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March 21, 2013

HARI President and CEO Honored as Icon of Entreneurship

Ms. Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo, President and CEO of Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), official distributor of Hyundai cars in the Philippines, was cited among the 2013 Women Icons of Entrepreneurship at the Fifth Filipina Entrepreneurship Summit 2013 of Go Negosyo. The award was presented to her by Mr. Joey Concepcion, Founding Trustee of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc.—Go Negosyo (L), Summit Keynote Speaker Hon. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, and Mr. Ramon Lopez, Executive Director of Go Negosyo.

The Fifth Go Negosyo Filipina Entrepreneurship Summit, which recognizes the Filipina as a catalyst of change and progress, was held to coincide with the international celebration of Women’s Month. Go Negosyo is on its eighth year of dedicated work to empower Filipinos to be enterprising and entrepreneurial.

March 20, 2013

Subaru Confirms XV Hybrid, New Performance Concept for New York Auto Show

Subaru has confirmed that it will be showing a brand-new XV Hybrid at the upcoming New York International Auto Show. Though there are no details yet, Subaru has revealed that the XV Hybrid will use an in-house developed hybrid system paired with the company's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.

In addition to the XV Hybrid, Subaru is also showing off a new performance concept. This is perhaps a good look at the upcoming WRX.

March 19, 2013

The Epic Journey: Driving the 2013 Subaru Forester to Sagada

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Road trips, especially long ones have to be planned meticulously in advanced. You have to take note not just of necessities such as food and accommodations but also of the route and weather. Traveling up to Sagada is often seen as an arduous challenge given the tight, twisty mountain roads as well as the lack of necessary infrastructure such as gasoline or service stations. It looked like something close to impossible: the perfect backdrop then to officially welcome the all-new Subaru Forester.

Lamborghini Manila Unveils Final Edition of Gallardo

Lamborghini Manila recently presented the final edition of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 in an exclusive preview at its stylish showroom in Bonifacio Global City.

The new Gallardo was unveiled by no other than Lamborghini Manila President Roberto Coyiuto III and the newly appointed Italian Ambassador Massimo Roscigno.

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc recently broke ground in Naga City, Camarines Sur to mark its official entry in the Bicol region. Owned by Mr. Jeremie Lo, the dealership is soon to rise along San Jose, National Highway, Pili, Camarines Sur, with operations to start by the second half of 2013.

With this partnership, Honda is pleased to be able to offer easier access to the full model line-up of products, competent service technicians, well-trained sales associates and accommodating customer relations officers present in all other Honda dealerships to the Bicolanos.

Ground breaking of the future site was done last March 12, 2013. The ceremony was attended by Honda Cars Philippines, Incorporated (HCPI) President and General Manager Tatsuya Natsume, Marketing and Sales General Manager Roberto “Bobby” Ong, Customer Service Division Head Norman Millare and other HCPI executives, and owner, Jeremie Lo. Also gracing the event was Pili, Camarines Sur Mayor Tomas Bongalonta.

24th Mitsubishi Lancer International Junior Tennis Championship This Week!

Organizers of the country’s longest running international junior tennis tournament, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC), International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) are expecting an even more exciting Mitsubishi Lancer International Junior Tennis Championship (MLIJTC) as the biggest juniors’ tournament in Asia opens on March 19, 2013.

Leading oil refiner Petron Corporation earned a Hall-of -Fame Award in the recently concluded 48th Anvil Awards of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) for Everyone’s Vision Petron Collaterals. Vision Petron Collaterals were bestowed with PRSP’s highest honor after bagging the Anvil Award of Excellence under the PR Tools-Publications category eight times since 2001. The Anvil is the symbol of excellence in public relations in the Philippines.

The 2013 Volvo XC60 earned a TOP SAFETY PICK+ in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) new small overlap frontal crash test, currently making it the first and only midsize luxury SUV to achieve such results.

Thanks to its top marks in the latest test, Volvo is now the only luxury manufacturer with two TOP SAFETY PICK+ vehicles. The 2013 Volvo S60 sports sedan received the Institute's highest safety honor in an earlier test.

Vent It Out Friday: Automation Damnation

As an avid watcher of cable television show, Air Crash Investigation, I find it hard to believe that majority of crashes that happened, happened because of simple human error—specifically, a conflict between man and a piece of technology (that was supposed to keep him safe) which he didn’t understand. Indeed, the aviation industry has continuously learned from these mistakes and has repeatedly amended pilot training and plane technology to take into account the somewhat faulty “human logic”. More than that, there’s a serious lesson to be learned for the automakers as well, especially those who hope to make cars safer by taking the controls away from the driver: don’t do it.

