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March 12, 2018

Ford Philippines Feels Effect of New Excise Tax as Ranger Takes Sales Lead

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.

This Simple Device Helps You Change A Flat Tire Quickly

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.

A Lot Left In The Internal Combustion Engine: Mazda Hedges Bet on Gasoline, Diesel Engines

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.

Volkswagen Philippines is set to hold the second Cebu activation of the Child Safety Initiative (CSI) road safety campaign from March 9 to 11, 2018 this time at “The Gallery” Level 1 of the New Wing of Ayala Center Cebu.

Nissan Mobility Tour Heads to Cebu and Davao This March

Who would have thought: reserving a vehicle during the Nissan Mobility Tour can immediately make you feel like a winner. After the Manila and Pampanga legs of the nationwide experiential tour, these two lucky individuals dared to be bold and walked home with an additional P 100,000 off their brand-new Nissan vehicle.

Haven’t you noticed anything with Mazda lately? Despite being a small carmaker (it has about a 4 percent market share in Japan and 2-3 percent globally), they’ve continued to make fresh products year after year. How have they been able to accomplish this?

The celebrated Toyota Supra is back, sort of. Shown at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show, Toyota finally confirms that the Supra badge is back and affixed to a high-performance sportscar co-developed with BMW. The racing concept, dubbed the GR (Gazoo Racing) Supra Racing Concept, it revives the heritage of one of Toyota’s famous sportscars.

Meet Two Extreme British Hypercars: the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro and the McLaren Senna GTR

Two British supercar makers unveiled their interpretation of what an “ultimate track-only hypercar” is. World, meet the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro and the McLaren Senna GTR Concept.

Honda is aiming to reinforce the performance of the Civic Type R by using a squad of racing stars to do what else but break lap records at iconic European racetracks.

Hyundai Motor showed off its “Le Fil Rouge” a concept car that provides a glimpse of the Korean carmaker’s new styling direction moving forward. And while it’s evocative, it’s also very, very familiar. Yes, it pretty much apes Mazda’s Vision Coupe Concept closely.

Subaru showed off the first indications of how a future Levorg sports wagon could look like with the arrival of the Viziv Tourer Concept at the Geneva International Motor Show.

“That looks slick.” This is the typical greeting anyone would have upon seeing the 2018 Suzuki Vitara. Of course, for people old enough to remember, they would remember the badge as having been affixed on a model that pioneered the small, no-nonsense 4x4. With the Jimny now handling that duty within the Suzuki line-up, the Vitara’s been transformed into their new sub-compact crossover offering, and like what everyone else would say, it does look slick.

How Mazda Designed The i-ACTIV AWD to Act Human

Based on the human walk—that’s how Mazda describes its i-ACTIV AWD system. It’s a good thing though that the system wasn’t based on me; if it were, then it’d suck. The moment I stepped out of the bus and onto the Kenbuchi Proving Ground located north of Asahikawa in Hokkaido, Japan, I slipped and fell in full view of all the Mazda engineers and experts. It’s reassuring to everyone concerned that Mazda’s all-wheel drive system takes inspiration from more graceful humans.

After celebrating the Year of the Dog, Subaru is continuing to give special offers on its best-selling Forester compact SUV. Go into a refreshing drive this summer with easy own schemes for all Subaru Forester models.

Volvo Philippines set sail to Hong Kong for the first ever Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) stop in Asia’s world city. Winners of Volvo’s All Aboard Holiday Offer as well as the Volvo Alumni Golf Cup 2017 champions were all onboard to partake of the festivities. Top executives from the country’s exclusive importer and distributor as well as sales partner from across the country, were also on hand to host the Volvo clients and their guests, as well as accompany them around the Volvo Ocean Race Village.

Volvo Cars unveiled a special edition of its V90 Cross Country to celebrate the 2017-2018 Volvo Ocean Race. With a limited production run (based on calendar year and not quantity), the V90 Cross Country Ocean Race is inspired by the world’s toughest ocean race with stylistic cues and features that enable its drivers to launch their next adventure.

