It Out Friday: Paying Your (Association) Dues

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our newest section, “Vent It Out Friday” where we just have a commentary on just about everything. This highly opinionated, highly emotional section will appear (as much as possible) every Friday. Soon, we’ll also be opening “Vent It Out Friday” to our readers, but for now, you can respond to the topic at hand via the comments section below.

Upon opening my mailbox, I received a formally written letter which will undoubted become ubiquitous to anyone living in a private subdivision or condominium: VAT on association dues. We have Ms. Kim Henares to thank for the additional financial burden that we’ll have to shoulder each and every month, but I have no qualms about that. If it’s going to help the country, why not? Although the additional P 720.00 per month is somewhat hard to swallow, my real beef is with the P 6,000 in association dues per se, especially if the building association is happily swimming in my money and not doing anything.

Philippine Car Price Guide: February 2013

Here's your monthly does of the Philippine Car Price Guide. In this installment we see some changes from some luxury brands as well as updates from some mainstream brands as well. New and updated entries include:

Audi A4
Audi Q3
Bentley
Haima Hunda
Haima Tenda
Kia Sorento 2.2 EX 4WD 7-Seater (FL)
Lifan Foison
Mercedes-Benz B-Class
MINI Price Updates
Mitsubishi Strada GLX 4WD
Nissan Murano Z51 (price update)
Nissan Patrol Royale (price update)
Rolls-Royce
Toyota Vios (price update)

With the 2013 Geneva Motor Show looming large over the horizon, more and more car makers are revealing their display plans. For Subaru, it has revealed two tidbits for their stands.

First, the company will unveil the VIZIV Concept, "representing a direction of new designs and technologies enhancing the Subaru brand into the future". Based on the sole photograph released, it's the first glimpse of the all-new Outback or perhaps even the Tribeca.

Second, Subaru will premiere its Boxer Diesel engine technology mated to a Lineartronic CVT (hooray!) Debuting on the Outback, this is the first time the Boxer Diesel will be mated to an automatic transmission.

UPDATED: EDSA Rehab Project Gets Green Light; MMDA Proposes "Mock Rehab"

The Metro Manila Council (MMC), the policy-making body of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) composed of 17 mayors in Metro Manila, has approved the proposal of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to rehabilitate the entire 24 kilometer stretch of EDSA.

Costing an estimated P 3.4 Billion, the EDSA rehabilitation project is said to transform the often neglected road into a world-class highway with a pavement rivaling the "North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway". The project is said to start in May 2013 and will run for 24/7 to be completed in time for the East Asia World Economic Forum in June 2014. Once done, EDSA's world-class pavement will last between 5 to 10 years.

2013 Toyota Vios Set for Bangkok Motor Show Reveal?

Spy Shots courtesy of Sohu Auto

The second-generation Toyota Vios has been in the market since 2007 which means a full model change is long overdue. Now, reports indicate a possible global unveil at the 2013 Bangkok International Motor Show in March.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Being very familiar with the Ford Focus through several drives and events, (First Drive: 2012 Ford Focus, Post Cards from San Francisco: Driving the Ford Focus in the USA, A Different Kind of Fuel Economy Run) the arrival of the Panther Black Focus 2.0 Titanium+ is a breath of familiarity. Despite being overly used to the general shape of the Focus, it’s still one handsome compact car.

2013 World Car of the Year Finalists Announced

The countdown has begun in preparation for the 2013 World Car Awards winners' press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show and Bridgestone Corporation on Thursday, March 28, 2013. The 2013 World Car of the Year, World Performance Car, World Green Car and World Car Design of the Year will all be declared at this time.

The top three finalists in all award categories will be announced at the Geneva International Motor Show on Tuesday, March 5th, 2013.

Toyota has confirmed its lineup for the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and although the all-new RAV4 is there and so is the new Auris Touring Sports (future Corolla?), the biggest headline is the world premiere of the 86 convertible.

