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

March 7, 2015

Philippine Car Price Guide: March 2015

Normally, you’ll expect our monthly price guide to appear on the 15th or thereabouts. This time around, we’ve made an exception because we finally have the most-awaited pricing info of all: the 2015 Mitsubishi Strada. Of course, we also have the brochure in a separate link right here.

The Strada though isn’t the only new entrant in this month’s update. We finally were able to update the following:

Audi
BMW
Geely
Haima
Honda Odyssey
JAC
Jeep
Jinbei
JMC
King Long
Mercedes-Benz
MINI
Porsche
RAM
Volkswagen Golf GTI

We also implemented a new format to make sure it’s more mobile phone friendly. Hope you like it!

UPDATE 1: The all-new 2015 Strada has officially launched! (3/20).

We’ll just leave this here for you even the official launch is still on March 19. Happy weekend.

Video: Ford Drifts 2015 Mustang in China

How do you celebrate the 2015 Ford Mustang’s arrival in China? Send drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. to drift it around the streets of Ordos in Inner Mongolia. Happy weekend.

Video after the break.

Honda just turned bat shit crazy and pulled the curtains off their most insane car yet: the 2015 Civic Type-R. After a long five-year wait, Honda’s hot hatch has returned (at least in Europe) packing a 310-horsepower engine driving the front wheels. The front wheels. Oh, the insanity.

Caltex’s latest boroscope test in Asia, conducted throughout 2013, has revealed the harmful effects that lower quality gasoline have on motor engines, while highlighting the cleaning proposition that Caltex with Techron offers as the ideal solution for motorists. The boroscope test utilized a specially designed camera to examine the interior of a vehicle’s fuel system to inspect the cleanliness of critical engine parts.

Ford Philippines today announced its best-ever February performance with retail sales rising 38 percent year-over-year to 1,759 units, led by the EcoSport, Ranger, Explorer and Fiesta nameplates.

A Gem of a (STI) Gallery

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Should you find yourself with a free day in Tokyo, try one of Tokyo’s little-known gems for car aficionados and Subaru enthusiasts – the STI Gallery. Located just 30 minutes away by train from Tokyo, the STI Gallery is part of the Tokyo Subaru/Car Do, a super Subaru dealership which houses the head office in Tokyo as well as the products and activities of the Subaru racing unit in Mitaka.

Honda Launches Smaller but Smarter 2015 Odyssey MPV (w/ Specs)

Bigger isn’t necessarily better; what counts is the smarts. It’s a trend you see everywhere from toys to gadgets to houses. Now that trend has entered the automotive market, and in a segment you least expect: the premium MPV. In a world where gargantuan people carriers rule, Honda Cars Philippines is taking a bold, new direction; one that takes it to an undiscovered country. And there’s no better ride to take you there than the all-new Odyssey.

Ford Philippines officially introduces its partnership with triathlon team, Ford Forza.Triathlon is a versatile multi-stage sport that tests athletes in the form of swimming, cycling and running. The Ford Forza partnership showcases the personality and lifestyle match of the Ford vehicles with the fast-growing multi-sport.

BPI Auto Madness, the most awaited car selling event of BPI Family Auto Loan, provides you irresistible car offers wherever you are 24/7; making it convenient and affordable for you to own that brand new car you have been dreaming to have! This mad car sale kicks off this March 1 at www.bpiautomadness.com and runs simultaneous in several shopping mall venues all throughout the country until March 31.

Review: 2015 Peugeot 208 GTi

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Even if regular Filipinos didn’t exactly connect with its naughty heritage, Peugeot’s been rolling out the memory of its legendary 205 GTi in marketing its hot hatch offering, the 208 GTi. Keen to trade on the sex appeal of the legendary badge, the latest GTi keeps close to its namesake by offering a genuine fun-to-drive experience without compromising the broad requirements of an everyday driver. Indeed, it’s the automotive equivalent of Christian Grey: a straight-forward boardroom guy by day, a crazy sex machine at night. And if you find yourself behind the wheel of one, you’re definitely playing Ana Steele. Laters baby.

