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March 18, 2019

Here's Your List of Car Brands at the 2019 Manila International Auto Show

With the 2019 Manila International Auto Show around just two weeks away, it’s interesting to see which brands are present and which ones are not. Since we happen to see a copy of the floor plan, we can tell you for sure which brands will be displaying their wares this April 4 to 7, 2019 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

The Wrangler has been a very strong seller for Jeep dealer CATS Motors since its Philippine market debut in 2010. With the JK, as the third-generation model is referred to, replaced by the all-new fourth-generation JL last week, we had to get the low-down on the possibility of seeing the diesel variants on local roads once more, and even possibly, the Gladiator pickup truck.

Mitsubishi is wasting no time bringing out a sportier version of their recently-launched Strada / TRITON / L200 pickup truck. Headlining their display at the 40th Bangkok International Motor Show at the end of March is what the Japanese carmaker says is, “a car ABSOLUTELY Beyond Tough.” [All caps emphasis is Mitsubishi’s, not ours).

The 2019 Nissan Navara N-Warrior is Dressed to Thrill (w/ 9 Photos, Specs)

Nissan Philippines is now offering a bolder version of its Navara pickup truck with the introduction of the Navara N-Warrior Edition. Building from its success as one of the country’s best-selling pickup trucks, the Navara N-Warrior Edition brings stylish aesthetics upgrades.

Great news to all Mazda owners: there’s a great way to perk your mornings with free coffee courtesy of Shell (see full list of participating stations below).

The second staging of the Motul 300V Superfast event was a resounding success as the country’s fastest supercars and tuner cars took to the Clark International Speedway in a flurry of speed.

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines reported strong sales for the first two months of 2019, selling 6,537 vehicles of a 16.2 percent increase over the same period in 2018.

Auto Nation Group, the general distributor of Jeep vehicles in the Philippines announces a price reduction on its “baby” Jeep, the Renegade which is valid at all dealerships until the end of March 2019.

3 Things You Need to Know About the Ford Ranger's Powertrain

How do you take an already legendary workhorse like the Ford Ranger and make it even better? By equipping it with one of the most advanced powertrains in the world. After developing the new powertrain for the high-performance Ranger Raptor, Ford engineers knew they had something special and decided to make it available across the Ranger line-up. With improved quality, efficiency, and performance, the new powertrain is Ford engineering at its finest.

“Last year, I asked my team if getting into the top 10 auto brands is feasible. Sabi nila, kayang-kaya. And true enough, we were able to deliver. I am beyond grateful because my vision for Foton is now turning into reality,” said Foton Motor Philippines Inc. (FMPI) President Rommel Sytin.

If you’ve been paying attention or at least glancing through a lot of Nissan news, chances are, you’ll notice that their all-electric vehicle, the Leaf, is always stylized as “LEAF.” While this sounds shouty to some keyboard warriors, there’s actually a reason Nissan’s spelling out the Leaf as the “LEAF.”

Driving after dark can be dangerous, with contributing factors such as compromised night vision, rush hour congestion, fatigue and impaired drivers tripling the risk of a fatal crash, according to safety experts.

About a month from now, the 15th edition of the Manila International Auto Show or MIAS will open its doors once more at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Slated for April 4 to 7, 2019, this year’s MIAS will have the theme of “Experience the Fun and Function,” highlighting the two primary reasons that compel people to visit a car show.

Jeep Philippines Brings in More Advanced, More Capable Wrangler (w/ 21 Photos, Brochure, Video)

Celebrating its 15th anniversary as the exclusive Philippine distributor of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and RAM vehicles in the country, Auto Nation Group brings the much-awaited 2019 Wrangler—the most capable SUV and the undisputed icon of American freedom.

Nissan’s luxury division, Infiniti has announced that they will be withdrawing from Western Europe and will be concentrating their efforts instead on the two largest markets in the world, North America and China.

Soon, there will be a Toyota on the moon as the Japanese carmaker and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced a collaboration that’ll bring a manned, pressurized rover there. Toyota hopes to further its fuel cell electric vehicle technologies by equipping this manned rover with a cruising range of more than 10,000 kilometers.

