After previewing it last December, Peugeot Philippines is finally making its all-new 5008 SUV available to buyers. Its all-new 3-row, 7-seater SUV is Peugeot’s biggest SUV yet and completes the brand’s revitalized line-up.

Volvo is finally severing its final ties with the Ford Motor Company with the introduction of the SPA-underpinned 2019 S60 mid-sized premium sedan. With this move, the Swedish carmaker is finally able to say goodbye to the Ford-derived P3 platform (aka Ford EUCD platform) and move to something completely bespoke to Volvo.

Mazda owners know that its special colors—Snowflake White, Soul Red, and Machine Gray are hard to touch-up, especially if its been through an accident. Well, owners will now be happy to know that Mazda Philippines has teamed up with a renowned paint specialist to offer their dealer the latest paint technology, re-finishing expertise, and paint shop training services.

Now on its 11th year, Isuzu Philippines Corporation’s Truck Fest kicked off the provincial leg of its 2018 series in the “Queen City of the South”: Cebu. Happening until today, July 8, it is happening at the Northwing Covered Parking of SM City Cebu.

You just gotta love the Australians. When they’re not transforming basketball into boxing, they’re racing pick-up trucks. And we’re not talking about off-road racing or rallycross mind you; it’s circuit racing and they call it: SuperUtes.

If there’s one thing that Hyundai and Kia vehicles are constantly being chastised for, it’s the lack of safety equipment. Compared to similarly-priced makes from Japanese and American brands, the Koreans have always lagged behind be it in the number of airbags or the equipment of anti-lock brakes or stability control. While the blame is typically pinned on Hyundai and Kia’s Philippine distributor, that shouldn’t be the case.

After previewing it at the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) last April, Chevrolet Philippines says that the 2018 LTX variants of the Colorado pick-up truck and Trailblazer SUV are now available at all authorized dealerships nationwide.

Bermaz Auto Philippines, the exclusive distributor of Mazda vehicles and parts in the country, and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, one of the country’s top fuel companies, have formalized a partnership that combines the fuel efficiency benefits of both premium brands for the benefit of Mazda new car buyers.

The production model has yet to make its debut, but Toyota’s ready to take the all-new Supra racing. But before you think it’ll race in some sort of global touring car racing series or even long-distance endurance racing, it’s going to run at the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series or NXS.

You remember the Ford Ranger Raptor? Of course, you do. Well, after its big global launch shebang last February, you’ll be happy to know that Ford Performance’s first mid-sized pickup truck is finally entering the next phase: production.

It’s officially official: the 2019 Suzuki Jimny is now out in Japan. As the first model in over 20 years, excitement over this micro SUV is understandably high. And with that, Suzuki’s not taking any chances: it combines authentic off-road performance with a newly-developed 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine (you can check more images here and the complete specs here).

Mercedes-AMG driver and current Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton is the newest face of Tommy Hilfiger Men’s. As the global brand ambassador, Hamilton is now releasing a series of personal stories about his brother, father, and mother have inspired and taught him to see challenges as an opportunity to grow and fight for his dreams on his social media accounts.

Hyundai was the official mobility partner of the Philippine Inter-Collegiate Debate Championship (PIDC) 2018, held June 11-13, 2018 at the University of the Philippines-Diliman for the preliminary rounds, and at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the semifinals, championship rounds, and awards night.

Volvo once again joined the festivities during the celebration of Sweden’s National Day in the Philippines. Held at the magnificent ballroom of the Grant Hyatt Manila, Volvo Philippines joined their Swedish family in observing the national day of Volvo’s home country.

The NISMO Festival, the annual fan appreciation event that lets fans and enthusiasts experience the NISMO brand and excitement of Nissan motorsports has finally set a date: Sunday, December 2, 2018 (you can check out our 2015 coverage here).

The rainy season has officially begun, according to the state weather bureau PAGASA, and that will likely lead to a higher risk of road traffic accidents. Torrential rain, especially when caused by typhoons, can present unique challenges to drivers that can catch them off-guard, including reduced visibility, slippery surfaces, unseen obstacles and flash floods.

