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January 13, 2015

NAIAS 2015: Ford F-150 Raptor Also Gets EcoBoost Power, 10-Speed Automatic

Ford unveiled its next-generation muscle car for the off-road, the F-150 Raptor at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Compared to the outgoing model, the all-new Raptor features a purpose-built, high-strength steel frame (no more bent chassis issues, I presume) and a lightweight aluminum body that sheds more than 500 pounds (226 kilograms).

Modern urbanization is impacting the market in a broad way, and this trend is especially strong with young adults, who face tighter parking on streets and parking garages, and increasing congestion overall. These trends are not confined to one specific region; they’re happening in urban hubs everywhere. These “Urban Adventurers” have a different mindset, being very active both socially, and in their communities, bringing a pioneering spirit to make their neighborhoods a better place to live and work.

Honda, through its US luxury division, Acura showed off the production NSX at the 2015 North American International Auto Show. Developed and set to be built in the US, the all-new NSX sets an entirely new direction from the everyday supercar that was discontinued in 2005.

Ford is bringing its EcoBoost technology to the supercar race with the launch of the all-new GT. Picking up where the previous GT left off almost a decade ago (it was launched to commemorate Ford’s 100th anniversary), and in turn, nodding to the Le Mans-winning GT40, the all-new GT comes packing a new 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost engine pumping out some 600 horsepower to the rear wheels. This application makes it the most powerful production EcoBoost engine ever.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

What’s in a name? This is perhaps the question that faced the marketing gurus at Nissan Philippines when they raised their compact car from the grave with an all-new nameplate. Like the builders of the Tower of Babel, there was shock and then utter confusion: Syl-what? How do you spell that? Like “selfie”? Whatever happened to Sentra? From an outsider looking in, it didn’t make sense. ‘Sentra’ had such a strong recall, so why kill the name? You don’t have to look far to realize that Nissan themselves or more specifically the former distributors who handed the brand caused the Sentra’s demise. Ask anyone below the age of thirty what they think of ‘Sentra’ and only two things come to mind: taxi cabs and cold air conditioning. These aren’t exactly the best adjectives to hear when you’re trying to resurrect the brand, but the reality must be faced: the era of the B13 is over. And Nissan Philippines knows that entirely.

Philippine Car Price Guide: January 2015

Happy New Year! This is the first edition of the Philippine Price Guide for 2015. We apologize for not updating in December—I guess we were in the partying mood quite early. Remember, entries that are clickable contain links to our vast database of test drives. Anyway, for this update there are some sizeable updates throughout including updates of:

BAIC (new entry)
Ford EcoSport (price adjustment)
Ford Focus (price adjustment)
Ford Mustang 50 Years Limited Edition (2015 model)
Foton Thunder Strike (new entry)
Foton Thunder Ironman (new entry)
Foton View Traveller 15/18-Seater (new entry)
Honda Civic (price adjustment)
Honda CR-V (2015 model)
Hyundai Sonata (2015 model)
Kia Carens (price adjustment)
Kia Picanto (price adjustment)
Kia Rio (price adjustment)
Kia Sorento (price adjustment)
Kia Sportage (price adjustment)
Lamborghini Huracan (2015 model)
Lexus sedans (price adjustment)
Lexus NX 200t and NX 200t F Sport(2015 model)
Mitsubishi Mirage G4 (price adjustment)
Mitsubishi Montero Sport (price adjustment)
Toyota Fortuner (price ajdustment)
Toyota Hilux (price adjustment)
Toyota Prius C (price adjustment)
Toyota RAV4 (new naming convention)
Toyota Vios TRD (2015 model)
Toyota Wigo (price adjustment)

Volkswagen Philippines announced an aggressive growth plan in 2015 headlined by the arrival of eight new models this year including new engine and transmission variants of its current vehicle line-up. During the Media Appreciation Night, Mr. John Philip Orbeta, President and CEO of Volkswagen Philippines and Mr. Klaus Schadewald, Chief Operating Adviser of Volkswagen Philippines made the announcement that 2015 will be a busy year for the German car brand.

The all-new Hyundai Genesis and Sonata earned GOOD DESIGN Awards for their quality design, function and aesthetics from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

You are looking at the country’s best-selling pick-up truck. After some back-and-forth with its perennial rival (and former best-selling pick-up truck), the Toyota Hilux, the Ford Ranger has emerged as the Philippines’s best-selling pick-up in the country with unit sales of 7,996 units.

