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March 2, 2015

Bianca Gonzalez Named Winner of Shell FuelSave Celebrity Driving Challenge at SEM Asia 2015

Last February 27, Bianca Gonzalez competed against Fahrin Ahmad from Malaysia and Pichaya “Golf” Nitipaisalkul from Thailand on the Shell Eco-marathon track, in a battle to determine who is the most fuel efficient celebrity. Bianca was announced the winner after she drove one lap around the SEM track using only 1.75 liters of fuel per 100 kms (or 57 kms per liter). For this challenge, the celebrities drove the Shell Urban Concept Car, a fuel-economy vehicle of the future that resembles today’s road cars.

Toyota Announces Vios Cup 2015

Toyota Motor Philippines, the country’s undisputed number one automotive company announces the second season of the Vios Cup that kicks off at the Clark International Speedway later this month. Instilling “waku-doki” or “fun-to-drive” attitude in its cars, the Japanese automaker is on a high after the successful staging of the first-ever Vios Cup last year. Already boasting the largest grid in Philippine motorsports history, this year sees even more drivers (38 confirmed participants) including some of the hottest celebrities in the country such as Derek Ramsay, Jasmine Curtis, Kylie Padilla, and Joyce Pring. There will also be four legs this year including one which will be held “outside of Luzon”.

Mercedes-Benz is Premium Mobility Partner of APEC 2015 Summit

In a signing ceremony held last February 17, 2015 between key representatives of the APEC and Auto Nation Group, Inc., Mercedes-Benz was designated as the premium mobility partner of the APEC 2015 Summit.

Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, delivered a total of 722 units in 2014 to mark its 12th consecutive year of leadership in the local premium automotive segment. Through ACC, BMW registered an 11 percent increase in sales locally.

Hyundai, the official mobility partner of Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2015, is showcasing its vision of innovation that promotes energy-efficient motoring. Working hand-in-hand with Shell, Hyundai is aiming to both educate and encourage key stakeholders of the automotive industry in taking the earth-friendly route.

Michelin, in global partnership with Shell, welcomes back the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia (SEMA) for its second year in the Philippines at Luneta Park, Manila today until March 1, 2015.

The original hot hatch is finally here: the 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI. Although the GTI nameplate has been around for a while in Europe, it’s the relative new comer here in the Philippines. In this match up, the Golf GTI is pitted against the Filipino favorites: Subaru WRX, MINI Cooper S, and the Toyota 86.

Photos by Ulysses and Volkswagen Press

UPDATE (1): We pit the 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI vs its rivals. Click here. (2/27).

The Philippines is finally getting a good taste of the coveted European hot hatch flavor with the official arrival of the 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI. After a lengthy preview that started at the 5th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS), the seventh-generation Golf GTI is finally here. An award-winning sporty compact that has won the world over with its technological leadership and sporty prowess, the all-new GTI aims to carry that tradition and continue to be the sustainable, attainable sports car.

Starting the year 2015 strong, Chevrolet Philippines – The Covenant Car Company Inc. cements its presence in the Cagayan Valley region with the inauguration of its newest dealership - Chevrolet Isabela. As the 2nd largest and one of the most progressive provinces of North Luzon, the Queen Province of Isabela is expected to be a sizeable market for Chevrolet.

Instead of the usual Japanese-powered machines, it was pure American muscle that dominated the 2nd leg of the 2015 National Drag Racing Championship (NDRC). The quickest of which was William “Bill” Hand in his custom 1933 Ford 2-door Sedan aptly named named “Blue Haze.”

Subaru Achieves Two Manufacturing Milestones

Subaru announced that total cumulative production of the brand’s trademark horizontally-opposed “Boxer” engines has reached a milestone of 15 million units. The 15-millionth milestone was achieved in the 49th year since Fuji Heavy Industry (FHI), Subaru’s parent company, developed the engine in the Subaru 1000 compact passenger car in May 1966.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced that Takahiro Hachigo, currently the company’s Managing Officer, will become Senior Managing Officer effective April, and will become President, Chief Executive Officer, and Representative Director in late June 2015. Meanwhile, current President, CEO, and Representative Director Takanobu Ito will remain onboard as Director and Advisor to Honda Motor.

In a ceremony headed by the Senior Counselor of Isuzu Motors Limited Japan (IML) Mr. Yoshinori Ida, the Isuzu –TESDA Auto Mechanic Training Center in Tacloban, Leyte reopens its doors on February 16, 2015 to all the trainees who went home after Typhoon Yolanda (with international name of Haiyan) damaged its facilities.

Expect Chevrolet showrooms to continue offering ‘magical’ experiences as the local arm of one of the world’s biggest car manufacturers turn to another global brand to help take customer service to new heights.

Ford Philippines recognized its top performing dealers at the 2015 Annual Ford Dealer Convention held last February 6 at the Filinvest Tent, Alabang.

The annual Dealer Convention brings together Ford’s dealer principals and their employees to celebrate and recognize individuals, teams, and dealerships who delivered exceptional results in the areas of sales, service and customer satisfaction throughout 2014.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

The Mazda3—take a minute and just look at it. Now, wipe that drool off your face. This is the compact car that defied the norm, the one that actually shouted back and said: “The compact car market isn’t dead.” Where other brands began focusing on crossovers and SUVs, this one acted as the great foil. It connected with buyers and pundits alike and once again rekindled the love affair with the compact car. It’s been the single biggest success story for Mazda Philippines and the one that showed everyone that a great product backed up with aggressive pricing results in countless happy owners. But as cutting-edge and fully-featured as the Mazda3 is, buyers naturally wanted more. They wanted more style. They wanted even more features. In short, they wanted the definitive Mazda3. And here it is: the Mazda3 Speed.