Man, someone better keep a tighter lid of things over at Suzuki. After countless spy shots, the Japanese carmaker had to release official photos a full 2 weeks before its July 5 global debut. And now, on the eve of the launch, the specs of the 2019 Jimny have come out. All of the specs below have been confirmed as the global Jimny model.

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is to introduce a new design for the interior and exterior of approximately 5,000 dealer stores worldwide. The move is based on the new brand message “Drive your Ambition”, announced last year, and is intended to provide a better customer experience in a high quality retail environment and to strengthen Mitsubishi Motors’ brand image.

GT Capital Holdings, the diversified conglomerate that holds banking (Metrobank), automotive (Toyota), and real-estate (Federal Land) is making its first offshore investment: by buying 22.2 billion yen (P 10.723 billion) in Toyota Motor Corporation stock.

The Commission on Audit (COA) has just released their Annual Audit Report for the Philippine National Police (PNP) for 2017. You can read the entire report here, but we’ll get straight to something motoring-related: the Mahindra patrol vehicles. As you can imagine, opting to go for an untested Indian brand ruffled a couple of feathers back in 2015, so it shouldn’t come as a shock that two years later, the people sworn to serve and protect found out what everyone else was thinking all along: they’re pieces of shit.

SsangYong Philippines is finally entering the pick-up market. Shown via a trailer on its official Facebook page, the distributor is poised to bring in the Musso pick-up truck soon (see video at the bottom).

When Honda said that its newest Civic Type R would go on a European vacation and break lap records along the way last March, we’re starting to wonder: how is it doing? Well, it seems the venerable hot hatch has had its fill of croissants, waffles, and fish and chips while smashing the lap record in three circuits.

Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi today officially opened a joint staff training center in the Philippines, as the automotive alliance works together more closely to enhance service to customers.

With a company logo that represents the Pleiades star cluster, Subaru is literally a brand wished upon the stars. Now, those wishes can come true with Motor Image Pilipinas’s 2018 Tanabata Festival.

BMW has been churning out countless X models as of late, but among them, the X3 is the best-balanced. It’s always managed to tiptoe between sportiness and comfort, ostentatiousness and practicality; it’s a BMW unrestricted by heritage, but still carries enough gravitas to wear the title of “ultimate driving machine.” Sadly though, the third-generation model has somewhat blemished that reputation. While it remains one of the premium SUV-dom’s most multi-faceted and respected offerings, it’s become a victim to BMW’s own product segmentation.

Typically, going for a premium (aka luxury) vehicle also means having to swallow premium aftersales service bills and of course, premium depreciation. Audi Philippines though has found a way around that problem.

The Philippine automotive industry must really be slowing down. After becoming the country’s best-selling vehicle for 2017, Toyota Motor Philippines is now doing something to boost sales of the Fortuner SUV that was pretty much unthinkable last year: a raffle.

United Asia Automotive Group, Inc. (UAAGI), the exclusive distributor of Foton vehicles in the Philippines inaugurated its Talisay, Cebu showroom last June 26, 2018.

What do you get when you mix Italian design with Japanese engineering? This: the Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign. Launched to commemorate the 50th anniversary of both the GT-R and Italdesign, it’s currently a prototype which may go into ultra-limited production soon.

Italdesign developed, engineered, and built the car with the crisp new exterior and revised interior created by Nissan’s design teams in both Europe and North America.

The Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign contains a distinct gold inner element that stretches across almost the entire width of the vehicle. The hood has a more pronounced power bulge, while the LED headlights are made to stretch from the wheel arch to the lip above the outer cooling intakes.



The roofline has been lowered by 54 millimeters and features a lower center section, while the slightly raised outer portions give the roof profile a muscular look. The signature GT-R “samurai blade” cooling outlets behind the front wheels have gained more prominence with a gold inlay and extends from the bottom of the doors to the shoulder line.