Ford Philippines has also revealed that the Ranger is the best-selling pick-up in both 4x2 and 4x4 categories as per industry sales reports. The Ranger’s accomplishment comes hot on the heels of its award-winning year where it won a total of six prestigious awards including a back-to-back win as the country’s Truck of the Year.

Volvo Philippines reports a growth of 20 percent in retail sales for 2014 over the previous year. The increase in sales, according to the company, is due to the success of its revitalized XC60, S60, and V40 models. By October 2014, Volvo Philippines has already surpassed its sales volume in 2013 on its way to a 20 percent increase by end-December. This sales growth coincides with the brand’s 20th anniversary in the Philippines.

First Scania Truck Rolls Off Philippine Assembly Line

Top European brand Scania is now in the Philippines as the first locally assembled truck rolls off the production line. Headquartered in Sweden, Scania is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has today revealed record sales results for a fifth consecutive year, with 4,063 cars sold globally during 2014. This exceptional result means that sales have more than quadrupled since 2009.

Review: 2015 Honda Brio Amaze 1.3V A/T

Photos by Ulysses Ang

I’ve driven it around Tagaytay Highlands. I’ve driven it around Bicol. You think I’ve said everything I could say about the Honda Brio Amaze, but I was wrong. This time, I bring Honda’s wonder sedan through its toughest test yet: the streets of Manila. This time, there’s no pre-determined route, no performance test, no fuel economy run, no media junket. For one week, it’s just me and the Brio Amaze. Can it transform my perceptions on what an entry-level sedan should be?

BOSS IronMan Motorcycle Challenge is On; Flags Off January 23 in Clark

In an effort to advocate safe riding and camaraderie within the motor sports community, the BOSS IronMan Motorcycle Challenge will mark its tenth consecutive staging on January 23, 2015.

Christmas wishes came true for winners of the Petron Fast Prize promo, who will be enjoying their new cars, motorcycles, and free fuel for a year.

On the very first day of the promo, which runs from November 15, 2014 to February 15, 2015, Ferdinand Siobal, a businessman, was feeling lucky when he saw the tarp announcing Petron’s Fast Prize promo, jokingly telling his wife, “Do you see that? What if we take home the Toyota Vios?” Even with his tank still half-full, he decided to stop at the Petron station in Marikina and fueled up his Nissan Navarra with P1,500-worth of Diesel Max. True enough, he got his wish and was the first winner of a major prize in Petron’s ongoing Fast Prize promo.

Pilipinas Taj Autogroup Inc. (PTAJ), the exclusive distributor of Tata Motors Passenger Cars and Commercial Vehicles in the Philippines, continues to grow nationwide through its Tata Davao dealership, inaugurated last December 18, 2014. Already operating since the brand’s launch in the Manila International Auto show earlier this year, the dealership is now fully operational and is graced by the presence of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Indian Ambassador to the Philippines L.D. Ralte and, Tata Motors Limited, Mr. R.T. Wasan, Head International Business Commercial Vehicles, and Pilipinas Taj Autogroup Inc., Chairman and President, Mr. David Coyukiat.

Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID) registered 18% growth for the first 11 months of the year to 32,878 units. In November, AVID saw its sales up by 9% year-on-year to a total of 2,764 units. The group’s sustained sales pace was driven by the double-digit growth of the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment.

Kia and the Australian Open have partnered for four years now to bring together the worlds of motoring and sports. Every year, Kia Lucky Drive to Australia is staged to give opportunities for Kia test-drive participants to experience world-class tennis action at the Australian Open!

Top 5 Picks for 2014

2014 is a renaissance of sorts for the Philippine automotive industry. Record-breaking sales (topping north of 200,000 units), tons of events, and a great number of new entrants—for those covering the industry, it’s been a very busy year. Therefore, picking just the top five cars/vehicles of the year isn’t easy, but it’s something we have been doing for the past three years now (2013, 2012, 2011). As always, we don’t break it down into categories or classifications here. This is pretty straight to the point. No bull crap here. There are only two rules to be considered for CarGuide.PH’s Top 5 Picks: first, we should have driven it; second, it must be mainstream (no cars above PHP 4-million).

Now that we’ve put everything in order, let’s get on with CarGuide.PH’s Top 5 Picks of 2014. The list begins, in preferential order, after the break.