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), official Philippine distributor of Hyundai passenger and commercial vehicles, in partnership with Plan International, is set to inaugurate this April, the Hyundai Dream Center Philippines (HDCP), a world-class training and education hub for developing skills in the automotive industry.

In celebration of its 30th anniversary in the country, Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation commissioned a new video that recalls Filipinos unrelenting support to the Japanese carmaker.

Looking for a no-frills, no-nonsense off-roader? Forget the modern-day Mercedes-Benz G-Glass or even the newest Jeep Wrangler. Mahindra may have a solution for you in the Roxor.

Customers Know Best: How DAF Trucks Offered A Win-Win Solution

The customer knows best—it’s a saying in business that’s been around for as long as anyone remembers. As passé as it sounds, it still holds true especially when you’re looking for a dependable business partner to a 13.37-billion-dollar business.

Continuing its dealership expansion and improvement program this year, Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) recently opened its relocated Tuguegarao office in a bigger, more accessible facility in Barangay Sta. Teresa, Iguig, Cagayan.

The biggest issue with the modern automobile is the amount of load it places on the electrical system. And with idle start/stop systems (now standard on most European makes and even on some Japanese ones), the 12-volt starter battery takes on the car’s entire power load whenever the engine stops in heavy traffic. This repeated charging/discharging cycle can take a toll on a car’s battery with some owners reporting battery failure as early as 6 months.

Mitsubishi Motor Philippines Corporation (MMPC) has just released their much-awaited Xpander MPV. Dubbed as the next-generation MPV, the Xpander combines the best attributes of a compact MPV with the design cues of a compact SUV.

Following a successful release in Indonesia, which garnered 50,000 in order units alone, the all-new Mitsubishi Xpander finally lands in the Philippines. Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) is proud to be the second in Asia to launch this highly anticipated MPV/crossover. The Xpander is MMPC’s nod to the growing demand in the Philippine market for an “in-between” model, coming from the success of both the Mirage and the Montero Sport, which remains to be the brand’s local best-selling models.

Kia Philippines Rolls Back Pricing on Selected Models with "Rollback Throwback" Promo

Columbian Autocar Corporation, the exclusive distributor of Kia vehicles in the Philippines implemented its new pricing inclusive of the new vehicle excise tax scheme last January. With the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN taking effect, its vehicles are up across the board. But there’s a bit of good news.

SinDian Bus Company is a family-run transport company with over 300 buses serving the Taipei and New Taipei City area in Taiwan. Serving 22 routes around the Greater Taipei area, the 37-year old company believes that operational efficiency and a hands-on approach helps them win the business game.

Last December, Toyota unveiled their next-generation gasoline engine family called Dynamic Force. At the time, it was just available in one displacement: a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder. Today, the Japanese automaker showed it off in one additional flavor: a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. Including its bigger brother, it’ll make its way to 80 percent of Toyota and Lexus vehicles sold globally within the next 5 years.

Caltex, marketed by Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), starts 2018 pumped up for strong growth by opening its 20th service station in the last six months, making safe and quality fuels and lubricants available to more motorists nationwide.

The FlatOut Race Series (FORS), the country’s premier grassroots motorsports event, is all set for the season launch this weekend at the Clark International Speedway. Sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP), there will be a total of 10 events in the 2018 calendar that starts on March 3.

If This Isn't a Sportscar, What Is? Manila Sports Car Club Releases 2017 List of Eligible Cars

What is a sportscar? While the term is now being used by everyone from journalists to enthusiasts to describe everything from an Mazda MX-5 to a Ford Mustang to a Honda Civic Type R even, the folks at the Manila Sports Car Club has a very specific list.

AC Automotive taps the creative minds of four Filipino visual artists at the Art Fair Philippines 2018 on March 1 to 4 at The Link, Ayala Center in Makati City. In support of Art Fair Philippines in its effort to promote local contemporary art, AC Automotive is a prominent exhibitor during the four-day event.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) is celebrating the arrival of its much-anticipated all-new Xpander with the Xpander Xpo. An exclusive Mitsubishi motorshow and test drive event, it starts on Friday, March 2 and runs all the way to Sunday, March 4 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. The show opens at 10 AM to runs to 9 PM daily. Admission is free.

