If you’ve been to Japan before all this COVID-19 business, you would have noticed this quirky Toyota taxi, particularly around Tokyo.

Called the JPN Taxi, it’s a specialized Toyota model that would have served tourists for the 2020 Olympics. With the Olympics now postponed, the JPN Taxi is doing a different job now: transporting COVID-19 patients.


Like Honda’s move with their Odyssey MPV, Toyota has quickly transformed a fleet of its JPN Taxi to safely transport COVID-19 patients while preventing any potential spread of infection to the driver. A plastic partition has been installed between the front and rear seats, while the climate control has been re-engineered for a one-way air flow from the front to the rear seats.

So far, Toyota has re-configured five of their JPN Taxi units to serve hospitals around the Chiba prefecture.

Most Filipinos buy pickup trucks because they look cool, but now and again, carmakers remind them that they’re great at doing one thing: hauling stuff. Ford did exactly that when its “Built Ford Tough” truck helped transport food and medical supplies to various front liners during the Enhanced Community Quarantine.

Ford Philippines partnered with San Miguel Foods to deliver over 49,000 pieces of baked products and breads to front liners in various local government units (LGU), police districts, parishes, charities, and hospitals around Metro Manila. The delivery took place daily over a course of two weeks.

And because front liners can’t live on bread alone, the Ranger also delivered medical supplies and personal protective equipment to various hospitals with the help of The Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service (TOWNS) Foundation and AmCham Foundation.


Ford also transported, via the Ford Ranger, its own donations of medical supplies to medical front liners from Philippine General Hospital, Manila Doctors Hospital, Ospital ng Muntinlupa, and San Juan De Dios Hospital. Ford also donated medical supplies to Philippine College of Occupational Medicine and Bauan Medical Society, its partner medical organizations in its medical missions.

Earlier into the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine, Ford lent its Ford Transit van for the transport of medical front liners. These will be in service until May 4, 2020.

Auto makers are going to be bracing for a very tough year ahead with global production now expected to fall more than 20 percent.

Forecasts from LMC Automotive, a market analyst and insights provider that focuses on the automotive industry forecasts that global auto output will fall 19 million units to 71 million units as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ensuring economic recession.

This steep decline is far greater than what LMC Automotive anticipated earlier this year and yet, they warned that those projections could slip even further depending on how quickly major regions recover.

LMC Automotive expects that vehicle sales in North America and Europe to tank in April with post-pandemic recovery “unlikely to be rapid” after. True enough, carmakers there were forced to delay key model launches including the Ford Mustang Mach-E, and the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe.

China, which was among the first countries hit by the novel coronavirus, already has restarted most of its auto plants, but will still see a sales decline of 12 percent this year.

For the Philippine market, Fitch Solutions is projecting zero growth for the local auto industry this year. Meanwhile, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) expressed that a double-digit decline for 2020 is more likely.

As part of its 100th anniversary, Mazda has been busy tugging at nostalgia such as coming up with models inspired by the R360 and also highlighting one of its crowning achievements: the mass-production of the rotary engine.

On the surface, the Mazda PR seems innocuous enough, talking about the history of the RX-7. However, there are a couple of lines that stick out and we’ve taken the liberty to highlight it for you below:

“…the company developed a prototype Mazda2 EV with a small single-rotor engine used as a range extender. A similar system could find its way onto the Mazda MX-30...”

Mazda’s continued development of the rotary engine is no secret, but this is the first time we’ve gotten official confirmation from the Japanese carmaker as to its layout and application.

As the company’s first all-electric vehicle, the MX-30 packs an in-house developed battery-driven powertrain called e-Skyactiv. Together with a 35.5-kWh lithium-ion battery, it has a range of about 209 kilometers. Once fitted with the rotary engine as a range extender though, range is expected to more than double. Moreover, Mazda says a rotary engine is perfect as a range extender because it’s quiet, vibration-free, and extremely compact.

Audi in the coming weeks will gradually resume producing cars at its plants in Europe after having suspended its operations in mid-March because of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ingolstadt, Germany-based automaker suffered bottlenecks in its supply chain and saw a drop in demand as the pandemic broke out in Europe.

Production at Audi’s plants in Europe will return to normal by the end of the month, with operations in other parts of the world to follow soon. The automaker’s worldwide resumption of production, as well as that of its suppliers and service providers, will be coordinated with its parent company, the Volkswagen Group.

Manufacturing at Audi sites will be ramped up starting in late-April. Engine production in Gyor, Hungary, has already started last week.

