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July 23, 2013

2013 Chevrolet Trailblazer 2.8 LTZ vs 2013 Toyota Fortuner 3.0 V

Which one is better: Chevrolet Trailblazer 2.8 LTZ or the Toyota Fortuner 3.0 V? This is a question most commonly asked, but never answered; at least not directly. But, no matter how you look at it, this comparison is inevitable. On one corner, you have the Toyota Fortuner—the one who pioneered the entire “sleek-looking, truck-based 7-seater SUV” craze (sorry, the Ford Everest doesn’t count because it looks just too agricultural). Recently re-styled and upgraded, the Fortuner soldiers on with more or less the same innards that made it successful. On the other is the Chevrolet Trailblazer, the newest addition to the ever-growing slew of alternatives, and single-handedly the vehicle that has catapulted the bowtie brand into to the mainstream. It maybe new from the top-down, but it keeps very close to the Toyota Fortuner formula. And with a price spread just a hair above P 45,000 (P 45,112 to be exact), these two were destined to slug it out.

Strong new offerings coupled with tried and tested segment leaders saw the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors’ (AVID) Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) storm up sales rankings in the first half of 2013.

From January to June of this year, AVID’s LCVs marked an impressive 20% increase over the same period last year, increasing its tally to 7,524 units sold from 6,270 a year ago. Fueling this onslaught were Motor Image Pilipinas, Inc.’s Subaru and The Covenant Car Company, Inc.’s Chevrolet brands with compelling new offerings in the Compact and Mid-Size SUV categories.

The LCV segment’s exemplary first half performance provided a strong cushion in tempering a supply-stricken Passenger Car (PC) category where primary movers Hyundai and Chevrolet both experienced significant losses due to supply-dictated performance as well as strong external competition. As a result, AVID ended the period with a mere 3% decline over the same period a year ago, offsetting the 18% decline by the PC models.

A Play Date with the 2013 BMW X1

Photos by Ulysses Ang

It began almost two weeks ago with the most “humble” of invites: a black box with the words “BMW X1: Let’s Play” printed on it. Receiving a three-dimensional, non-paper invite already made me feel special, but once I got to peek inside, it made it say, “Oh my god”. There it was, in all its glory, a brand-new BlackBerry Z10 (well, half of the participants received an Apple iPhone 5). It came with the strict instructions that it was to be returned after the drive, and yet, this made me feel like a million bucks. And this was just the appetizer.

If you need to travel long distances for your daily commute, it is essential to have enough fuel in your tank to get through the day. And it’s a huge windfall to get all the fuel that you need, free!

The Wolverine Drives an Audi R8 Too!

What do Marvel superheroes Wolverine and Iron Man have in common? Aside from their dashing good looks, it seems they share the same taste in cars. Hugh Jackman recently appeared at the UK premiere of The Wolverine riding a stunning R8. Of course, the film will feature the Audi supercar along with the A8 L. The Wolverine will be shown in Philippine cinemas from July 25.

Honda to Release Entry-Level MPV for Indonesian Market

P.T. Honda Prospect Motor (HPM) released the global premiere of the official sketch of the brand-new Honda MPV that will be making its world debut at the upcoming 21st Indonesia International Motor Show, scheduled for September 19-29, in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The new Honda MPV was developed for the Asian market by Honda R&D Asia Pacific Co., Ltd. in Thailand and P.T. Honda R&D Indonesia. This model will be the first Honda product in Indonesia to be introduced to the entry level MPV segment, the biggest category in the Indonesian automobile market. In addition to offering seven seats in a 3-row configuration, the new Honda MPV features an innovative design, spacious cabin, and advanced safety which is already a hallmark of every Honda product. The new Honda MPV will be powered by a 1.5L gasoline engine, which provides both sporty performance and good fuel efficiency.

July 19, 2013

Mercedes-Benz C 63 Black Series vs Subaru Legacy GT Rev Off

So what do you get when you put a Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Black Series next to a Subaru Legacy GT? Well after they decide to do a "rev off", music to a car enthusiast's ear! Happy Friday everyone!

Video Courtesy of: YouTube

Peugeot Holding Test Drive Activity at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila

Eurobrands Distributor Inc. (EDI), official importer and distributor of Peugeot vehicles in the country, announced recently that it will be staging a two-month display and test drive activity at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.

How does one take a well-loved motoring icon to the next level? Ford makes a great case with the new Ford Fiesta – which is making its official debut today in the Philippines – sporting new looks and smart technologies to help keep drivers connected.

The new Fiesta is poised to redefine the small car segment with its exciting new bold design, segment-leading fuel economy, class-leading safety features and all-new smart technologies, including Ford SYNC.

The Nissan X-Trail, Isuzu Crosswind, Honda Civic, Kia Carens, Hyundai Grand Starex, Kia Sorento, Nissan Teana, and the Toyota Vios. From economy sub-compact to multi-role sports utility vehicle to veritable people-mover, quite a varied line-up of the riding and car-owning public’s choices for the “Auto Focus Automobile of the Year” have emerged throughout past the past eight years. Which brand and model will emerge at the top and be crowned as the ninth winner of the coveted “2013-2014 Auto Focus Automobile of the Year” award?

