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October 18, 2015

CAGI Completes First Testfest at Fontana

The Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI), successfully completed the first test day for the search of the 2015 Car of the Year - Philippines and Truck of the Year - Philippines. Held last Saturday, October 10, 2015, the Fontana Convention Center served as the staging area for the qualitative testing, as well as part of the technical testing. A total of 15 vehicles joined the first day of trials, and were driven by CAGI jurors around a pre-determined route, inside the Clark Freeport Zone.

UPDATED: Subaru Confirms Levorg for Philippines, Sales Start January 2016 (w/ Specs, Brochure)

UPDATE 4: It has just been launched for the Philippine market (12/16).

UPDATE 3: We added the official brochure below (10/25).

UPDATE 2: Read our first drive of the Subaru Levorg 1.6 GT-S here (10/20).

UPDATE 1: Motor Image Pilipinas has confirmed a price range of the Levorg (indicated below); we have also included more photos from the launch (10/17).

The end of the turbocharged Subaru wagon is greatly exaggerated as Motor Image has finally confirmed the arrival of the Levorg for the Southeast Asia region, including the Philippines with ~~reservations~~ sales to start by January 2016 at all Subaru dealerships nationwide.

While you wait for our First Drive impressions, here’s what we can tell you.

Volkswagen PH Extends Financing Promo to End of October

Volkswagen Philippines is extending the zero percent down payment, zero percent interest promotion on its popular Tiguan, Touran, and Polo Sedan models for the month of October. Touareg customers on the other hand will enjoy zero percent interest for 36 months. The promo, which began in September, has been extended due to insistent public demand.

The first of the full Skyactiv line of vehicles, the Mazda CX-5, first introduced in 2012, is still at the top of its game. It delivers a driver-centric experience without sacrificing practicality and efficiency. It’s a rare breed of car that’s both a personal and popular choice; something the husband and the wife won’t disagree over. Simply put, Mazda didn’t need to revamp it. It’s good as it is and still sells briskly. Except, the Mazda3 happened and since then, the company has had to sprinkle the same sort of updates particularly because the CX-5 commands a price premium over its non-crossover stable mate.

Showing Your School Spirit Can Win You Big

With the school year coming into full bloom, students of the country’s select universities get another way to show their love for their schools in the Hyundai i20 Cross Sport University Tour. Hosted by Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc., the exclusive distributor of Hyundai cars in the Philippines, the University Tour gives students a chance to cheer for their schools while showing their talents through the i20 Cross Sport “Show your School Spirit” Decal Design Contest.

Philippine Car Price Guide: September-October 2015

We sort of missed the September 2015 update for the Philippine Car Price Guide. Still, don’t panic since here’s the October 2015 edition. In this update, we’re highlighting the following:

Chevrolet Trax
Foton Gratour
Foton Toano
Foton Toplander
Haima S5
Hyundai i20 Cross Sport
Hyundai Tucson
Mitsubishi Mirage Special Edition
Nissan Juke
Nissan NP300 Navara (price increase)
Nissan NV350 Urvan (price increase)
Nissan Patrol Royale (price decrease)
Toyota Avanza
Toyota Land Cruiser 200

In the span of a week, two new sub-compact crossovers have entered the Philippine market, the 2016 Nissan Juke and the 2016 Chevrolet Trax. Now, how do these two sub-million peso offerings fare against the current segment leader, the Ford EcoSport? How does it do (theoretically) against the Mazda CX-3 and of course, the in-between sized Honda HR-V.

Wonder no more as we have our usual comparative chart after the break.

UPDATE: Adding the official press release below as well as some event photos (10/20).

After a lengthy preview and striptease (since MIAS actually), Chevrolet is officially throwing their hat into the sub-compact crossover ring with the launch of the 2016 Trax. Designed top-down to take on the urban jungle, the Trax comes with the segment’s first turbocharged engine and is offered at an attractive price that starts below the one-million peso mark.

Despite a softening global demand to its 86, Toyota is showing off yet another take on the affordable sports car genre with the Toyota S-FR. Though currently in a concept car form, the production-ready S-FR (at least from photos) is meant to slot below the 86 to become Toyota’s entry-level sports car.

Honda Cars Philippines Ends Q3 with Record-Breaking September

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI), Honda’s automobile business unit in the Philippines, closes September with 2,093 vehicle sales. HCPI posted a 54 percent growth from the same month last year.
This sustained strong performance is attributed to the introduction of new market players and continuous product updates coupled with easy-to-own financing options.