Still carrying the concept moniker, the 86 convertible (properly referred to as "FT-86 Open Concept") is a sneak peek at a "possible future variant" of the 86 (Toyota's own words). Of course, everyone knows that the 86 and its corporate twin, the Subaru BRZ is designed to maintain its structural rigidity even with its roof lopped off, so mostly likely the "concept car" we'll see in Geneva is nothing more than a thinly disguised version.

Right now, enjoy the official sketch provided by Toyota Motors Europe, but we'll be covering the 2013 Geneva Motor Show during the first week of March.

February 1, 2013

Toyota Motor Philippines Says "Thank You" with Upgreats Promo

2012 was a milestone year for Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) with achievements in the different facets of its operations. In addition to this, TMP achieved its 11th consecutive triple crown with no. 1 sales in the Passenger Car segment, Commercial Vehicle Segment and over all sales. For the year, TMP registered 21, 291 units in the PC segment and 44,105 units in the CV segment for a total of 65, 396 units while garnering 41.7% of the market. This performance is the highest the manufacturer has tallied since the start of its operations in 1988.

Ford Philippines recently celebrated its 2013 Annual Ford Dealer Convention which recognized top achievers from its nationwide dealer network.

The red carpet Convention was held at the Filinvest Tent, Alabang, with Ford Quezon Avenue being named Ford’s ‘2012 Dealer of the Year’ for its overall distinction in wholesale, retail sales and customer service. The ‘Dealer of the Year’ Award for provincial went to Ford Iloilo.

Vent It Out Friday: Ten New Year's Resolutions

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our newest section, “Vent It Out Friday” where we just have a commentary on just about everything. This highly opinionated, highly emotional section will appear (as much as possible) every Friday. Soon, we’ll also be opening “Vent It Out Friday” to our readers, but for now, you can respond to the topic at hand via the comments section below.

They say: a new year equates to a fresh start. With over 300 days to go before we gorge to our heart’s content and light up the skies anew with fireworks (and a stray bullet or two) yet again, here we are with the subject of New Year’s Resolutions. I’d wager that for the 99.9 percent of us out there, this year’s resolution is no different from last year’s or the year before that: it’s got to do with losing 10 pounds and five inches off the beer keg we call the waist.

PGA Cars Launches Audi Q3

In a red carpet event last January 25, 2013 at Audi Global City, amid flashes of celebrities, special guests and media friends, Audi Philippines was proud to hold such a glamorous affair. What was a simple ceremony turned out to be a spectacular presentation. Not only did Audi Philippines show off its latest array of Audi model offerings, lovely beauty pageant winner and finalists graced the event.

Mazda to Build New Transmission Plant in Thailand for SKYACTIV

Mazda Motor Corporation will construct a transmission plant with an annual production capacity of approximately 400,000 units in the Chonburi Province of Thailand representing an investment of 26 billion yen. Mazda has decided to establish the plant in order to respond to increasing demand for models featuring SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY and to strengthen its global production footprint. Operations at the new plant will commence in the first half of the fiscal year ending March 2016.

CATS Motors, Inc., the exclusive distributor of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the Philippines launched the all-new B-Class, the brand’s new premium compact. Heralding a new era in both design and technology, the 2013 Mercedes-Benz B-Class is set to transform the entry-level luxury segment with its sophisticated design, all-new powertrain, and unparalleled safety.

Senate Approves Incentives to Manufacture, Import Green Vehicles

The Senate has approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to grant incentives to the manufacturers or importers of alternative fuel vehicles.

Recto, who also sponsored the bill, said the enactment of Senate Bill No. 2856 or the Alternative Fuel Vehicles Incentives Act into law, will usher an era of cheaper, cleaner cars that will reduce the country's dependency on the use of fossil fuels.

Leading oil player Petron Corporation reported that it had terminated the contracts of 21 service station dealers for “dumping” activities. The company said that it ended its partnerships with these service station dealers over a 12-month period from January 2012 to January 2013.

Video: Volvo Engineer Attacks Spy Photographer

Whoever said it's easy to be an automotive spy photographer? Normally, you spend hours camped out in the weirdest locations just to catch a snap or two of a camouflaged car. Some car engineers will speed out of camera range and some will flip the bird at you. However, this Volvo engineer has taken things a bit too far and decided to attach the spy photographer.