The 2013 Race Of Champions will be held at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium on December 14-15. The news comes after Thailand, which hosted last year’s ROC, again beat off a wide range of contenders from all round the world to stage the prestigious event.

Michelin Primacy 3 ST Tires Deliver Safer, Quieter, Longer Lasting Tire for Asian Roads

The world’s leading tire manufacturer, Michelin, today sets new benchmarks in motoring safety, silence and comfort in the Philippines with the launch of the new Michelin Primacy 3 ST. Designed and developed exclusively for the Asia Pacific region’s extreme roads and weather conditions, the Michelin Primacy 3 ST meets these specific demands of drivers.

Repsol, a leading motor oil in Spain, recently held the Repsol Road Race Championship (RRCC) in Blue Wave, Marikina. Now on its third year, RRRC was primarily launched in the Philippines to search for new talents and best riders in the country.

Hundreds participated while thousands of bike enthusiasts watched the race. Various activities took place such as the expert class race, pocket bike competition for children, distribution of freebies by the Repsol girls and discounted price offered on Repsol oil products.

Repsol is suitable for a wide range of motorcycles. It provides maximum engine protection in extreme conditions whether they are subjected to high temperatures or during long operating periods. Its formulation protects the engine against the formation of deposits in the exhaust keeping it clean. It also guarantees excellent performance in or out of competition.

Repsol is available in authorized dealerships nationwide. For more information, please visit www.jointeamrepsol.com or www.repsol.com. You can also call +63-2-3777-500.

July 17, 2013

Subaru Holds First-Ever Tanabata Festival: Selected Models to Receive Cash Rebates, Financing Schemes

Motor Image Pilipinas, the exclusive distributor of Subaru in the Philippines, will be holding its first-ever Tanabata Festival at its Greenhills and Global City Showrooms from July 19 to July 21, 2013.

The Tanabata Festival or “Meeting of the Seventh” is a Japanese star festival, originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to the legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar.

Ducks aren’t concerned about the rain, and now drivers don’t need to be either. Reducing braking distances by more than 2 meters on wet roads, the Goodyear Assurance TripleMax tire takes the worry out of driving.
With consumer driven needs at the center of its tire innovations, Goodyear has rolled out the Assurance TripleMax, the first tire to boast Goodyear’s latest HYDROGRIP Technology® that delivers drivers maximum grip for maximum assurance.

Audi PH Introduces Premium Lease & Amazing Premium Deals

Audi jump starts 2013 with new remarkable models. The launch of the all-new Audi A1 Sportback and Audi Q3 and product-improved models such as the Audi A4, A6 and Q5, greatly helped in improving Audi’s sales for 2013.

The positive market feedback drawn from its new models brought more hope for Audi. And it continues to ignite its plans of not slowing down as it introduces its latest two unparalleled and innovative ways of Audi ownership – The Audi Premium Lease and Amazing Premium Deals.

Team Celerio Philippines (TCP) recently brought together various Suzuki models from the vintage Samurai to the latest Alto 800 and Swift Dzire in the first-ever charity fundraiser car show dubbed as “Show Off 2013”. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Tambuli Para Sa Bayan at Diyos, a medical mission foundation based in Quezon City.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Driving the 2013 Subaru Forester through Sagada in the Northern Philippines and driving the XT on the streets of Manila proved to be just the beginning. Now, it’s the Forester 2.0 i-L’s turn to get driven.

Subaru has always cemented its reputation building turbocharged, championship-winning rally cars. After a time, this reputation has spread onto its road cars, where the most sought-after models typically have gapping hood scoops, bright-blue paint, and gold-colored rims. However, before getting into the world of motorsports, Subaru has always been synonymous with building solid, reliable, but somewhat quirky cars. Though the quirkiness has faded, Subaru continues the tradition of making bullet-proof cars (backed up by US-based data collector Polk that says 96 percent of Subarus purchased 12 years ago are still on the road). This tradition is pretty much alive in the all-new Subaru Forester 2.0 i-L—the compact crossover that manages to be the perfect everyday performer.

Mazda Philippines Backs Michele Bumgarner on Mazda Road to Indy

Berjaya Auto Philippines Inc, the distributor of Mazda in the Philippines, and Lee Bumgarner (LBI), Inc, announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Mazda Philippines to support Filipino racing sensation Michele Bumgarner in her quest to reach the North America’s INDYCAR race championship.

Nissan has finally resurrected the Datsun brand with an all-new model destined for the Indian market, the Go.

Volvo Philippines unleashes a new breed of Volvos through a Limited Edition Performance Package on select Volvo models. Certain turbocharged and diesel variants of the Volvo S60, XC60 and XC90 have been upgraded with R-Design styling elements and Polestar-tuned engines, to offer even more value-laden Volvo Ownership experience.