Honda Introduces Click 125i Scooter

Honda Philippines, Inc. (HPI) officially announces the introduction of New Honda Click 125i, dubbed as the “future of scooters”.

This continuous the unique concept of the Honda Zoomer-X. Equipped with New Generation Intelligent 125-cc global engine. It has cutting-edge technological features developed simultaneously in other countries dominated by Honda motorcycles such as Thailand and Indonesia.

BYD Auto China Ltd. Co., through its authorized Philippine distributor, Solar Transport Automotive Resources Corp., (STAR Corp.) supported the recently concluded 4th Electric Vehicle Summit 2015, which was held on February 26-27 at the Multi-Purpose Hall, Meralco Fitness Center, Pasig City. As one of the members of the Electric Vehicles Association of the Philippines (EVAP), the sponsorship of the EV Summit is STAR CORP’s way of expressing its solidarity and support of the goals and objectives of the organization.

Last February 27, Bianca Gonzalez competed against Fahrin Ahmad from Malaysia and Pichaya “Golf” Nitipaisalkul from Thailand on the Shell Eco-marathon track, in a battle to determine who is the most fuel efficient celebrity. Bianca was announced the winner after she drove one lap around the SEM track using only 1.75 liters of fuel per 100 kms (or 57 kms per liter). For this challenge, the celebrities drove the Shell Urban Concept Car, a fuel-economy vehicle of the future that resembles today’s road cars.

Toyota Announces Vios Cup 2015

Toyota Motor Philippines, the country’s undisputed number one automotive company announces the second season of the Vios Cup that kicks off at the Clark International Speedway later this month. Instilling “waku-doki” or “fun-to-drive” attitude in its cars, the Japanese automaker is on a high after the successful staging of the first-ever Vios Cup last year. Already boasting the largest grid in Philippine motorsports history, this year sees even more drivers (38 confirmed participants) including some of the hottest celebrities in the country such as Derek Ramsay, Jasmine Curtis, Kylie Padilla, and Joyce Pring. There will also be four legs this year including one which will be held “outside of Luzon”.

Mercedes-Benz is Premium Mobility Partner of APEC 2015 Summit

In a signing ceremony held last February 17, 2015 between key representatives of the APEC and Auto Nation Group, Inc., Mercedes-Benz was designated as the premium mobility partner of the APEC 2015 Summit.

Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, delivered a total of 722 units in 2014 to mark its 12th consecutive year of leadership in the local premium automotive segment. Through ACC, BMW registered an 11 percent increase in sales locally.

Hyundai, the official mobility partner of Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2015, is showcasing its vision of innovation that promotes energy-efficient motoring. Working hand-in-hand with Shell, Hyundai is aiming to both educate and encourage key stakeholders of the automotive industry in taking the earth-friendly route.

Michelin, in global partnership with Shell, welcomes back the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia (SEMA) for its second year in the Philippines at Luneta Park, Manila today until March 1, 2015.

The original hot hatch is finally here: the 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI. Although the GTI nameplate has been around for a while in Europe, it’s the relative new comer here in the Philippines. In this match up, the Golf GTI is pitted against the Filipino favorites: Subaru WRX, MINI Cooper S, and the Toyota 86.

Photos by Ulysses and Volkswagen Press

UPDATE (1): We pit the 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI vs its rivals. Click here. (2/27).

The Philippines is finally getting a good taste of the coveted European hot hatch flavor with the official arrival of the 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI. After a lengthy preview that started at the 5th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS), the seventh-generation Golf GTI is finally here. An award-winning sporty compact that has won the world over with its technological leadership and sporty prowess, the all-new GTI aims to carry that tradition and continue to be the sustainable, attainable sports car.

Starting the year 2015 strong, Chevrolet Philippines – The Covenant Car Company Inc. cements its presence in the Cagayan Valley region with the inauguration of its newest dealership - Chevrolet Isabela. As the 2nd largest and one of the most progressive provinces of North Luzon, the Queen Province of Isabela is expected to be a sizeable market for Chevrolet.