Hyundai Sales Increase 9 Percent January to November 2014

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) continued to post positive growth as sales hit a total of 21,405 units in January to November this year, 9% higher as compared with the same period last year. In November, total units sold were 1,730, up by 1% year-on-year.

Volvo Philippines gives back as it shares its blessings to the Chosen Children Village Foundation, Inc. (CCVFI). In celebration of its 20th year in the country, Volvo continues its dedication to care for people when it teamed up with the Scandinavian Society of the Philippines (SSP) in a recent visit to the Chosen Children Village. Ferried by the dynamic line of Volvo cars, sponsors and donors trooped to Silang, Cavite and enjoyed a day with these special children, bringing with them love, care and financial aid to further the rehabilitation and continued development of children in this home.

Hyundai Philippines Launches 2015 Sonata (w/ Brochure)

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai in the Philippines, used its festive Christmas Party to unveil the all-new seventh generation Sonata executive sedan to the media, dealers, and VIP guests. The all-new Sonata builds on the global success of its most immediate predecessor and is poised to set new standards in luxury, quality, and refinement. The all-new Sonata is built with four innovations in mind: Run, Stop, Versatility, Protect (RSVP) and the entire car is built to encapsulate those four elements.

Review: 2014 Tata Manza Aura Quadrajet Diesel

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Whenever you step out of the Tata Manza, it’s inevitable to be the butt of Indian jokes. A couple of times, I was quizzed whether it was curry-powered or at least ask me how it drives with whatever passes for an Indian accent. Clearly, it’s all part of the birthing pains for Tata, being the pioneering Indian car brand in the country. You don’t have to look far to see that a car buyer’s bias is still there: some will say Korean cars are as delectable on the palette as kimchee or that all Chinese cars are built by people named Cheech or Chong. As a car guy, I can’t have that bias. I’ve got to respect cars based on individual merit and strength. So when the Tata Manza Aura arrived at my doorstep, I won’t care where it’s from. I only mind its design and engineering. And you know what? It’s actually a respectable little car.

McLaren-Honda is delighted to announce its new driver line-up for 2015: Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button. Kevin Magnussen will remain an important part of the team, as test and reserve driver.

The BYD F0 served as the “spec car” during the recent Challenge of Champions (COC) race-off, organized by Flat Out Race Series Inc. (FORS) headed by Edward dela Rosa, which was held on December 6 at the Batangas Racing Circuit in Rosario, Batangas.

Representatives from Honda Cars Makati, Inc. (HCMI) commanded a strong, solid finish as they, time and again, dominated the 13th National Customer Service Skills Competition (formerly National Technicians’ Contest or NTC) organized by Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI).

Ford Philippines Previews All-New 2015 Mustang with Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Model

In celebration of the iconic Mustang’s 50th anniversary as well as to whet the appetite of Filipino car enthusiasts, Ford Philippines showed off the 50 Years Limited Edition All-New Ford Mustang. Based on the all-new 2015 Mustang, the 50 Years Limited Edition model carries unique features and specially-designed elements on both the exterior and interior.

Volkswagen offers you the freedom to afford one of life’s luxuries by giving you more options to choose from. Introducing Volkswagen Auto Leasing – for people who want to experience easy ownership plan and a one-stop shop offering exceptional amenities and customer services.

The magical holiday season is in full swing and it’s the time of the year when you want to maximize face time with your family and loved ones. As we scramble to choose the nicest gifts to give, the idea of delivering these presents through the grindingly slow Metro Manila traffic is the least exciting part of it.

Luxury Italian automotive manufacturer, Maserati, was honored with the prestigious Tour of the Year Award at the 2014 International Historic Motoring Awards (IHMA) at a ceremony in London last week. The iconic Italian marque won the prize for its Centennial Gathering, a three-day tour which took place in Italy from the 18th to 20th September.

There are two types of car owners in this world when it comes to caring for their vehicles. The proactive and the reactive owners. Proactive owners are the people who even before they buy their respective cars have already decided where to get it fix before something breaks. Reactive owners, on the other hand, never maximize the potential of their vehicles because they postpone routine maintenance until it’s absolutely necessary.

Petron Blaze 100 Euro 4 was the official fuel of the Quezon Drive Tour Caravan held last November 29-30, 2014, and organized by AAP Travel, a fully-owned subsidiary of Automobile Association Philippines (AAP).

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