The rear highlights the car’s wide track with taut, muscular flares around the wheels. The shoulder line tapers around the base of the rear window and draws toward the center of the trunk lid. In a dramatic fashion, the rear window line descends longer and deeper than on the standard car. Combined with more gold elements, it appears as a separate modular element of the rear structure.


The GT-R’s twin round taillights have been reimagined as a separate “floating” feature with thin light rings and hollow centers, mounted so as to join the outer buttress and the central portion of the trunk structure. A large, adjustable rear wing, mounted with two uprights, completes the overall look. Custom wheels: 21 x 10 inches in front and 21 x 10.5 inches at the rear accentuate the car’s bold stance. The exterior is finished in Liquid Kinetic Gray paint with distinctive Energetic Sigma Gold anniversary accents.

Inside, the Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign reflects its modern, high-performance pedigree. Two different carbon fiber finishes are extensively used across the center console, instrument panel and door linings, along with black Alcantara and fine black Italian leather on the seats. Gold accents echo the exterior treatment across the instrument panel, doors and the futuristic race car-inspired switchgear. The bespoke steering wheel’s central hub and spokes are made of carbon fiber, while the rim features a flat bottom and matching Alcantara trim.

Underneath the new shape, the Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign is all business. Drawing on Nissan’s GT3 racing experience, the NISMO organization enhanced the hand-assembled 3.8-liter V6 VR38DETT engine to produce an estimated 720 horsepower and 780 Nm of torque.



Changes to the power plant include optimized twin high-flow, large-diameter GT3 competition-spec turbochargers and larger intercoolers; heavy-duty crankshaft, pistons, connecting rods and bearings; high-flow piston oil jets; revised camshaft profiles; higher-flow fuel injectors; and optimized ignition, intake and exhaust systems. A reinforced dual-clutch sequential six-speed rear transaxle and stronger differentials and drive shafts direct the power to the wheels.

A revised suspension has been developed, featuring the BILSTEIN DampTronic I continuously adjustable damping system. For braking, the Brembo six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes feature bright red, clearly visible calipers. Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, sized 255/35 R21 in the front and 285/30 R21 in the rear, add a level of grip needed to harness the engine’s power.

Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign Prototype Key Specifications

• Base Vehicle: Nissan GT-R NISMO
• Overall Length: 4,784 mm
• Overall Width: 1,992 mm
• Overall Height: 1,316 mm
• Wheelbase: 2,780 mm
• Engine: 3.8-liter VR38DETT by NISMO
• Maximum Power: 720 horsepower @ 7,100 rpm
• Maximum Torque: 780 Nm @ 3,600-5,600 rpm
• Driveline: Mid-mounted front engine / rear transaxle ATTESA E-TS all-wheel drive
• Gearbox: Reinforced dual-clutch sequential 6-speed rear transaxle
• Suspension: BILSTEIN DampTronic I damping system
• Brakes: Brembo, with 2-piece floating drilled disc (front: 6-piston monoblock caliper; rear: 4-piston monoblock caliper)
• Wheels: 21 x 10 J (f), 21 x 10.5 J (r)
• Tires: Michelin Pilot Super Sport, 255/35 R 21 (f); 285/30 R 21 (r) 

Serendipitous circumstances would mean that it’s only now that we get to sample the Mazda MX-5 in its purest form: the one equipped with a manual transmission. While some may say that the era of driving with three pedals is almost over, Mazda begs to differ. As great as the new “ND” is with the 6-speed automatic, it becomes alive when equipped with a manual. Spending a week driving around in this Snowflake White MX-5 MT, there are 7 random thoughts that popped into our heads.

Volvo Cars announced it is working with Google to embed the voice-controlled Google Assistant, Google Play Store, Google Maps, and other Google services into its next-generation Sensus infotainment system, based on Google’s Android operating system.

Porsche’s future vision of mobility is another step closer as the company announced that series production of the first purely electric Porsche is set to begin next year. And in preparation, the vehicle has now been given an official name: the Taycan.