Instead of the usual Japanese-powered machines, it was pure American muscle that dominated the 2nd leg of the 2015 National Drag Racing Championship (NDRC). The quickest of which was William “Bill” Hand in his custom 1933 Ford 2-door Sedan aptly named named “Blue Haze.”

Subaru Achieves Two Manufacturing Milestones

Subaru announced that total cumulative production of the brand’s trademark horizontally-opposed “Boxer” engines has reached a milestone of 15 million units. The 15-millionth milestone was achieved in the 49th year since Fuji Heavy Industry (FHI), Subaru’s parent company, developed the engine in the Subaru 1000 compact passenger car in May 1966.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced that Takahiro Hachigo, currently the company’s Managing Officer, will become Senior Managing Officer effective April, and will become President, Chief Executive Officer, and Representative Director in late June 2015. Meanwhile, current President, CEO, and Representative Director Takanobu Ito will remain onboard as Director and Advisor to Honda Motor.

In a ceremony headed by the Senior Counselor of Isuzu Motors Limited Japan (IML) Mr. Yoshinori Ida, the Isuzu –TESDA Auto Mechanic Training Center in Tacloban, Leyte reopens its doors on February 16, 2015 to all the trainees who went home after Typhoon Yolanda (with international name of Haiyan) damaged its facilities.

Expect Chevrolet showrooms to continue offering ‘magical’ experiences as the local arm of one of the world’s biggest car manufacturers turn to another global brand to help take customer service to new heights.

Ford Philippines recognized its top performing dealers at the 2015 Annual Ford Dealer Convention held last February 6 at the Filinvest Tent, Alabang.

The annual Dealer Convention brings together Ford’s dealer principals and their employees to celebrate and recognize individuals, teams, and dealerships who delivered exceptional results in the areas of sales, service and customer satisfaction throughout 2014.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

The Mazda3—take a minute and just look at it. Now, wipe that drool off your face. This is the compact car that defied the norm, the one that actually shouted back and said: “The compact car market isn’t dead.” Where other brands began focusing on crossovers and SUVs, this one acted as the great foil. It connected with buyers and pundits alike and once again rekindled the love affair with the compact car. It’s been the single biggest success story for Mazda Philippines and the one that showed everyone that a great product backed up with aggressive pricing results in countless happy owners. But as cutting-edge and fully-featured as the Mazda3 is, buyers naturally wanted more. They wanted more style. They wanted even more features. In short, they wanted the definitive Mazda3. And here it is: the Mazda3 Speed.

The Good Stuff: Porsche World Road Show 2015

Photos by Ulysses Ang and Porsche Philippines Press

Porsche is a name now eponymous with style and speed. Throughout the decades, the dream makers in Stuttgart have come up with objects of desire. But for all the talk about their design and brevity, there’s one thing that ties all of them together: engineering. At the core of every 911, every Cayenne, every Panamera lies precision work making them feel like they’ve been cut from the same piece of cloth—a cloth dipped in both heritage and tradition, in ingenuity and cleverness.

Volkswagen Philippines Launches Polo 1.6 Hatchback (w/ Brochure)

Volkswagen is always seen as “the people’s car”, responsible for democratizing transport and allowing the regular folk to drive a brand-new automobile as long as she or she saved enough. So when the German brand re-entered the Philippine market last year, its premium price positioning caught everyone, including its loyal fan base by surprise. This year, Volkswagen Philippines is rectifying it by introducing an affordable yet well-designed and well-engineered car that’s aiming to be “your first German car”. Meet the all-new Volkswagen Polo hatchback.

UPDATE 1: We just took it out for a spin around Capiz to Caticlan (9/8).

Hyundai has just taken the wraps off the all-new Tucson and they’re hoping to push the envelope with its cutting-edge design and available technology. The third-generation compact crossover represents a significant step forward for the Korean carmaker and aims to be the poster child for the tagline, “New Thinking, New Possibilities”. It’s powered by a wide range of engines and, for the first time, will be made for Europe (at least for the European market).

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