In the restart, Audi will observe steps focusing on the safety of employees and will follow the health regulations in respective countries. Among the measures put in place are rules on distance and hygiene, a modified work shift system to avoid contact, and requiring the use of mouth and nose protection for personnel in certain areas. A work-from-home arrangement can also be imposed on some workers.

“On the way back to the first phase after the production shutdown, health precautions for the protection of the employees have the highest priority,” said Peter Mosch, chairman of Audi’s labor council. “Audi teams of experts, consulting with specialists, have therefore adapted processes with a view to health protection.”

The world’s largest tiremaker, Bridgestone said it will be temporarily suspending operation at its 11 manufacturing plants in Japan, including 8 tire factories.

The shutdown, done in phases will happen from late April to early May is in response to the slowing global demand for tires brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes its main passenger vehicle tire factory in Hikone and its main truck and bus tire manufacturing plant in Amagi.

As of April 16, Bridgestone had suspended operations at 19 of its 51 global factories to reflect the weaker demand for tires.

PLDT Inc. is turning over 30 of its service vehicles to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for its use in anti-COVID-19 operations.

The vehicles include 14 Toyota Innova MPVs, 10 Toyota Avanza MPVs, 4 Isuzu mini trucks, and 2 Isuzu Crosswind AUVs. Sixteen of the vehicles were delivered last week and the balance are scheduled for delivery this week.

Of the 30 vehicles, seventeen have been assigned to the AFP health services, specifically the Health Service Command, the Office of the Surgeon General and the Military Treatment Facilities of the Army, Navy and Air Force.  These units are providing health care support for troops that are deployed in checkpoints in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

The remaining 13 vehicles will be deployed to various senior offices such as the AFP Command Center, the Joint Task Force NCR, the Special Operations Command, AFP, the AFP Communications, Electronics and Information Systems Service and the AFP Civil Relations Service.

PLDT and its wireless subsidiary has been providing communications support to the AFP and the Philippine National Police for their COVID operations. Earlier, Smart donated SIMs and load cards for more than 1,000 AFP personnel deployed in Metro Manila, to provide for their connectivity needs during the enhanced community quarantine.

PLDT Enterprise has also provided 200 smartphones with free postpaid subscriptions for the use of AFP and PNP personnel manning about 60 checkpoints in Metro Manila. These smartphones will be used to access the Rapid Pass online application which is designed to facilitate movement of people through checkpoints in the National Capital Region.

“Helping the country’s frontliners in the fight against COVID-19 is a key focus of our efforts during this health emergency. This includes keeping our frontliners safe and healthy. With more and more soldiers and policemen falling ill with the virus, we hope that these service vehicles will help the AFP Medical Corp to protect our men and women in uniform,” said PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.

Porsche sold 8,482 units of its iconic 911 sports car in the first three months of the year, a 16 percent increase from the same period in 2019, even as the brand’s total deliveries dipped due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Counting in the 911’s tally, Porsche in the first quarter of the year sold 53,125 cars worldwide, representing a 5 percent decline from the company’s 55,700-unit result during the comparable three-month stretch in 2019. Porsche’s performance in Europe registered a solid 20 percent spike—from 14,004 cars in 2019 to 16,787 this year—cushioning the decrease in most markets.

“We are not alone in clearly feeling the effects of the coronavirus crisis on our deliveries. But our focus now is on standing together with our business partners worldwide. Working together, we are in a position to react quickly and appropriately to further developments,” said Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG.

China emerged as Porsche’s biggest consumer as the brand sold 14,098 cars in the country during the first quarter of the year. But the result is 17 percent less than the 16,890 cars customers there bought during the comparable period last year.

Porsche deliveries in the US, which stood at 11,994 units in the first quarter, were 20 percent lower than the 15,024-vehicle result in 2019’s first quarter. The brand’s collective performance in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East also contracted 8 percent, or from 23,989 cars in the first three months of 2019 to 22,031 cars during the same period this year.

Despite the downturn, Porsche expressed optimism over its prospects in the coming months.

“After this challenging first quarter, we are now actively preparing to restart production. Our top priority will always be the health of our employees, the employees of our retail partners and, of course, the health of our customers. We are confident that the outlook is positive, not least because we see a clear recovery in the Chinese market—almost all of our Porsche Centers there have already reopened,” von Platen noted.

Porsche SUVs remained the company’s bestsellers in the first quarter of 2020, with the Cayenne recording deliveries of 18,417 units and the Macan emerging with a 15,547-unit tally. The Taycan, Porsche’s first fully electric four-door sports car that started reaching showrooms only at the end of 2019, already saw 1,391 units sold.