Review: 2013 Mitsubishi Lancer EX GLX A/T

Photos by Ulysses Ang

The Mitsubishi Lancer has one of the greatest cult followings in the Philippines, not just in the compact car segment, but in the entire automotive industry. It’s always been considered as an aspirational car, especially for the salary man who could actually afford one, if he could set aside a couple of thousand pesos as part of a “Lancer Fund”. Because of this, it has enjoyed tremendous success and is endeared with nicknames such as “Box Type”, “Itlog”, “Pizza Pie”, and so on.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Each time the Subaru XV arrives at the office to spend time with us; it seems to have a very busy schedule. The first time Subaru’s compact crossover arrived here, we pitted it against the similarly-sized Mitsubishi ASX (full test here) and it came out on top. Next, it was compared to its more luxurious sibling, the Subaru Impreza (story here).

However, in both those cases we were handed the keys to the 2.0i, the base model that’s all well and good but not truly representative of the entire XV line. Instead, that distinction goes to the 2.0i Premium, which is the better selling XV. Yes, it’s slightly more expensive but it also comes better loaded with features. Is the additional price tag worth it or are Subaru buyers getting it wrong? Let’s find out.

Toyota Motor Philippines Awards Top Performing Dealers

Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMP) recently hosted its Annual Dealer Conference and Gala Awards at Shangri-la’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Cebu last February 22, 2013 to recognize the remarkable performance of its dealer network. The event was held to honor individual achievers and top-performing dealers in the areas of Sales, After Sales and Customer Satisfaction and Overall Dealer Operations. Moreover, TMP was also awarded by Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), Toyota Motor Asia Pacific (TMAP) and Mitsui & Co., for its achievements from the previous year. One of which is attaining its 11th consecutive Triple Crown Title.

Building on the technology from its successful and award winning tire for luxury passenger cars, the Eagle EfficientGrip SUV, Goodyear has broken new ground again with the introduction of Goodyear EfficientGrip SUV – Goodyear’s quietest SUV tire ever.

Strong and robust, Goodyear Efficient Grip SUV is engineered with QuietTred Technology to give an exceptionally quiet ride without compromising grip and handle capabilities.

Toyota Offers Free Vehicle Safety Inspection this Summer

Summer is just around the corner and what better way to prepare for your long road trip than to have your Toyota checked by Toyota-certified technicians for free! Simply visit any of Toyota’s dealerships from now to March 23 to avail of the Free 20-point vehicle safety inspection.

Furthermore, for your peace-of-mind, Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation will once again launch the Toyota Motorists Assistance this coming Holy Week – a service tradition for the past 22 years. From Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday, service teams will be deployed in eight major destinations across Luzon to assist the motoring public in Bantay, Ilocos Sur; Rosario, La Union; Baguio City, Benguet; Urdaneta, Pangasinan; Tagaytay City; Calamba, Laguna; Lucena City, Quezon; and Sipocot, Camarines Sur. The service teams will provide free roadside assistance and repairs to all vehicles with emergency concerns, regardless of makes and models.

L-R: Mr. Teodoro Limcaoco, BPI Family Savings Bank President, Mr. David Sarmiento, Jr., Senior Vice-President of Auto Loans Head, and Mr. Ramon Altamirano, Loans Product Marketing Head officially opens the BPI Family Online Auto Madness

From the bank that brought to you the original Auto Madness (the now common term for irresistible deals on new car financing) comes another unique product: the country’s first-ever Online Auto Madness. In conjunction with the BPI Family Auto Madness that is happening from today until March 10, 2013 (the first of four this year) at the Glorietta Activity Center, BPI Family is extending their Auto Madness promotion until March 31 through the website www.bpiautomadness.com. Through this unique website, BPI Family offers the convenience of buying a car and getting a loan 24/7 online. In addition, qualified buyers will get free insurance with acts of nature coverage and of course, unbelievable low loan rates.

Ford Philippines today announced it will expand the lineup for its class-defining all-new Ford Ranger at the 2013 Manila International Auto Show with the official launch of the range-topping Wildtrak variants.

