Ford Philippines showed that they’re a modern corporate citizen when the carmaker was named as the Top Taxpayer in the City of Muntinlupa.

The 2018 New York International Auto Show will mark the global debut of two all-new compact crossovers: the 2019 Toyota RAV4 and the 2019 Subaru Forester. And while both carmakers are keeping details mum, here’s what we know so far:

After 17 years, Mazda has decided not to renew its naming rights to the world-famous Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey Country, California. The agreement, which ends on March 31, will see a new naming rights deal be implemented by the time the 2018 racing season begins on May 3.

It was the perfect start to the FlatOut Race Series’ (FORS) 2018 season when 109-entries took to the Clark International Speedway (CIS) last 3rd of March.

The Mazda Vision Coupe wins another accolade as it’s been judged as Concept Car of the Year at the 11th Car Design Night in Geneva, Switzerland.

Just in time for summer break, the Department of Transporation (DOTr) has announced that Phase 1 of its Toll Interoperability Project is now being implemented. With that, users of Autosweep RFID (SLEX, MCX, Skyway) can now use their RFID tags on the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), SCTEX (Subic-Clark Expressway), and CAVITEX (Cavite Expressway).

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation recently launched its new range of Fuso Canter light-duty trucks with are now fully Euro 4 compliant.

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines, has registered 2,649 unit sales for the month of February 2018. This leaves the total 2018 year-to-date Hyundai unit sales at 5,552, or a modest 1.5 percent increase compared to the 5,470 units sold during the same period of 2017.

Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) recently held a ground-breaking ceremony for what will be its new site in Minglanilla, Cebu.

Having seven seats is always a great selling point here in the Philippines. While that option is normally reserved for MPVs and larger SUVs, even smaller ones are starting to get into the fray. One such entrant, fighting in the compact crossover genre is the Nissan X-Trail. Being the second of three crossovers that offer three rows of seats, the X-Trail can’t claim to have that as a unique proposition. What it can claim though is that it underwent a bunch of tweaks that make it a more convincing choice now. The question is: are they enough to help keep the X-Trail on stride in the highly competitive market?

First impressions are pretty good. The 2018 update has certainly made the X-Trail look much sportier compared to when it first launched in 2015. Gone is the generic soap bar-shape and in its place is a more angular, more aggressive looking face. The larger grille, LED headlights, and chiseled bumpers all suit the “active lifestyle” commonly associated with SUVs without going overboard. Towards the back, the changes are far less obvious but the new bumper and boomerang-shaped LED taillights do the job of adding a bit of character. The final modernizing touches are courtesy of the new shark’s fin antenna (replacing the old school pole-type) and two-tone 19-inch alloy wheels (replacing the 17-inch ones).



Sadly, Nissan’s efforts seem to be concentrated on the exterior since they’ve largely forgotten to modernize the interior. Though there are various soft-touch plastics and even leather on the steering wheel, dashboard, and shifter base, there are also some hard, scratchy plastics too. It’s well-hidden thanks to its texturized finish, but poke long enough and it’s noticeable—lower dash, door trims, center console—they all fall victim to this. Plus, the doors close with a tinny twang making it feel far less premium than a fair few of its rivals.

For the driver, the X-Trail remains a safe, solid bet. The seat itself is cushy and combine that with a tilt/telescopic steering wheel and it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position. The gauges are large and easy to understand as are the various buttons and switches. The latter is also crisp-feeling with precise, positive engagement.



Surprisingly, the most disappointing parts of the X-Trail has much to do with the 2018 update. The Around View 360-degree monitor is a great idea, but cramming the display into a low-resolution, 5-inch screen makes it pretty close to useless. The same goes for Moving Object Detection or MOD. Instead of pinpointing exactly where the moving object is, the system simply alerts you in which general area (front, back, left, or right) it’s in. The driver will then have to decipher it and that’s quite difficult with the miniscule screen. There’s an audible warning, but it’s easily drowned out. It’s the same problem with the blind spot warning system which has too small an indicator and too soft a warning chime.

Honestly, the only thing that worked perfectly is the Forward Collision Braking and Forward Collision Warning system. It’s perfectly tuned to local road conditions with no false alarms or unwanted emergency braking.



As a family hauler, the X-Trail is packaged pretty well for its size. The first two rows of seats are pretty solid with ample head and generous leg room. However, the third row of seats is best left for occasional use. Getting in and out is easy thanks to rear doors that open almost 90 degrees and a second row that tilts and slides forward, but it’s definitely a “knees-up” situation at the back. The second row is adjustable allowing for additional legroom, but even then, it doesn’t make it more habitable.