After opening its showroom last November 2018, DAF Philippines, a subsidiary of Pioneer Truck Parts and Equipment officially inaugurated its parts and warehouse facility in Laguna.

The year 2019 has just started and there is no better way to welcome the new year than setting and achieving your life goals, such as finally getting your own car. This dream can be daunting, but you may want to consider pre-owned cars and work with a reliable bank to make this dream come true.

After being late to the EV party, Volkswagen looks to be catching up in a very big way with its Modular Electric Drive Matrix or MEB platform. Created for the German carmaker’s new line of all-electric vehicles, they’ve shown its flexibility by plopping it onto a dune buggy body with the Volkswagen ID. Buggy.

Most people are aware of MAZDASPEED—Mazda’s in-house performance division responsible for motorsports and even the creation of high-performance versions of some of their road cars. It started as a grassroots racing team in Japan, but was absorbed as a wholly-owned subsidiary in 1999.

Hyundai is Bose's Newest Auto Customer

Hyundai is Bose’s newest automotive customer as the Korean carmaker announced its availability on the all-new 2020 Sonata executive sedan. This marks the first time the two companies have joined forces.

Nissan has announced that they have begun testing their Invisible-to-Visible (I2V) technology thanks to a partnership with Japanese telecom giant, NTT DOCOMO.

SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp., the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, continues the success story of the BMW X5 as it makes the newest generation available to the local market. The fourth iteration of the BMW X5 embodies this model’s typical characteristics: versatility, sovereignty, and luxury.

Filipino families rejoice, Suzuki Philippines has heard your call and they’re making the 2019 Ertiga available in a new, easy-to-clean interior color scheme: black. Meet the Suzuki Ertiga Black Edition and it’s now available at all Suzuki Auto dealerships nationwide.

Maxxis Tires brings to the Philippines the latest addition to its motorbike tire portfolio, the M-6161W.

Michelin Tire, the French tire manufacturer, has launched a collaboration with Uniql for its The Brands Masterpiece series from the Spring & Summer Collection of the UT T-shirt brand.

Brake specialist Brembo is almost synonymous with the color red. And while you can get their calipers in a wide gamut of colors aside from red like black, silver, and even neon yellow, they’re reminding carmakers and aftermarket tuners that they can be much more creative.

Shown at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the Brembo Art Calipers are some peculiarly styled calipers finished in camo, animal print, and many more.

While Brembo says the exhibit is meant to show that they’re “playing with the latest trend in fashion, art, style, and design,” they also said that they have no plans to mass produce these “art calipers” for now. However, it serves as a reminder to carmakers and even aftermarket tuners about the infinite possibilities Brembo can do with something as mundane as a brake caliper.

It’s almost impossible to think an animal-print brake caliper will appear in the next high-performance supercar or luxury SUV any time soon, but expect more of these art calipers to crop up at aftermarket shows around the world.

March 11, 2019

The 2019 Isuzu D-MAX is Effortless Power and Efficiency

The Isuzu D-MAX is known for effortless power and outstanding efficiency and the 2019 model continues that legacy with pride.

Everyone grows old, it’s inevitable; the difference lies in how people react to it—some resist the change, while others embrace it. Now on its fifth-generation model, the 2019 Subaru Forester lies squarely in the latter. Gone are the days of him being free-spirited and a slightly quirky young gun; this one takes his vitamins every morning and a chamomile tea every night, especially if he’s had too much to eat. Gone are the days of late-night raves, now he has to be at bed by 9 PM. In short, the Forester’s now hit the midlife, and he’s fully embraced it. He’s the Tito of Compact SUVs, and he doesn’t care.

Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations revealed the latest version of its armored Range Rover Sentinel, which now features more power, unparalleled refinement, all-terrain capability, and the latest in occupant protection.

The price of the 1990’s era Toyota Supra is seriously getting out of hand. If you think a 1994 example fetching USD 121,000 (~ P 6.3 million) is already absurd, well, guess what: someone paid more, a heck of a lot more.