The all-new Ranger Wildtrak will be available in three variants - the Duratorq TDCi 2.2L VG Turbo 4x4 in both manual and automatic transmission, and the top-of-the-line Duratorq TDCi 3.2L VG Turbo 4x4 in automatic transmission.

The addition of the Wildtrak will expand the all-new Ford Ranger lineup in the Philippines to six highly-competitive models featuring an unmatched combination of power and safety, fuel efficiency, comfort and capability in its segment.

Vent It Out Friday: Dipstick Future

Technology, along with laziness is killing the oil dipstick. Is this important? Should we care? Will we miss it when it’s gone? The answer to all three is an emphatic yes.

Consider the lowly dipstick: it lives in a dark, hot cave known as the engine bay. It gets covered by liquefied and processed dinosaur remains and nasty, carbon sludge on a regular basis. Once every few thousand kilometers, it gets forcibly yanked out of its home, wiped down, shoved back into its house, and then yanked out again. Its world is build of inconsistency, shock, and extreme conditions.

The new Volvo S60, V60 and XC60 - shown to the public for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show - can be fitted with an innovation that makes driving in the dark safer and more comfortable. The renewed Active High Beam Control makes it possible to use high beam continuously thanks to an ingenious mechanism that prevents dazzling of oncoming drivers. At a press conference in Geneva, Volvo Car Group will also present a new world-first collision-avoidance technology.

Driving at night presents car drivers all over the world with challenging conditions. "Our aim with the renewed Active High Beam Control technology is to enhance visibility in the dark by making it possible to use high beam permanently, without having to switch to low beam when meeting or catching up with other cars," says Prof. Lotta Jakobsson, Senior Technical Specialist Safety at Volvo Cars Safety Center.

Ford Philippines Sales Double in Best-Ever February Performance

Ford Philippines today reported its best-ever February performance with overall retail sales jumping 108 percent year-over-year to 865 units. Continuing the company’s best start to any year, and building on the momentum from its best-ever January, the exceptional month was driven by strong sales of vehicles across the Ford lineup.

“We’re off to a very strong start to the year, as customers continue to respond positively to our full lineup of Ford vehicles,” said Randy Krieger, president, Ford Philippines.

Following its commitment to bring products and services closer to its customers, Honda is set to open a new dealership in Tacloban City, Leyte, with operations targeted to start by the second half of 2013. Said dealership is owned by the Mercado Group of Companies and will offer the full line-up of Honda products and services to customers in the Eastern Visayas region. The Tacloban dealership will be the 5th authorized Honda dealer in the Visayas.

Lexus ranked highest in vehicle dependability among all nameplates for a second consecutive year in the 2013 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). The study tracks the number and type of problems owners have with their three-year-old vehicles. In the study, Lexus RX had the fewest reported problems in the industry, which is the first time in the history of VDS that a crossover or SUV has achieved this accolade.

In the year of its 50th anniversary Automobili Lamborghini presented an extremely exclusive model at the Geneva Motor Show 2013. Only three unique units of the Lamborghini Veneno will be built and sold. Its design is consistently focused on optimum aerodynamics and cornering stability, giving the Veneno the real dynamic experience of a racing prototype, yet it is fully homologated for the road. With a maximum output of 552 kW / 750 hp, the Veneno accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds and the top speed for this street-legal racing car stands at 355 km/h. It is priced at three million Euros plus tax – and all three units have already been sold to customers.

Review: 2013 Honda Insight

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Normally, driving a hybrid vehicle is seen as a compromise. Although it does deliver impressive fuel economy numbers, it does so at the expense of a lackluster driving experience. And true enough; with everything connected to circuit boards as opposed to mechanical linkages, piloting a hybrid car is like driving a real-world arcade machine. Thankfully, Honda has taken a different spin on its hybrid vehicles. Honda may not have been the first to market a hybrid, but it does something its pioneering rival can’t: appeal to enthusiasts.

Late Breaking: Motor Image announces all-new Subaru Forester pricing

Bali, Indonesia—Motor Image Pilipinas has just announced the pricing of the all-new Subaru Forester for the Philippine market. It will arrive in two variants: 2.0 i-L and 2.0 XT. The entry-level model will be priced at P 1.398M and the turbo variant will be pegged at P 1.868M. It will be launched at the 2013 Manila International Auto Show running from April 4-7. Meanwhile, the XV will slash its pricing to P 1.298M for the 2.0i. The 2.0 i-Premium will still be at P 1.478M but will have leather seats as standard equipment. More details soon.

