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.

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 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.