Driver's Seat | CarGuide.PH | Philippine Car News, Car Reviews, Car Prices

Showing posts with label Driver's Seat. Show all posts

October 6, 2024

The Mazda CX-60 HEV Turbo Diesel With The AutoExe Sports Suspension Is The One To Get

The Mazda CX-60 was off to a rough start. Despite being branded as the face of Mazda’s premium push, it faced mixed reviews and was the subject of no less than 11 customer satisfaction or service campaigns. As proven in our time with the CX-60 3.3 HEV Turbo Sport (the gas variant), the issues have been fixed. Building on the now solid foundation, what can this five-seater mid-sized SUV now offer to buyers and customers who’re looking for more? What about an AutoExe upgrade?

If there’s one car that can be considered as the king of reinvention, it’s the Hyundai Santa Fe. In the five generations it’s been around, each one feels like a complete re-think of the one before; it’s made even more obvious when you start putting them side-by-side. The latest one, codenamed MX5 (no relation to the Mazda sportscar), is the most striking one yet. The big question is: can the Santa Fe Hybrid live up to the hype?

For The Few: Driving The Ferrari 12Cilindri

Enzo Ferrari is alleged to have said, “when you buy a Ferrari, you pay for the engine.” That’s a pretty fair assessment when it comes to the 12Cilindri—the latest in Ferrari’s long line of storied V12-powered grand tourers.

The 2024 GAC EMKOO Hybrid Is An Alluring Green Contender

I’m liking GAC’s aggression in the Philippines. They keep launching cars one after another and all of them are formidable in their respective segments in terms of features and pricing. However, they can’t turn a blind eye to the steady influx of hybrid cars in the market. These electrified cars are, obviously, selling otherwise, they won’t keep on arriving like tourists in Boracay. So, it was a matter of time for GAC Motor to enter the fray as well.

Review: 2024 MG3 Hybrid+

Just about every car brand is abandoning the B-sized hatchback segment in favor of small crossovers and SUVs. Realizing this gap in the market, one unexpected entrant has arrived and that’s in the form of MG with their MG3. For a brand that’s become a household name locally thanks to a crossover—the ZS—going the small hatchback route seems odd. In terms of branding, however, it’s pure magic. See, MG may have British origins, but ever since it’s been bought by China’s SAIC, there have been apprehensions on the sort of vehicles they come up with. Well, what a better way to shut those critics up with a nice, proper small car, right?

Review: 2025 BYD Sealion 6 DM-i

Hats off to the folks at BYD Cars Philippines—when it came to marketing their first-ever plug-in hybrid, the Sealion 6 DM-i. They managed to grab attention for one thing: its 1,100-kilometer range. They’ve emphasized that further when they decided to test the bladders (and patience) of the motoring press as they drove from Manila to Ilocos and back in just a tank of gas. But beyond the distance it can go between fill-ups, does it offer more than your average compact SUV? Turns out that it does, especially when you consider its P 1.548-million price tag.

First Drive: 2024 MG 50 Plus Luxury

It’s always refreshing to see the other side of the MPV design spectrum, so to speak. Not everyone wants to be an SUV. There are some who want a car suited up for a business affair but can handle a bit of play on the weekends. For that, we have the likes of the MG G50 Plus.

A Year On, Updates And Tweaks Have Finally Made The Mazda CX-60 Worth Recommending

New vehicles, especially those that cram a huge number of tech during its debut, are bound to run into issues. Built entirely new from the ground up, the Mazda CX-60 wasn’t immune to them; in its first year, there have been no less than 11 service or customer satisfaction campaigns. While that’s been a fodder for consternation, it’s proof that Mazda’s taking the matter seriously, rolling out continuous updates to better their premium five-seater SUV.

Driving the Nürburgring Nordschleife Is An N-thusiast’s Dream Come True

I just crossed one off my bucket list. Just when I thought cruising on Highway 1 in the United States and ploughing through the sand dunes in the Sahara Desert couldn’t be topped, I did this: hot laps on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. And mind you, I wasn’t here on the invitation by some German brand, no; I’m here thanks to, of all car companies, Hyundai. Wait, what?

The BYD Sealion 6 DM-i Just Redefined What Hybrids Can Do

BYD is taking the world by storm. They’ve been around for quite a while now but 2023 was their strongest year yet when they ended up as the numero uno New Energy Vehicle (NEV) brand globally. That means they sold more hybrids and battery-electric vehicles than any other brand. Their ‘NEV’ positioning is quite foreign to us though.

Review: 2024 BYD Dolphin EV

When it comes to electric vehicles, there comes a certain level of expectation with the two main ones being relentless acceleration and a high-tech execution. Naturally, that’s possible because EVs also often come with an expensive price tag to match. Now, that’s not the case with the BYD Dolphin. Priced at just P 1.398-million, it’s quite attainable even for everyman standards. Best of all: it’s not a shit box to drive. It’s great whether you look at it from an EV or B-segment hatchback perspective.

Review: 2024 MG 4 Luxury And XPower

When a car’s been declared as “Car of the Year,” it comes with a certain level of weight and expectation. In the case of the MG 4, there’s extra scrutiny involved since it’s the overly critical UK market that awarded it as such. Thankfully, it’s a reputation that, all things considered, this all-electric hatchback lives up to.