Vent It Out Friday: These Bumpers Don't Work

Modern car bumpers are, in the majority of cases, beautiful but utterly useless. They just don’t work. From experience, it often takes huge amounts of money to repair damage from fairly minor accidents—sometimes requiring a replacement—from a relatively minor shunt. And that’s the fundamental problem: modern car bumpers are designed to break.

But before heading there, it’s a good idea to qualify first on how bumpers should work. Basically, a car bumper should be that part of a car that satisfies a simple criterion: it should be able to take some, without you giving any. The ideal car bumper should allow you to crash into another car or object, stationary or moving, at speeds below 8 km/h with zero visible damage. A good bumper design should provide the driver with a sort of buffer zone where small errors in judgment can be absorbed and forgotten. Of course, the modern bumper fails at doing this. However, there was a time when bumpers were able to achieve this ideal, but sacrifices had to be made in one area: aesthetics.

ACC Seals Partnership to Build BMW Flagship in PHL

Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the official importer and distributor of BMW vehicles in the Philippines, has officially formalized its partnership with the Armed Forces & Police Mutual Benefit Association, Inc. (AFPMBAI) for the long-term lease of an AFPMBAI property located in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. The lot will be the future site of the BMW Flagship Dealership, envisioned to be the largest and most modern BMW showroom in the country. The deal, amounting to over Php 1Billion, was made official through a MOA signing ceremony between Mr. Jose Ch. Alvarez, Chairman of ACC, and Brigadier General Ricardo C. Morales, President & CEO of AFPMBAI.

Volvo Cars Asia-Pacific Heads Visit Volvo PH

Volvo Philippines’ optimism for 2013 is made even brighter as Volvo Cars Asia Pacific (VCAP) top executives visited the country recently. VCAP President, Mr. Carl Goran Larsson, VCAP Chief Finance Officer Miss Roslin Ooi, and VCAP Regional Business Manager Ai Phing Teh expressed their continued support for Volvo Philippines and its programs to push the Scandinavian luxury brand in the local market.

Review: 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 V6

Photos by Ulysses Ang

We’ve driven the Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 V6 before (full test drive here), albeit stickered and sporting aftermarket rims (it was for an experimental factory-backed drift car project). Though highly sought-after and successful, Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) has upgraded the Genesis Coupe for the 2013 model year. And that’s the subject of this Quick Spin.

All-New Bentley Flying Spur to Debut in Geneva

Bentley establishes a new luxury performance sedan benchmark with the launch of the new Flying Spur. With its unrivaled blend of effortless driveability, exquisite luxury and craftsmanship, sculpted design and state-of-the-art technology, the new Flying Spur takes the worldwide success of its iconic predecessor further. Bentley’s most powerful four-door model ever makes its global debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show on 5th March.

UPS recently announced the expansion of its sponsorships in motorsports by entering Formula 1® racing through a multi-year sponsorship of Scuderia Ferrari. The alliance was announced today in Barcelona, Spain and featured Scuderia Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso, shortly before the Spaniard took the track for the first time in the team’s 2013 F138 race car bearing the UPS shield.

Every year the editors of the “MIT Technology Review” look for companies all over the world that have announced groundbreaking technologies. This year the jury put Audi on the list of “50 Disruptive Companies” in recognition of the piloted driving project it presented at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Detroit.

Berjaya Auto Philippines Introduces Mazda YOJIN3

Berjaya Auto Philippines, the exclusive distributor of Mazda in the country, today announced the introduction of a new vehicle ownership program — the YOJIN3 Mazda Total Care. Through the program, Berjaya Auto Philippines will be offering a) 3-year free periodic maintenance service, b) 3-year roadside assistance with exclusive Mazda concierge service, and c) 3-year bumper-to-bumper manufacturer warranty. YOJIN3 Total Care will be bundled to all brand-new Mazda vehicles sold starting January 1, 2013 at no additional cost to the customers.

Vent It Out Friday: Turning Marikina for the Worse

Review: 2012 Toyota Prius and 2012 Toyota Prius C

If a car were a just a bunch of numbers, the Toyota Prius family won’t make much economic sense: priced at P 2,250,000 for the Prius (the White Pearl in these photographs adds another P 15,000) and P 1,475,000 for the Prius c (the Full Option model lent is at P 1,525,000) these cars aren’t cheap. In fact, on price alone, you can get any one of these other Toyota cars: the luxurious Camry, the practical Fortuner, and even the sexy 86, and still have enough money left over for some accessories. However, after spending a week back-to-back with the Prius and Prius c, it shows that these cars are more than just the sum of their parts. They start to offer more than just their price tag: they imbue a sense of environmental responsibility that you can’t get anywhere else. And that may be its greatest achievement.