The Good Stuff: Porsche World Road Show 2015

Photos by Ulysses Ang and Porsche Philippines Press

Porsche is a name now eponymous with style and speed. Throughout the decades, the dream makers in Stuttgart have come up with objects of desire. But for all the talk about their design and brevity, there’s one thing that ties all of them together: engineering. At the core of every 911, every Cayenne, every Panamera lies precision work making them feel like they’ve been cut from the same piece of cloth—a cloth dipped in both heritage and tradition, in ingenuity and cleverness.

Volkswagen Philippines Launches Polo 1.6 Hatchback (w/ Brochure)

Volkswagen is always seen as “the people’s car”, responsible for democratizing transport and allowing the regular folk to drive a brand-new automobile as long as she or she saved enough. So when the German brand re-entered the Philippine market last year, its premium price positioning caught everyone, including its loyal fan base by surprise. This year, Volkswagen Philippines is rectifying it by introducing an affordable yet well-designed and well-engineered car that’s aiming to be “your first German car”. Meet the all-new Volkswagen Polo hatchback.

UPDATE 1: We just took it out for a spin around Capiz to Caticlan (9/8).

Hyundai has just taken the wraps off the all-new Tucson and they’re hoping to push the envelope with its cutting-edge design and available technology. The third-generation compact crossover represents a significant step forward for the Korean carmaker and aims to be the poster child for the tagline, “New Thinking, New Possibilities”. It’s powered by a wide range of engines and, for the first time, will be made for Europe (at least for the European market).

Philippine Car Price Guide: February 2015

In this update of the Philippine Car Price Guide, there are some new additions as well as minor revisions. Keep yourself updated:

Chevrolet Sonic 1.4 LS (new model)
Chevrolet Trailblazer 4x2 L (new model)
Honda City 1.5 XV MUGEN (new model)
Honda Jazz 1.5 V MUGEN (new model)
Hyundai Accent 1.4 L (new model)
Hyundai Grand i10 1.0 E (new model)
Hyundai Grand Starex (price update)
Isuzu Crosswind (new model)
Mitsubishi L300 XB (new model)
Nissan NP300 Navara (new model)
Toyota Alphard (new model)
Toyota Prius c (new model)
Volkswagen Polo 1.6 TSI Comfortline (new model)

UPDATED: Isuzu Philippines Revamps Crosswind for 2015 (w/ Video)

UPDATE 1: We included the official promotional video below (2/21).

With a body and mechanicals largely carried over since its full model change in 2001, it’s a surprise how the Crosswind sells in the numbers that it does. You can chuck it most likely to Isuzu Philippines’s Corporation’s constant stream of updates which sees the venerable and immortal people carrier get annual cosmetic or equipment changes. And here’s the 2015 update which not only sees more cosmetic alterations but also introduces a new logo as well as a new marketing tagline.

Review: 2015 Volvo XC60 T5

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Everyone is familiar with Volvo’s sterling reputation for safety, and in recent times, for attractive design. Not too long ago, with the introduction of the all-new S60 sedan, Volvo even took a stab in injecting some so-called naughtiness into its machinery. And while all those adjectives are welcome, Volvo has never really caught on with the premium car buyer, despite some excellent offerings.

Honda Launches Drive to 25 Raffle Promo

To show appreciation to its customers, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. After-Sales Service launches Drive to 25 Raffle Promo which runs from February 9 to March 31, 2015.

Land Rover Updates Evoque for 2015; Adds 2 New Variants to Line-Up

One of the most successful Land Rover vehicles ever made, the Range Rover Evoque embodies the style, sophistication, and of course, the go-anywhere and do-anything attitude associated with the iconic British marque. Building on that success, LRPhils Motors, Inc., the exclusive distributor of Land Rover vehicles in the Philippines formally announces the availability of the 2015 Evoque—a model that’s been vastly improved and revamped to keep it at the cutting-edge of tech and design.

Volvo Cars Philippines launches its new 2015 R-Design models with the first-ever Volvo Night of the Arts. During the event, Volvo honored six influential and esteemed personalities in various fields of the arts. The six honorees are: Joanne Rae Ramirez, the late Jose “Pocholo” Ramirez, Raymond Lauchengco, Rolando Laudico, Ramon Orlina, and Randy Ortiz. Coming from different artistic backgrounds, they all embody the characteristics of the all-new R-Design models—dynamic, bold, and innovative.

UPDATE 2: 2015 Strada has officially launched! (3/20).

UPDATE 1: Here is the official Philippine brochure. (3/7).

This year certainly is shaping up to be a pickup year. Nissan released the first salvo just a few weeks back with the launch of the all-new NP300 Navara. Now Mitsubishi is following suit with their highly-anticipated all-new 2015 Strada. A huge delegation of motoring press flew all the way to Japan to sample this all-new pickup truck late last year and was sworn to secrecy not to spill its secrets. That is, until today.

Nissan Unveils Le Mans Challenger: GT-R LM NISMO

Nissan is declaring itself ready to take on the world’s best sports cars manufacturers as it unveiled its Le Mans challenger, the GT-R LM NISMO. And in a bold move, Nissan has interpreted the sport’s technical regulations in a very bold way.

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) turned over an All New Honda Brio to Leigh Anne Nagata whose name was picked out from a thousand entries to Honda’s Drive the Holiday Spirit raffle promo last December 2014, held at Honda Cars Calamba (HCCL).

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