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February 7, 2019

Did Toyota Philippines Just Find a Way to Bring the C-HR into the Market?

For almost two years now, Toyota’s sub-compact C-HR crossover was supposedly being considered for the Philippine market. The plan, likely killed when the new vehicle excise tax went into effect last 2018, looks to be salvageable with the news that Toyota’s now assembling the C-HR in Thailand.

The death of the turbocharged Forester has left a gaping hole in the hearts of car enthusiasts everywhere. Where now can we get our daily adrenaline fix while still being able to justify to our wives or girlfriends that “it’s practical; it just so happens to be fast too?” Well, don’t fear, because that very same reasoning applies to the 2019 Subaru Levorg 2.0 GT-S. It’s one practical car; it just so happens to be fast too.

Toyota and Sumitomo Mitsui Auto Service Company are joining up to form a new company called Kinto. Realizing that as society shifts from conventional car ownership to car usage that can be enjoyed wherever and as needed, Kinto is a unique take in the automotive subscription service.

In celebration of Chinese New Year, Subaru is holding a special program for aftersales service until the end of the month for vehicles both under warranty and those post-warranty.

Every year, General Motors’ color and trim designers from each region converge at the GM’s Design Center in North America to decide what colors to offer on future vehicles based on customer preferences, supplier insights, and other industry trends. By doing so, GM is able to offer Chevrolet vehicles in a wide range of hues that balances the need for customer appeal across many markets and product differentiation within specific markets and segments.

Suzuki Jimny Among Top 10 Finalists for 2019 World Car of the Year

Out of 40 eligible contenders, the 10 finalists for the 2019 World Car of the Year was announced. The jury, made up of 86 international automotive journalists selected the following by secret ballot. Whil the list is populated by European brands, there’s actually one standout: the 2019 Suzuki Jimny.

You think the price of the pristine low-mileage 1994 Toyota Supra was insane? Well, for about the same price, you can buy yourself—a used set of wheels and tires from a Bugatti Veyron.

Jaguar Land Rover has developed a system that projects the direction of travel onto the road ahead of self-driving vehicles, to tell other road users what it is going to do next.

Despite the well-documented dangers of using a mobile phone while driving, more and more drivers are guilty of “manipulating” their devices while driving—up 57 percent compared to 2014, in fact, according to a survey done by the US-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or the IIHS.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) stood as witnesses as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) turned over one i-MiEV (Pure Electric Vehicle) and one Outlander PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) to the Office of the President during the signing and turn over ceremony held at the Malacañang Palace.

UPDATED: Mazda Teases New Compact SUV (It's the CX-3)

After the debut of the 2019 Mazda3, the next Mazda model to receive the “seventh-generation” or 7G treatment is an all-new Mazda compact SUV and it’ll be shown to the world at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show next month.

It’s hard to make what the BAIC BJ20 is. Afar, it looks like a large, hulking off-roader, but upon closer inspection, it’s closer in packaging to a compact SUV. It’s also got this strong Jeep vibe going on, even if its innards are based off a soft roader which, in turn, has strong Saab roots. It doesn’t make sense, but you shouldn’t care. It’s time to stop overanalyzing it and treat it as it is: a surprisingly solid crossover.

Ford Philippines Slashes Prices of 2019 Explorer

Still haven’t bought a Ford lately? Well, if you’re thinking about one, there’s some great news. Ford is extending discounts on the EcoSport, Explorer, and Everest until February 28, 2019.

You think you have discerning taste? You think you tell which Montero Sport’s the best-looking one? Well, by simply casting your vote, you stand the chance to win a trip for two (2) to Japan.

At their annual Dealers’ Appreciation Night, Foton Vice President for Dealer Sales Operations, Mr. Levy Santos gave everyone more detail about Foton Philippines’s performance last 2018 and their plans heading into 2019. Here are some of the highlights:

The term, “Multi-Purpose Vehicle” or MPV is used to describe any vehicle that puts flexibility above all else. Things like styling, performance, and comfort are typically left out, and if present, feel like mere afterthoughts. In the past few years though, things have changed. MPV buyers started demanding more than just flexibility; they started wanting everything a passenger car or even SUV could offer. Enter the 2019 Suzuki Ertiga, a car that heeds the call of the modern family man.