From L-R: Mikko David, Christopher Kho, Bess Zamora, Bam Olivares, and Ferman Lao

The Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI), the Philippine’s automotive awards giving body composed of motoring journalists, elected a new set of officers and Board Members during their first general meeting and annual elections on 26 January 2013.

Showing confidence in the leadership of CAGI, members re-elected Ferman Lao (Kotse.com, Top Gear Philippines), Bam Olivares (Daily Tribune), Bess Zamora (AQ Magazine), and Christopher Kho (Kotse.com) as board members. Mikko David (TopGear Philippines) is the sole newcomer to the group.

AVID Remains Upbeat in 2013

In January, AVID sales reached 2,625 units, led by the 16% growth in the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment. Leading the pack of gainers are Motor Image Pilipinas, Inc., PGA Cars, Inc. and The Covenant Car Company, Inc., which posted sales growth of 61%, 54%, and 45%, respectively.
Compared with the prior month, sales in January rose by 23.4% to 2,625 units sold from 2,128 units, driven by the expansion in the Passenger Car segment (43%) and sales growth of Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. at 32.4%.

Vent It Out Friday: Be Smart and Test Drive

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our newest section, “Vent It Out Friday” where we just have a commentary on just about everything. This highly opinionated, highly emotional section will appear (as much as possible) every Friday. Soon, we’ll also be opening “Vent It Out Friday” to our readers, but for now, you can respond to the topic at hand via the comments section below.

With all the car choices in the market today, it’s so easy to get carried away. You’ll see a special offer here or a low downpayment scheme there and before you know it, bam, you’re driving out with a brand-new car. But how many times do we actually know what we’re getting ourselves into? How many times can we say, we’re getting X instead of Y because X fits my needs better? How many times were we swayed more by free chattel mortgage and LTO registration rather than getting a car on its own merit? For car enthusiasts who frequently read newspapers, magazines and websites before going from dealership to dealership, it may rarely be the case; but what about for the rest of the car buying public? It certainly sounds like a tagline, but Honda Cars Philippines said it best: “be smart and test drive.”

BMW to Hold First Road Show at Malarayat Golf & Country Club in Lipa

Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the official importer and distributor of BMW vehicles in the Philippines, will be holding the first leg of the BMW Roadshow on February 22 to 24 at the Mount Malarayat Golf & Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas.

2012 was a milestone for the BMW brand in the Philippines. BMW solidified its positioning as the number one vehicle brand in the luxury segment for 10 straight years, finishing the year with a total of 33% market share in the premium luxury segment.

Nissan Almera at Trinoma Mall Until Today

In celebration of the Chinese New Year, Nissan Motor Philippines, Inc. (NMPI) is holding a grand display featuring the all-new Nissan Almera at the TriNoma Mall in Quezon City. The display, located at the mall’s ground floor at the MRT-link, will be held until today, February 13.

To highlight the upcoming Valentine’s Day as well, a fully-accessorized Nissan Almera sporting a Victoria red hue is also included in the display.

Following TriNoma, the all-new Nissan Almera will also be featured at other popular malls in the metro. What’s more, a test drive activity will be held by all Nissan dealerships nationwide from February 15.

Review: 2013 Nissan Teana 350XV V6

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Ninety-nine percent of those in the market for an executive sedan tend to gravitate towards the usual choices: Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and now, the Hyundai Sonata. Those choices are undoubtedly great ones, but there’s one car that should be mentioned in the same breath, if only it got more recognition: the Nissan Teana. Taking its name from the Native American word meaning “dawn”, the current Teana was launched more than two years ago, after its immediate predecessor replaced the venerable and wildly successful Cefiro. Sadly, the Teana hasn’t seen the same commercial success as its forbearer which is a shame given it’s got nifty cues which pulls the right strings for its intended audience.

Honda's Amazing Financing Options Extended

Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI), in partnership with BPI Family Savings Bank, RCBC Savings Bank, BDO, PS Bank, Eastwest Bank and Unionbank has extended the Honda Financing Option Program until February 28, 2013, extending customers’ ease of buying a Honda vehicle.