Deciding the photographer has taken too much photos/video of the upcoming Volvo XC40 testing in the Rocky Mountains in the USA, a Volvo engineer actually steps out of his camouflaged vehicle, attacked the photographer, and broke his camera in the process. This isn't the normal Swedish levelheadedness.

Ford Continues Growth Story with Makati Ford Opening

Ford Philippines continues its aggressive growth in the Philippine market with the official inauguration of Makati Ford yesterday. Located in Pasong Tamo in Makati City (across CW Home Depot), Makati Ford sits on a 2,500 square-meter land area and has a total dealership area of 1,500 square-meters. Inside its premises, Makati Ford boasts of a 9-vehicle showroom and a 30-vehicle service capacity thanks to its 12 service bays.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

We’ve already taken the 2012 Honda Civic 1.8 E (Thai-built model) on a full-blown test drive that lasted a week. Suffice to say, we weren’t so impressed the first time around. We concluded that Honda was doing their utmost best to ape a Corolla Altis, when they should have built a sportier compact.

So how would the Civic 2.0 fare? Will a bigger engine and some additional luxury trimmings turn the tide from utter beige-ness? Read on.

Subaru BRZ Goes Racing in Japan with RA

Subaru is readying a racing-spec version of the BRZ straight from the assembly line. In fact, it's made to compete in the upcoming GAZOO Racing 86/BRZ Race series starting in Summer of 2013. Sadly, the just-announced BRZ RA will be offered for the Japanese domestic market only.

Something Big and Something Wonderful: Chevrolet Sonic and Trailblazer Ride and Drive

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Chevrolet’s exclusive importer and distributor, The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI) started their 2013 with a bang after a fun-filled ride and drive activity that featured their two newest “babies”: the Sonic sub-compact and the Traiblazer mid-sized SUV. Although launched in the latter half of 2012, this is the first time most of the motoring media has sampled Chevrolet’s latest offerings. Overall, the consensus was these two cars are impressive, proving that Chevrolet is off to a great start this year.

Short Cuts: 2013 Ford Explorer V6 Limited

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.

Honda Cars Philippines Announces Recall for Pilot, Odyssey

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) announces a voluntary recall of vehicles subject for inspection of some 171 units of the Honda Pilot and Odyssey sold in the Philippines for the period of June 2012 to January 2013 that are due to potentially inappropriate installation of rivet in Driver’s Front Airbag.

Findings show that there are possibly some rivets which secure the driver’s front airbag cover and bracket that were inappropriately installed. As a result, the deployment characteristics of the affected airbags may change upon collision and driver protection performance may decrease.

After the formal signing ceremony held last September with Mazda Motor Corporation (Japan), Berjaya Auto Philippines, Inc. officially begins its business operations in the country as the sole distributor of Mazda vehicles, parts, and accessories as of this month.

Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, solidifies its number one position in the luxury segment, achieving the lion’s share of the market for ten straight years. BMW finished 2012 with a 33% market share in the luxury segment, mirroring a global trend that saw the BMW Group which posted an 11% increase year-on-year, its highest record ever.

Toyota Motor Philippines Officially Launches All-New RAV4

The RAV4 is a name conceived as a vehicle name suited for a compact SUV that matches its active, sporty, youthful and stylish image. This iconic name was derived from the first letters of the words; Recreational, Active, Vehicle and it being a four-by-four (4x4). In January, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) unveils the all-new 2013 RAV4 to join its strong commercial vehicle lineup. Based on the principles inherited from its predecessors, the RAV4 hosts new innovative features and enhancements for its lifestyle driven customers.

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) today announced that it achieved its 11th consecutive triple crown with no. 1 sales in the Passenger Car segment, Commercial Vehicle Segment and over all sales. For the year, TMP registered 21, 291 units in the PC segment and 44,105 units in the CV segment for a total of 65, 396 units while garnering 41.7% of the market. This performance is the highest the manufacturer has tallied since the start of its operations in 1988. This record breaking sales performance was attributed to a higher growth registered by Toyota of 20% as against the industry of only 11%.

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