After Toyota Motor Philippines announced its arrival on the second week of February, more details have finally surfaced on the all-new 2019 RAV4.

How Bad is Bad? A Look at the Philippine Automotive Industry in 2018

2018 is a year to forget for the Philippine automotive industry. After 7 years of impressive growth, car sales dropped last year due to factors such as the implementation of the revised new vehicle excise tax (part of the TRAIN law) and the resulting higher inflation and weakening peso.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines wants would-be MPV buyers to sample the Xpander MPV first-hand to prove once and for all that it’s the best MPV around.

After cementing itself as the 9th biggest auto brand in 2018, Foton Motor Philippines is setting a higher bar this 2019 with the introduction of a new marketing campaign that aims to reinforce the brand’s confidence in opening bigger possibilities and creating grander breakthroughs for Filipino families and businesses.

Caltex, marketed by Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), closes 2018 with strong growth in its retail business. Continued expansion and successive openings of new fuel stations across the country brings the company’s nationwide retail network to more than 600 stations.

With a long history in rally including winning the Dakar Rally in 1986, Porsche is eyeing a comeback as early as next year to compete in the FIA R-GT class with the Porsche Cayman GT4 Rallye.

The Schumacher name is returning to Ferrari as 2018 FIA Formula 3 European Champion and son of 5-time Formula One world champion Mick Schumacher has signed on to be a part of the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA).

There Will Be a Second-Generation Subaru BRZ

The introduction of the Toyota Supra, particularly a base 197-horsepower variant in Japan has certainly put the “Toyobaru” twins back in the spotlight. Will Subaru and Toyota move forward with a next-generation 86 and BRZ? Or will their affordable coupe bit the dust after just one, albeit lengthy, model generation?

You think a “regular” Honda Civic Type R or a Honda NSX doesn’t stand out enough? Well, how about wrapping them in gold foil.

Kia Philippines Adjusts Prices, Specs of Picanto, Sportage, Sorento, and Grand Carnival for 2019 (w/ Full Specs)

Along with the first-ever 2019 Kia Soluto, the newly-appointed Kia distributor in the Philippines, AC Industrials introduced revamped versions of the Picanto, Sportage, Sorento, and Grand Carnival that brings added features and better pricing compared to before.

Subaru dropped the first hints of the all-new 2020 Legacy which will be unveiled to the world at the upcoming Chicago Auto Show next week.

Ford Ranger Achieves 10th Consecutive Sales Growth in Asia-Pacific Region

The Ford Ranger continued to be a bright spot for the American carmaker as the nameplate achieved all-time record sales in the Asia-Pacific region last year—its tenth consecutive year—with retail sales climbing 5 percent to 139,501 units.

Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, the world’s leading automotive alliance, today that its member companies sold a combined total of 10,756,875 units in the 12 months to December 31, 2018. The Alliance maintained its position as the world leader in volume sales of passenger and light commercial vehicles.

UPDATE: We also included the brochure below (02/04).

There’s a different kind of Korean war brewing and that involves two recently launched sub-compact sedans to hit the Philippine market. Less than 12 hours after Kia Philippines unveiled the Soluto, Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc., fired back and introduced the Reina.

Kia Philippines Launches Opening Salvo: the 2019 Soluto Sub-Compact Sedan (w/ 17 Photos, Specs, Video)

Under its new distributor AC Industrials, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ayala Corporation, Kia unboxed the first of three all-new vehicles slated to hit the Philippine market in 2019. The Kia Soluto—a sub-compact sedan exported from Kia’s joint-venture with Dongfeng will see battle in the sub-B-segment category with a starting price of just P 625,000.

As the Philippine automotive industry stumbled 15 percent in 2018 due to a perfect storm of rising inflation, higher fuel prices, and the implementation of the revised excise tax on new vehicles, Nissan Philippines managed to see sales rise 40 percent last year—the only manufacturer to exhibit a double-digit sales growth.

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