Following the successful launch of its Euro 4 gasoline products in June, market leader Petron Corporation announced its diesel products, Turbo Diesel and DieselMax, now meet global Euro 4 fuel standards.

Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru, is showing off (at least in concept form) of what could be their most important product in the next few years: the Impreza 5-Door Concept. As a start to the company’s “Prominence 2020” announced in May 2014, this debuts not just a new styling direction for the brand but a brand-new platform which will underpin all other future Subaru models.

The Impreza 5-Door Concept will feature Subaru’s Dynamic & Solid theme which expresses value exceeding its class. This can be felt from the dynamically sporty driving feel to the solid performance as well as innovation and peace of mind provided by its wealth of safety and technological features.

CarGuide.PH will be at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show which will run from October 28-30, 2015. For up-to-the-minute updates during the show dates, follow us on Twitter or Instagram.

Tokyo Motor Show 2015: Mitsubishi eX Concept is Future EV Crossover

Mitsubishi is holding the global premiere of their brand-new concept car at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show this end of October. The eX Concept is a brand-new compact crossover that’s designed for the urban environment while keeping some design elements of a shooting brake. Though it’s purely a design concept for now, the eX Concept does preview future design elements as well as technology for Mitsubishi.

Peugeot Philippines, together with the Unionbank of the Philippines will offer special rates and packages for the month of October 2015. Low down payment schemes, all-in packages, and a first-in-market 3-year free comprehensive insurance program are available for the complete Peugeot model lineup to offer its clients the opportunity to bring home a Peugeot with the best deals possible until October 31, 2015.

The Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI), is all set to begin their 12th testing season to determine the best of the best among the recently launched vehicles in the market today. With firm commitments from almost all car manufacturers and distributors, this year’s test fest promises to be a busy one for the participating members.

Foton's Game Changer: Upclose with the Toplander

During one otherwise uninteresting afternoon, I received a rather peculiar phone call. “Sir, would you be interested in driving the Foton Toplander in Indiana?” Given the quality of our cellular service in Manila, I was almost sure I misheard the other person on the line. “Sure,” I said. When will you need me to submit my Chinese Visa requirements? “No sir. You won’t need it. This drive will be in Indiana, USA.” A long pause ensued. A Foton drive in the Midwestern US? They must be kidding, I thought. Lo-and-behold, two weeks later, I was actually on a 31-hour plane ride to Columbus, Indiana to see the Toplander.

Nissan Philippines Previews Juke (w/ Specs)

Just in time with its new brand campaign, “Rediscover Excitement” as well as its second anniversary as part of the global Nissan family, Nissan Philippines, Inc. brings to market the Juke sports sub-compact crossover. Featuring a unique exterior design, motorbike inspired cabin, and dynamic handling, the Juke is now available for reservations at all Nissan dealerships nationwide with deliveries to start by January 2016.

Auto Nation Group, the exclusive distributor of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the country showed off the newest offerings from high-performance division, AMG, headlined by the local debut of the Mercedes-AMG GT S supercar. This was joined at the event by the CLA 45 OrangeArt Edition and GLA 45.

Ford Motor Company and St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University have reached the final phase of a large-scale research project aimed at enhancing vehicle communication technology. As a result of the work that leverages university telematics expertise in space robot communications, Ford has filed several patents on technologies that can serve to advance connected cars of the future.

Delo , a global brand distributed by Chevron under the Caltex master brand in Asia Pacific, has some treats for Filipino motorists as it celebrates 80 years of bringing people further.

Honda Philippines, Inc. (HPI) has released two new motorcycles designed for the new breed of rider who want technology, innovative features, and practicality. In their new campaign dubbed “Generation S”, HPI launched the all-new Zoomer-X. The Zoomer-X joins HPI’s other Generation S offerings: the BeAT-Fi and Click125i.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Why fix if it isn’t broken? That’s more or less the theme of the 2015 Toyota Camry. It’s been the country’s best-selling executive sedan for quite some time. Theoretically, Toyota could put their feet up and call it a day, and it will still sell very well; a nod to the strong recall and reputation of this model. But Toyota’s not giving its competitors any time to catch up. It’s been given a timely nip and tuck just to keep its competitors at bay without straying far from its long-held virtues.