Perhaps the X-Trail’s weakest point is when it comes to driving excitement, or the lack of it. The softly-sprung suspension gives an impression of it being cushy and plush, and it is over smooth pavement. But the moment it goes over anything slightly rough, it will bob and thud its way through. What’s more, sharp-edged bumps will cause the entire car to shake and shudder, and it takes a moment to regain its composure. The light steering is a godsend in traffic jams or parking maneuvers, but it takes a bit more lock to get it into corners. It doesn’t feel particularly pointy when pushed, and even in the rare instances when it’s up for a dance, it tips and leans heavily into corners. NVH isolation is one of the X-Trail’s strong suits, with the thin glass being the only chink in that armor.



Under the hood, the X-Trail remains mechanically unchanged. It still runs on a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder motor making 171 horsepower and 233 Nm of torque. It feels sluggish off the line but picks up the pace as it gains momentum. Driven sensibly, it’s smooth but fuel economy could be better (5.40 km/L at 11 km/h, 9.35 km/L at 27 km/h). Start prodding the accelerator though and it’ll always feel like it’s a half step behind. Because of the CVT’s need to adjust its ratios, the coarseness of the engine is made obvious.

In value for money terms, the 2018 update does give the X-Trail much more equipment this time. Now, they’ve thrown everything from powered front seats to a panoramic sunroof to a hands-free powered tailgate to all sorts of driver assistive technology under the Nissan Intelligent Mobility umbrella: Blindspot Warning System with Cross Traffic Alert, Forward Collision Braking, Forward Collision Warning, and of course, the Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection. Honestly, the packaging would have been perfect if not for the lack of a more modern infotainment system with a bigger screen (no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay here) and more standard airbags (it only has, shockingly, two).



With the revised exterior styling, better standard equipment, and slew of Nissan Intelligent Mobility features, the 2018 Nissan X-Trail has become an okay choice in the crowded compact crossover segment. If it were the only one with standard seating for seven, then that would have made it a clear winner. Sadly, there are far more okay choices out there. As it stands, Nissan may have moved the X-Trail onto the right track, it’s just that its competitors have moved on even further.

Setting and breaking lap records on the Nürburgring Nordschleife has become a pissing contest of sorts for car manufacturers. Today, the development of a vehicle, especially those of the high-performance variety, isn’t complete without any sort of mention of lap times at the 22.810-kilometer circuit known as “The Green Hell.” That is, unless you’re Mazda.

GAZ Group, the leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles (CVs) in Russia has officially started selling its models locally through its official Philippine distributor, Gazelle Motors Corp. GAZ is now selling its NEXT minibus and NEXT Citiline frame bus in the country through its own dealer network.

The ASEAN New Car Assessment Program or NCAP is now including blindspot object detection as part of its safety assist technology test under its revised ASEAN NCAP 2017-2020 protocol. Blindspot technology (BST) is now a requirement to obtain points for a higher ASEAN NCAP rating and aims to reduce motorcycle fatalities across the ASEAN region.

Ford Philippines announced that despite the implementation of the new excise tax, February retail sales still rose 24 percent from a year ago to 1,860 units driven by its big three: the Ranger, Everest, and EcoSport.

It’s a Friday night and I just want to go home. Just when I thought that navigating through Manila’s stop-and-go traffic would take up most of my problems, Murphy’s Law—Anything that can go wrong will go wrong—strikes and I end up with a flat tire. No matter how well you maintain the condition of your tire, with all the debris on our roads, it’s bound to happen.

Landers members, get ready. Starting tomorrow, March 12 until Friday, March 16, 2018, you stand to get even bigger discounts with the Caltex Crazy Fuel Sale promo.

As Mazda looks to its next-generation of vehicles, they are still looking to improve existing ones in the pursuit of advancing driving pleasure. Announcing their long-term Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030 plan last year, Mazda is now looking at vehicles from a “Well-to-Wheel” approach.

Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) supports sports anew through its recent contract signing with the 2018 Philippine SuperLiga (PSL).

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) has already started accepting reservations for its all-new MPV, the Xpander. And now, to make it even more enticing, MMPC is offering a pre-booking exclusive for those who have made reservations and those who are still planning to reserve one.

Auto Nation Group, Inc., distributor of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and commercial vehicles in the country, recently turned-over two units of the Mercedes-Benz Pocket Train to Clark Pipeline and Depot Company, their first customer in the Philippines.