In the 2000 Paralympic Games held in Sydney, Filipina powerlifter Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta made history when she brought home a bronze medal, a first for the Philippines. But before she brought pride to the country, Dumapong-Ancheta who contracted polio at an early age, used to push her wheelchair to the gym just to attend her trainings, rain or shine. Regular public transportation was a challenge.

All-Electric Nissan Leaf Coming to Philippines in 2020

The new Nissan Leaf will go on sale in Indonesia and the Philippines by 2020, underscoring Nissan’s commitment to drive electrification in the region. The expanded availability of the world’s best-selling electric vehicle is an important part of Nissan’s goal to electrify one fourth of its sales volume under its midterm plan, Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022. The acceleration plan also includes assembly and localization of electrification components in key Southeast Asian markets.

2019 Jimny is Now Priced and Available at All Suzuki Auto Dealerships (w/ 17 Photos, Brochure)

After a lengthy tease, Suzuki Philippines is now officially unveiling the all-new, fourth-generation Jimny. Continuing its nameplate’s world-renowned attribute of having a simple yet rugged design, this all-new small SUV is destined not just to conquer city streets, but any trail or jungle as well.

You would think all the MX-5 stories worth telling have already been told. Yes, it’s attention-grabbing (KODO). Yes, it’s a great drive (Jinba-Ittai). And yes, it now appeals to more than just middle-aged men and hair dressers (personal observation). But then, Mazda digs deep and comes up with the 2019 model. Though it doesn’t look that radically different (spoiler alert: it’s pretty much the same car), but that new engine, BBS wheels, Recaro seats, and the available Soul Red Crystal paint job? Hnnnnnnnggggg.

Ford Philippines is extending its special deals for its Ranger, Everest, EcoSport, and Explorer until the end of the month.

Traffic has fundamentally changed the way people drive. Before, entry-level cars were destined to be equipped with a manual transmission and putting in an option for an automatic was considered luxurious. Oh, how times have changed. Today, more and more drivers are shifting to automatics.

Last year, Pinoy boxer Manny Pacquiao made headlines when he bought a mansion in Forbes Park for a staggering USD 9 million (~ P 469 million). As astonishing as that amount was, it’s still not enough to get this one-of-one Bugatti La Voiture Noire. This is, after all, the most expensive new car ever.

The Nissan Leaf is the first electric car in history to surpass 400,000 sales, solidifying the model’s role as the leader in the global shift towards zero emissions mobility.

For people who own multiple cars, one of the more irritating things you have to deal with is to re-do your audio settings from one vehicle to another. Well, audio specialist Harman may have found a solution for that by, how else, developing an app.

Honda Dealers Are Now Offering Glass Coating Service

Want to keep your brand-new Honda’s paint shining like new? Well, they’ve got your back. Honda Cars Philippines announces the availability of their very own “Honda Genuine Premium Body Coat” and you can get them now for as low as P 13,400 at your nearest authorized Honda dealership.

The Hyundai Kona Electric is going to have some competition from an unlikely source: MG. The British car brand (by way of China) announced its first all-electric vehicle for export markets and it’s a crossover; it looks very familiar too. Meet the MG ZS EV.

Hyundai has revealed the first photos of the eighth-generation 2020 Sonata, an executive sedan that’s now taken a decidedly four-door coupe look. It embodies the Sensuous Sportiness design concept first seen in the Le Fil Rouge Concept, fully transforming the Sonata following the release of the previous generation model in 2014.

After spending 108 days in jail, the disgraced former Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi chairman, Carlos Ghosn walked away of the Tokyo jail whisked away in a…Suzuki.

2019 Suzuki Jimny is a Finalist for World Car Design of the Year

At the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the World Car of the Year announced the “Top Three in the World” finalists. The jury, made of 86 distinguished automotive journalists from around the world continued to whittle down the list by secret ballot based on their evaluation with each candidate as part of their professional work.

This is the Engelberg Tourer, Mitsubishi’s next-generation crossover which, quite frankly, has styling only its own mother could love. It’s named after the famous ski resort in central Switzerland but sadly, none of the typical Swiss design sensibilities made it to this three-row crossover.

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