The Honda Financing Option provides customers with true savings through interest rate as low as 5.43% on low monthly scheme; as low as 10% down payment, or an all in package scheme inclusive of chattel mortgage, LTO registration and a one year comprehensive insurance; plus an inclusion of 3 years preventive maintenance if customers avail through Eastwest Bank. Unlike the financing schemes of other brands that offer huge discounts but eventually recover this through astronomical interest rate.

There are track days, and there’s the Audi Driving Experience—a track day unlike any other, allowing mere mortals to flog cars with more than 500 horsepower on a race track. The Audi Driving Experience is a carefully crafted immersion experience into the world of Audi and everything the company stands for, namely: performance engineering.

Volvo opens its doors to all Volvo enthusiasts at the northern metro through Volvo North EDSA Centris. (From L-R) Volvo North EDSA Chief Financial Officer and Vice Chairman, Mr. William Tan with Mr. Vincent Licup, Chairman and CEO of Vovo North EDSA receives the Official Volvo Dealer Plaque presented by Volvo Cars Asia Pacific President, Mr. Carl Goran Larsson. The Volvo North EDSA Centris is located at Two Cyberpod ETON Centris, EDSA corner Quezon Avenue, Quezon City. Call (+632) 376 4943, 376 4947, 376 4965 for a test drive.

February 8, 2013

Accent CRDi Now Available at All Hyundai Dealerships

All the smoke and mirrors are finally gone as Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) has finally made available the much-awaited Accent CRDi. In fact, there's better news: it's now available at all Hyundai dealerships nationwide.

Continuing the momentum of its record month and quarterending in December, Ford Philippines today reported the company’s best-ever January performance with retail sales jumping 123 percent year-over-year to 820 units. The exceptional month was driven by strong sales across the growing Ford lineup.

The record month was given a significant boost by the robust performance of the all-new Ford Focus, with January sales of 95 units – the strongest single month for the Focus nameplatein almost three years.

News Flash: the Toyota Camry has been voted by the Korea Automobile Journalist Association as the Car of the Year 2013. The medium-sized sedan earned the highest score of 78.75 points for its value on price, performance, safety and fuel efficiency. On top of that, Toyota's Lexus GS and Prius Hybrid were no. 1 in performance and green-car categories, respectively. This is the first time a foreign model has earned this title since the award was presented three years ago.

Moreover, the Camry is one of the best-selling import cars in Korea. During the same period of winning this title, Toyota’s sales in Korea soared over 200% in 2012 compared to the previous year. In the Philippines, the Camry has been the best-selling model in its segment since 2001.

You can read our review of the Philippine model Toyota Camry 2.5 V here.

Vent It Out Friday: Paying Your (Association) Dues

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our newest section, “Vent It Out Friday” where we just have a commentary on just about everything. This highly opinionated, highly emotional section will appear (as much as possible) every Friday. Soon, we’ll also be opening “Vent It Out Friday” to our readers, but for now, you can respond to the topic at hand via the comments section below.

Upon opening my mailbox, I received a formally written letter which will undoubted become ubiquitous to anyone living in a private subdivision or condominium: VAT on association dues. We have Ms. Kim Henares to thank for the additional financial burden that we’ll have to shoulder each and every month, but I have no qualms about that. If it’s going to help the country, why not? Although the additional P 720.00 per month is somewhat hard to swallow, my real beef is with the P 6,000 in association dues per se, especially if the building association is happily swimming in my money and not doing anything.

Philippine Car Price Guide: February 2013

Here's your monthly does of the Philippine Car Price Guide. In this installment we see some changes from some luxury brands as well as updates from some mainstream brands as well. New and updated entries include:

Audi A4
Audi Q3
Bentley
Haima Hunda
Haima Tenda
Kia Sorento 2.2 EX 4WD 7-Seater (FL)
Lifan Foison
Mercedes-Benz B-Class
MINI Price Updates
Mitsubishi Strada GLX 4WD
Nissan Murano Z51 (price update)
Nissan Patrol Royale (price update)
Rolls-Royce
Toyota Vios (price update)

With the 2013 Geneva Motor Show looming large over the horizon, more and more car makers are revealing their display plans. For Subaru, it has revealed two tidbits for their stands.

First, the company will unveil the VIZIV Concept, "representing a direction of new designs and technologies enhancing the Subaru brand into the future". Based on the sole photograph released, it's the first glimpse of the all-new Outback or perhaps even the Tribeca.