TOTAL and Peugeot Conquers Pikes Peak USA

June 30 marked a milestone in the shared motorsports history of Total and Peugeot. Nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb conquered Pikes Peak in Colorado, USA. Dubbed “the race to the clouds,” Total and Peugeot worked with partners Red Bull and Michelin to take Loeb from 9,390 feet at the start to 14,110 feet at the finish line.

The Peugeot 208 T16 was packed with 875 horsepower and weighed 875 kg, equipped with big wings to maximize the aerodynamics effect. Loeb drove at an average speed of 145 km/h, going through Pikes Peak’s 156 turns and 12.42 miles (20 kilometers). The mythical race saw him shattering the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb record with a time of 8 minutes and 13.878 seconds, besting Rhys Millen’s 9 minutes and 46.164 second set in 2012. Further, Loeb even beat his own practice run time of 8 minutes and 15 seconds on the Colorado mountain.

“I’m really happy as that was a very good run in the end,” said Loeb. “I really didn’t expect anything better than 8m15s, so to do 8m13s was fantastic. Before the start, I didn’t really know if I should push absolutely to the maximum or if I should just push to a comfortable pace, in order to make sure of the victory. In the end, I decided to push to the limit.”

Volvo Reaches Landmark Safety Milestone: 1 Million Cars Equipped with Auto Brake Technology

Today, the sales of Volvo cars equipped with systems for automatic braking passed the one million mark - another milestone that confirms Volvo Car Group's world-leading position within automotive safety.

Volvo Cars' technology for automatic braking includes several world firsts: City Safety, which is standard and works at speeds up to 50 km/h; Collision Warning with full auto brake; and Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection with full auto brake.

The Amazing (Fuel-Sipping) Race: Putting the Peugeot 3008 Through its Paces

Photos by Eurobrands Distributor, Inc. Press

Fuel economy runs have become fairly common for us in the motoring beat. Name every conceivable iteration from city to long-distance, track to off-road; I’ve done it most likely. But that doesn’t stop car manufacturers from using fuel-economy runs to measure the merit of their cars, especially if it’s boasting great levels of frugality. Peugeot, with the 3008, is the latest one to join the fray with an Alabang-Batangas City and back fuel economy fun run.

Toyota Motor Philippines Launches All-new Vios (w/ Brochure)

Vios—derived from the Latin word meaning “to move forward”—seems like a fitting nameplate for a car that’s destined to bring Toyota Motor Philippines to new heights and bring its product-led transformation to the next chapter: the mass-market. The undisputed leader in the sub-compact car segment since the launch of the first-generation model in 2002, the all-new, third-generation Vios aims to cement that lead further, and in the process, add another nail to the competitors’ coffins.

Philippine Car Price Guide: June-July 2013

With not much changes last June, I decided to postpone the Philippine Price Guide and combine it instead with the July 2013 edition. So, for the past two months, here are the additional cars/updated prices of cars in the Philippines.

BMW M6
Dodge Challenger (price update)
Dodge Charger (price update)
Honda CR-Z (image pricing)
Hyundai Santa Fe 2WD 6 M/T
Jeep Grand Cherokee (price update)
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (price update)
Kia Carens
Land Rover Range Rover
Lexus IS 350 & IS 350 F Sport
Lifan LF320 (price update)
Mazda 3 1.6 MAXX
Mazda CX-5 AWD Sport
Mercedes-Benz A 250 CGI Sport
Mercedes-Benz E 250 CDI Avantgarde
Mercedes-Benz E 300 AMG Sport
Mitsubishi Adventure GLX SE
Mitsubishi Adventure GLS Sport SE
Mitsubishi Adventure Super Sport SE
Mitsubishi Pajero 3.2 DI-D Limited Edition
Suzuki APV SGX (price update)
Toyota Camry (price update)
Toyota Vios

New Ford Fiesta: Key to Modern Living

It’s pouring rain and you’re running late for a meeting. Caught in the deluge, you use one hand to frantically root through your bag and pockets for your key, taking care not to spill the scalding hot coffee you’re holding with the other. Within seconds, you’re drenched. As you scramble to unlock the door before collapsing inside in a dripping mess, you think to yourself: It’s 2013. There must be a better way.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Everyone should drive a Ford Ranger Wildtrak, preferably the 3.2-liter. There, I said it. As much as I detest lumbering SUVs and pick-up trucks, with the torrential rains hitting Metro Manila every single day, it’s actually great to have a vehicle that can bring you home dry and in one piece. Having driven the Ford Ranger before, specifically the XLT trim, I’m already quite used to this vehicle’s merits such as class-leading 800-mm wading depth, massive 80-liter fuel tank, and advanced features such as voice-command. Still, I find myself on the fence on whether I’d pick the Ranger over say, a compact crossover or SUV for a variety of reasons, the absence of luxury features to name one. However, the arrival of the Wildtrak blows those reservations out the window. This indeed is the new go-anywhere, do-anything vehicle.

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