Kia is preparing to hit the road once more to bring their aftersales services closer to Kia owners all over the country thanks to the Kia Family Service Roadshow.

Largest Ford Ad in the World is Also Largest Eyesore

If you think you’ve seen gigantic billboards along EDSA or C5, think again. Ford shattered the record for the biggest eyesore on the planet by installing the largest billboard in the world to sell their smallest crossover.

Australian automotive website Motoring says Nissan is studying the possibility of making a Ranger Raptor fighter using its Navara as a platform.

There are two schools of thought surrounding the Civic Type R. On one hand, there are those who believe it’s the pinnacle of Honda’s engineering achievement—a technical tour-de-force built with the very best that carmaker could offer. On the other, there are the skeptics who think it can’t be better than an all-wheel drive sports sedan with a bright blue paint job. Heading into this track experience, I belonged squarely to the latter. But an afternoon at the Clark International Speedway was enough to sway my convictions—the hype is most definitely real.

A & B United Corporation and Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) marked another milestone with the grand inauguration of Hyundai Trucks and Buses Iloilo, the first stand-alone Hyundai commercial vehicle (CV) dealership in the Philippines.

UPDATE: Prices for the D-MAX X-Series and mu-X Luxe have been revealed (2/27).

Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) introduced two limited-edition variants of its best-selling D-MAX pickup truck and mu-X mid-sized SUV hoping to broaden the reach of the country’s best-selling commercial brand.

UPDATED: Nissan Philippines Upgrades Navara for 2018

UPDATE: We have the post-TRAIN prices of the 2018 Navara (2/26).

After declaring the start to the pickup truck wars in 2015, the Nissan Navara is now the country’s third best-selling model (they narrowly lost to the Ford Ranger by year-end 2017). Their thirst for success has motivated Nissan to give their Navara an edge this 2018. How? By giving it some Nissan Intelligent Mobility features.

Nissan has finally (and officially) pulled the wraps off its 7-seater Navara SUV. Called the Terra, it’s the first-ever vehicle from Nissan’s frame and LCV (Light Commercial Vehicle) division to launch under the company’s mid-term Nissan M.O.V.E. 2022. It premieres first in China this April.

Chrysler’s Global Head of Design, Ralph Gilles is now being called “heroic” by the Addison Town, Michigan Fire Chief after Gilles used his Jeep Wrangler to push a burning Ford Edge away from a crashed Ford Fiesta and its trapped occupants last week.

Li Shufu, the chairman and main owner of Chinese carmaker Geely has amassed a 9.69 stake in Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz. The stake, worth nearly USD 9 billion at the current market price for Daimler shares, makes Li the biggest single shareholder of the German automaker.

Make a lasting impression without spending big bucks with the Auto-Gard line of premium car care products. A perfect partner when it comes to keeping your ride looking sleek and shiny, it’s guaranteed to make heads turn.

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines, started 2018 with a modest 3 percent growth from 2,817 units sold in January 2017 to 2,903 units in the same month of 2018. The Korean brand’s performance can be considered quite a feat considering it is the initial month since automotive taxes have been restructured (Note: Hyundai has not yet implemented TRAIN at this point. Their prices took effect in February 2018).

Mercedes-Benz OF 917 is "Right-Sized" 32-Seater Bus

Auto Nation Group, Inc. recently launched the Mercedes-Benz OF 917 Midi Bus, a high-decker passenger coach, to highlight the brand’s expanding product line-up in the commercial vehicle segment in the Philippines.

KTM Philippines invites local KTM Duke owners to take the challenge and display their motorcycle riding skills at the KTM Dukehana at the Circuit Makati Parking Grounds on February 25, 2018. Held in the country for the first time, the event promises to be an exciting motorcycle racing experience as participating riders navigate a street course that’s equal parts challenging and exhilarating.

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