CarGuide.PH | Philippine Car News, Car Reviews, Car Prices

January 8, 2018

Toyota, Lexus Announce 2018 Prices Incorporating New Excise Tax

Following Honda’s lead 5 days ago, Toyota Motor Philippines (including its luxury division, Lexus) is the next car manufacturer to unveil their official January 2018 prices taking into account the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN Law. And as one of the only handful of carmakers locally to boast of a full and diversified line-up (including pick-up trucks and hybrids), this is the first complete picture anyone has on the effect of Republic Act 10963 on vehicle prices.

The i-ACT or Inter-Agency Council on Traffic, collectively made up of the Land Transportation Franchising & Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the Philippine National Police – Highway Patrol Group (PNP – HPG) has started to weed out decrepit and polluting passenger jeepneys under the Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok program.

After previewing it at the Nordic Chamber of Commerce’s annual Crayfish Party last September, Volvo’s midsized crossover has finally arrived. Offered in just one variant (for now), the 2018 XC60 is the uniquely Swedish answer to a segment typically dominated by the Germans.

Toyota to Merge 3 Aftermarket Divisions

Toyota Motor Corporation is merging three of its vehicle customization companies: Toyota Technocraft Co., Ltd., J-TACS Corporation, and Toyota Modellista International Corporation into one entity starting April 1 of this year.

This Close-to-Stock Nissan Navara Will Take On the Dakar Rally

One man is going out of his way to prove that the Nissan Navara is a “tough and smart” truck. He’s going to take it through one of the most grueling races in the world: the Dakar Rally.

One of the most recognizable stars in the movie Baby Driver has to be the red Subaru WRX. Driven by lead Ansel Elgort, the “Hawkeye” WRX is memorable for its almost-10-minute long opening chase sequence. After shooting wrapped, Elgort was so enamored with the WRX that he actually got himself one of the cars used in the film.

Hyundai Philippines Keeps 2017 Car Prices with Beat the TRAIN Promo (w/ Prices)

Hyundai Philippines is giving potential buyers one last chance to beat the TRAIN. With the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Republic Act 10963) now in place, it pretty much means that new vehicle prices are up almost across the board.

From one of the worst polluters in the world, to a strong voice in the fight against air pollution. As the world greeted the new year, China has banned the production and sale of 553 car models because it does not meet the government’s tough new fuel consumption and emissions standards. Although the complete list of 553 vehicles isn’t available, a report by Bloomberg News says that at least one Audi, one Mercedes-Benz, and one Chevrolet model are included.

Applying for or renewing your car’s insurance? Now would be a great time to do it since it can win you a roundtrip airfare ticket to Taiwan for two plus P 20,000 in pocket money.

Nissan just unveiled a way to help you control your car based on inputs from the driver’s brain. Dubbed Brain-to-Vehicle or B2V technology, it promises to speed up reaction times for the driver and will lead to cars becoming more enjoyable to drive.

Department of Energy to Oil Companies: We're Watching You

After oil companies geared up to implement the new excise tax on fuel last January 1, 2018, the Department of Energy (DOE) countered and said: not so fast.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) held a two-day event to promote EV and PHEV technology as next-generation cars. Last December, a symposium on Electric Vehicles and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles was held at De La Salle University (DLSU), Taft Avenue, in Manila which was attended by engineering students and some faculty members from De La Salle University, Mapua Institute of Technology, and University of the Philippines.

Just in time for the new year, Petron has released a new set of Best Day stickers on Viber to help road warriors communicate with family and friends in new and fun ways.

Automotive publication Ward’s has released their annual 10 Best Engines and for 2018, half of the winners are turbocharged. In addition, it sees the return of the fuel cell as well as a V8 along with two first-time winners.

Honda Cars Philippines is First Automaker to Officially Reveal Post-TRAIN Prices

Honda Cars Philippines (HCPI) is the first carmaker to official reveal their post-TRAIN prices effective January 1, 2018. Posted on their official website (and not leaked through dealers), the new prices effectively see Honda’s prices go up across the board.

Top executives from Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) and Shaw Automotive Resources, Inc. (SARI) led the groundbreaking ceremony of the Hyundai Marikina dealership along Sumulong Highway in Marikina City.

One of the oddest things about modern Toyotas is the size of its radio. Despite it being non-integral to the dash, its size doesn’t conform to the traditionally accepted ISO 7736 or more commonly known as Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN 75490) or DIN. This poses a problem to owners who want to have the option of upgrading their standard factory radios into something, well, a bit more sophisticated.

Volkswagen has produced more than six million vehicles in 2017, setting a new record for the German carmaker. Helping them achieve this goal, Volkswagen embarked on their largest model offensive in its history. This along with strong global demand has led them to this milestone. The Jetta, Golf, Santana, Passat, and Polo are the top models in their line-up.

So When Are Car and Gas Prices Going Up?

With Republic Act 10963 (infamously known as the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN Law) taking effect on the first day of 2018 (yesterday), there has been a lot of confusion as to whether it should be implemented since the government has yet to issue proper Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

It’s painful to see what Hyundai has done with the Elantra. From a world-beating compact sedan that had the Japanese almost beat down pat, it’s now good as gone; plummeting into obscurity just as quickly as it rose to fame. It’s the automotive equivalent of being a K-Pop one-hit wonder. It was classy, sexy, and original. Now, it’s simply overpriced, unoriginal, and sadly, uninteresting.

Kenichi Yamamoto, the man who led a team at Mazda to produce the world’s first commercially viable rotary engine and later served as its President and Chairman has died. He was 95.

DTI, Body Makers Settle on Standardized Modern PUV Dimensions

The Automotive Body Manufacturers Association of the Philippines or ABMAP has revealed certain design concepts of the proposed “Eco PUV”—the proposed replacement of the ageing jeepneys under the government’s PUV Modernization program.

Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines, registered a positive year-to-date growth in Passenger Car (PC) and Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) sales, growing by 12 percent from 30,469 units sold in January-November 2016 to 34,025 units sold in January-November 2017.

As part of its commitment to improve the overall Ford ownership experience, Ford Philippines recently held its annual cross-dealership skills enhancement tournament, which aims to promote talents, skills, and capabilities among dealership personnel through practical and technical competition to better serve customers.

Havoline Awards Vespa Scooter to True Power from Within Promo

Havoline motor oils, marketed by Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), recently awarded Pauline Rose Temana with a brand-new Vespa scooter as the grand prize winner of its True Power from Within promo.

Würth Buys Lubricants Giant Liqui Moly

German machinery and lubricants giant, the Würth Group has just announced that it is taking over the lubricant brand Liqui Moly effective January 1, 2018.

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) extends its innovative ways beyond motoring by building its first community of creatives via the recently concluded Hyundai Digital Art Competition.

Top 5 Picks for 2017

It’s almost the end of the year and that means it’s time for CarGuide.PH’s annual Top 5 Picks. Before revealing this year’s best, now would be a great time to look at the previous winners (2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011). Regular readers know that our Top 5 Picks is done differently from anyone else. Instead of categorizing and sub-categorizing them (sometimes conveniently to make a brand win), we simply lump everything together.

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