Review: 2024 Lexus UX 300e

You’re looking at the UX 300e, Lexus’ first EV. Now, I hear what you’re thinking: isn’t it the RZ? Well, if we’re talking about using a bespoke platform and all, then yes, the RZ is Lexus’ first battery electric vehicle. The UX, however, paved the way. As such, there are compromises made along the way, but overall, it’s not bad especially if you’re in the market for a sensible, efficient luxury EV with a unique Lexus vibe.

One Off The Bucket List: Driving The 1975 Porsche 911 Turbo

As part of my job, I’m sometimes whisked halfway around the world to sample the newest cars out there. On this occasion, however, it was different. In celebration of 50 years of Turbo, Porsche wasn’t letting me drive some upcoming vehicle or prototype. Instead, they brought out several cars straight from their museum including this 1975 Porsche 911 Turbo.

Review: 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

It’s a bit silly, but somehow, it’s a given that sporty cars have to have a bit of emotional appeal. Almost anyone can make a 500-horsepower-plus car these days, but it takes the right x-factor to dial in everything else to make sure it tugs on you in the right way. Down one sensory experience—EVs don’t have the mechanical rawness of internal combustion engines—it takes even more effort to transform an EV into something enthusiasts would salivate over. It’s one challenge Hyundai and its crack team of “N-gineers” have successfully accomplished with the Ioniq 5 N.

Detractors Beware: The Honda City (Now With Honda SENSING) Is In Its Best Form

Many were sad when the Honda Jazz had to leave the country, me included. Honda Cars Philippines unofficially said ‘sorry’ when they brought in the City Hatchback. It’s not the Jazz but essentially, they’re the same—small hatchback packaging, 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated engine, creature comforts, ULTR seats, and a good set of safety features. Yet many people (not me) dismissed the City hatchback unfairly simply for not having the “Jazz” name.

It’s hard to believe but the current second-generation Mazda CX-5 has been around for roughly eight years now. While it’s managed to outlast some relationships, it was birthed in a completely different world back then—electrification wasn’t a buzz word and no one took Chinese car brands seriously. Fast forward to today and you’ve got everyone and their uncle talking about hybrids (or EVs) and the Chinese have carved a solid five percent share of sales. It’s this sort of world the 2024 CX-5 finds itself in and one where, in some regard, it’s playing catch up.

Review: 2024 Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo

The normally conservative Toyota quickly smelled blood in a segment none of its Japanese compatriots were interested in: the small SUV segment. With other Japanese brands having this couldn’t care less attitude for the segment, Toyota went in with the Raize in 2020. The rest, you could say, is history.

Review: 2024 Mazda3 2.0 HEV Fastback

Launched in the Philippines in 2019, the Mazda3 is a hold out in a world overfilled with crossovers and SUVs. The carmaker could have simply thrown in the towel and concentrated their efforts on the CX-30—the Mazda3’s crossover sibling. However, realizing that there are a few who remain dedicated and loyal to sporty handling, lower riding passenger cars, they’ve instead re-oriented it make it the best iteration of the Mazda3 yet.

BYD Proves Their Cars Aren't Just Good In A Straight Line

Aside from their zero emissions, electric cars are known for their quickness. The instant delivery of power to the wheels makes them a new option for those with a need for speed. Some of them are even pitting EVs against performance cars.

Search CarGuide.PH

Quick Links

October 6, 2024

The Mazda CX-60 HEV Turbo Diesel With The AutoExe Sports Suspension Is The One To Get

Review: 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy 1.6T Hybrid

October 2, 2024

For The Few: Driving The Ferrari 12Cilindri

September 30, 2024

The 2024 GAC EMKOO Hybrid Is An Alluring Green Contender

September 22, 2024

Review: 2024 MG3 Hybrid+

September 18, 2024

Review: 2025 BYD Sealion 6 DM-i

September 16, 2024

First Drive: 2024 MG 50 Plus Luxury

September 15, 2024

A Year On, Updates And Tweaks Have Finally Made The Mazda CX-60 Worth Recommending

September 4, 2024

Driving the Nürburgring Nordschleife Is An N-thusiast’s Dream Come True

September 3, 2024

The BYD Sealion 6 DM-i Just Redefined What Hybrids Can Do

August 31, 2024

Review: 2024 BYD Dolphin EV

August 18, 2024

Review: 2024 MG 4 Luxury And XPower

August 6, 2024

Review: 2024 Lexus UX 300e

August 5, 2024

One Off The Bucket List: Driving The 1975 Porsche 911 Turbo

July 28, 2024

Review: 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

July 23, 2024

Detractors Beware: The Honda City (Now With Honda SENSING) Is In Its Best Form

Review: 2024 Mazda CX-5 AWD Sport

July 9, 2024

Review: 2024 Toyota Raize 1.0 Turbo

July 8, 2024

Review: 2024 Mazda3 2.0 HEV Fastback

July 3, 2024

BYD Proves Their Cars Aren't Just Good In A Straight Line