Foton Unveils Gratour, Toano Vans

Foton Philippines is getting two new additions to its MPV/van line-up with the formal launch of the Gratour and Toano which were unveiled alongside the Toplander at the Big Show 2015 in World Trade Center in Pasay City. According to the largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in China, both the Toano and Gratour are destined to make a splash thanks to its space, utility, and flexibility.

Foton is expanding its line-up with the unveil of not one, not two, but three new offerings at its annual Big Show which is happening now until tomorrow, October 4, 2015 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. The biggest commercial vehicle manufacturer in China, Foton has quickly established itself as a formidable commercial vehicle brand in the Philippines despite being established just eight years ago. Headlining the charge is the Toplander.

Zalora, Asia’s online fashion destination, and Japanese automotive brand Mazda have teamed up once again to bring in the “Mazda2 Drive for Fashion” raffle game where participants are given a chance to go home aboard an all-new Mazda2 Skyactiv R. The online raffle found on Zalora Philippines’ official website runs now to November 30, 2015 and is open to all Zalora customers.

Volvo Philippines continues to support music and the arts as it becomes the official transport of world-renowned pianist Cecile Licad. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Sanctuario de San Antonio and the 19th Francisfest, Licad performed along with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra on October 2, 2015.

Conducted by Gerard Salonga, the evening was filled with sweet notes and a repertoire that delighted all guests. More importantly, proceeds of the concert supported outreach programs, such as the scholarship program for deserving youth, the PGH Pediatric Hospital Ministry, The Prison Ministry, victims of Typhoon Yolanda in Samar, and poor Franciscan parishes in rural areas.

Licad will be ferried in a Volvo S60, a sleek and stylish sports sedan.

Willie Torres Bags 2015 Yokohama Philippine GT Championship

After bagging two 1st place finishes at the 5th round of the 2015 Yokohama Philippine GT Championship last September 27, Willie Torres is provisionally now the new GT 300 champion with one round to spare.

UPDATE 3: Volkswagen Philippines issued a statement (10/03).

UPDATE 2: The Dieselgate scandal has caused some heads to roll (9/26).

UPDATE 1: More information provided below. Seems the cheat involves engines worldwide (9/23).

Volkswagen is the middle of a corporate catastrophe that undermines a loss of trust towards consumers and government regulators. Just last week, the US-based Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has discovered that certain VW models are able to circumvent emission requirements during testing with a “defeat device”. This affects close to 500,000 cars and could also mean that the German automaker could face stiff fines.

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October 18, 2015

CAGI Completes First Testfest at Fontana

October 14, 2015

UPDATED: Subaru Confirms Levorg for Philippines, Sales Start January 2016 (w/ Specs, Brochure)

October 13, 2015

Volkswagen PH Extends Financing Promo to End of October

Review: 2015-2016 Mazda CX-5 AWD Sport

October 12, 2015

Showing Your School Spirit Can Win You Big

October 10, 2015

Philippine Car Price Guide: September-October 2015

2016 Nissan Juke vs the Competition

UPDATED: Chevrolet Enters Sub-Compact Crossover Battle with 2016 Trax (w/ Brochure)

The Toyota S-FR is Probably Not a Miata, But Could Be Fun

October 9, 2015

Honda Cars Philippines Ends Q3 with Record-Breaking September

Petron Now Locally Producing Full Range of Euro-4 Fuels

Tokyo Motor Show 2015: Subaru to Debut All-New Impreza 5-Door Concept

Tokyo Motor Show 2015: Mitsubishi eX Concept is Future EV Crossover

Peugeot Launches 3-Year All-In Program

Philippine CoTY Tests Start this Weekend at Fontana

October 7, 2015

Foton's Game Changer: Upclose with the Toplander

October 6, 2015

Nissan Philippines Previews Juke (w/ Specs)

Mercedes-Benz Philippines Launches AMG GT S, CLA 45 OrangeArt Edition, GLA 45

Ford Gets Closer to Connected Cars with Help from University

Delo Celebrates 80 Years with "Lets Go Further Today with Delo" Campaign

Honda Launches Zoomer-X

Review: 2015 Toyota Camry 3.5 Q

October 3, 2015

Foton Unveils Gratour, Toano Vans

Foton Charges into SUV Market with Toplander

Win a Mazda2 in Zalora and Mazda's "Drive for Fashion" Raffle

Volvo Ferries Premiere Pianist Cecile Licad

Willie Torres Bags 2015 Yokohama Philippine GT Championship

UPDATED: Volkswagen Caught Cheating on Emissions