Second, Subaru will premiere its Boxer Diesel engine technology mated to a Lineartronic CVT (hooray!) Debuting on the Outback, this is the first time the Boxer Diesel will be mated to an automatic transmission.

UPDATED: EDSA Rehab Project Gets Green Light; MMDA Proposes "Mock Rehab"

The Metro Manila Council (MMC), the policy-making body of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) composed of 17 mayors in Metro Manila, has approved the proposal of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to rehabilitate the entire 24 kilometer stretch of EDSA.

Costing an estimated P 3.4 Billion, the EDSA rehabilitation project is said to transform the often neglected road into a world-class highway with a pavement rivaling the "North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway". The project is said to start in May 2013 and will run for 24/7 to be completed in time for the East Asia World Economic Forum in June 2014. Once done, EDSA's world-class pavement will last between 5 to 10 years.

2013 Toyota Vios Set for Bangkok Motor Show Reveal?

Spy Shots courtesy of Sohu Auto

The second-generation Toyota Vios has been in the market since 2007 which means a full model change is long overdue. Now, reports indicate a possible global unveil at the 2013 Bangkok International Motor Show in March.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Being very familiar with the Ford Focus through several drives and events, (First Drive: 2012 Ford Focus, Post Cards from San Francisco: Driving the Ford Focus in the USA, A Different Kind of Fuel Economy Run) the arrival of the Panther Black Focus 2.0 Titanium+ is a breath of familiarity. Despite being overly used to the general shape of the Focus, it’s still one handsome compact car.

2013 World Car of the Year Finalists Announced

The countdown has begun in preparation for the 2013 World Car Awards winners' press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show and Bridgestone Corporation on Thursday, March 28, 2013. The 2013 World Car of the Year, World Performance Car, World Green Car and World Car Design of the Year will all be declared at this time.

The top three finalists in all award categories will be announced at the Geneva International Motor Show on Tuesday, March 5th, 2013.

Toyota has confirmed its lineup for the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and although the all-new RAV4 is there and so is the new Auris Touring Sports (future Corolla?), the biggest headline is the world premiere of the 86 convertible.

Still carrying the concept moniker, the 86 convertible (properly referred to as "FT-86 Open Concept") is a sneak peek at a "possible future variant" of the 86 (Toyota's own words). Of course, everyone knows that the 86 and its corporate twin, the Subaru BRZ is designed to maintain its structural rigidity even with its roof lopped off, so mostly likely the "concept car" we'll see in Geneva is nothing more than a thinly disguised version.

Right now, enjoy the official sketch provided by Toyota Motors Europe, but we'll be covering the 2013 Geneva Motor Show during the first week of March.

February 1, 2013

Toyota Motor Philippines Says "Thank You" with Upgreats Promo

2012 was a milestone year for Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) with achievements in the different facets of its operations. In addition to this, TMP achieved its 11th consecutive triple crown with no. 1 sales in the Passenger Car segment, Commercial Vehicle Segment and over all sales. For the year, TMP registered 21, 291 units in the PC segment and 44,105 units in the CV segment for a total of 65, 396 units while garnering 41.7% of the market. This performance is the highest the manufacturer has tallied since the start of its operations in 1988.

Ford Philippines recently celebrated its 2013 Annual Ford Dealer Convention which recognized top achievers from its nationwide dealer network.

The red carpet Convention was held at the Filinvest Tent, Alabang, with Ford Quezon Avenue being named Ford’s ‘2012 Dealer of the Year’ for its overall distinction in wholesale, retail sales and customer service. The ‘Dealer of the Year’ Award for provincial went to Ford Iloilo.

Vent It Out Friday: Ten New Year's Resolutions

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our newest section, “Vent It Out Friday” where we just have a commentary on just about everything. This highly opinionated, highly emotional section will appear (as much as possible) every Friday. Soon, we’ll also be opening “Vent It Out Friday” to our readers, but for now, you can respond to the topic at hand via the comments section below.

They say: a new year equates to a fresh start. With over 300 days to go before we gorge to our heart’s content and light up the skies anew with fireworks (and a stray bullet or two) yet again, here we are with the subject of New Year’s Resolutions. I’d wager that for the 99.9 percent of us out there, this year’s resolution is no different from last year’s or the year before that: it’s got to do with losing 10 pounds and five inches off the beer keg we call the waist.

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