BMW Philippines is now giving you the chance to spruce up your Viber app with these special stickers now available for download.

Available for free on the Viber sticker market, the BMW Philippines sticker set makes chatting during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) a bit more fun and colorful. Check it out for yourself through this link.

Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) is now gone. Toyota’s European research and development base, and seen aplenty on local Vios as go-fast stickers or plate decals will get a new name moving forward: Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe GmbH (TGR-E).

Established initially as Andersson Motorsport GmbH in Köln in 1979, it then changed its name to TMG in 1993, when it became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota.

In addition to the company’s engagement in motorsports activities, which it has been conducting since its establishment, in recent years, the company has expanded its work with the Gazoo Racing Company (GRC) by applying the expertise and experience it has cultivated in motorsports over the years to the development of GR series production cars.


Toyota says the change in company name reflects this closer relationship with Gazoo Racing.

Going forward, TGR-E will continue to serve as the hub for Toyota’s motorsports activities in Europe, working together with GRC from its base in Köln, Germany, and engage in activities including supplying engines for cars participating in both the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), and helping to develop the GR Supra GT4.

TGR-E will also utilize the knowledge and expertise it has accumulated through its motorsports activities over the years in the development of production cars.

After teasing it last week, Hyundai has now made it official: the Veloster N now comes equipped with an 8-speed dual clutch transmission.

Called the N DCT, the 8-speed wet-type dual-clutch automatic enables the 275-horsepower Veloster N to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds—faster than the manual transmission version. And unlike a dry double-clutch transmission, the wet N DCT uses oil to significantly improve lubrication and cooling performance, which is typical of higher torque applications.

The Veloster N’s N DCT also unlocks features such as: N Grin Shift (NGS) which increases peak torque by 7 percent from 353 Nm to 377 Nm by allowing the turbocharger to overboost for 20 seconds; N Power Shift (NPS) which adds a more responsive feel during shifts; and N Track Sense Shift (NTS) which discerns road conditions and selects the shift timing and gear. These are on top of other typical features such as rev matching and launch control.


Aside from the new gearbox, the new Veloster N gets an improved infotainment system with an 8-inch high-def display, available N Light Sports Bucket Seats with Alcantara upholstery (they’re 2 kilograms lighter than the standard seats) with illuminated logos, and Hyundai SmartSense driver assist technology.

The new Veloster N will first go on sale in South Korea this month followed by other markets.

Aside from this DCT gearbox, Hyundai’s high-performance N division has other plans for the Veloster N.

Expected to bow in by next year, is a more powerful version of the Veloster N. According to several reports, the likelihood is that Hyundai will plop a 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine into their hot hatch. This Theta III Smartstream engine will enable the Veloster N to crack the 300-horsepower barrier putting it squarely into Civic Type R territory.

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is expecting to get hold of the first 10,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) coveralls from local garment manufacturers through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) today. This comes after the conglomerate completed delivery of 40,000 sets of protective gear to over 60 health facilities in the country.

The local manufacturers tapped by the DTI belong to the Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP).

“We are inspired by how companies and individuals are coming together in new ways to address the challenges of COVID-19. We thank the DTI and the CONWEP for this. We stay committed to helping ease the strain on our medical system and protecting our medical health workers,” SMC president and COO Ramon S. Ang said.

Recently, SMC has started donating the first batch of ventilators to five public hospitals even as it awaits delivery of more machines along with high-flow oxygen devices for use in caring for COVID-19 patients.

These life-saving ventilators were delivered to Philippine General Hospital, San Lazaro Hospital, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, East Avenue Medical Center, and Lung Center of the Philippines. Fifty-five units of high-flow oxygen device will also be delivered in the next coming days.

The latest donation is part of the P500-million fund San Miguel Corporation earmarked to help and protect medical front liners save lives in the fight against the deadly virus.

“Our medical front liners are in dire need of equipment to combat this pandemic. Again, I couldn’t be prouder of how everyone in our group is stepping up to the plate. They continue to work day and night to find ways to help our country overcome this unprecedented challenge,” said Ang.

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official Philippine distributor of Hyundai passenger and commercial vehicles, reinforces ongoing containment efforts with a fresh supply of personal protective equipment to the front liners at UP-Philippine General Hospital (PGH). UP-PGH is one the country’s COVID-19 designated hospitals.

After a 10-week “deep dive” led by Ford’s newly appointed Chief Operating Officer, Jim Farley, the American carmaker is making leadership changes to its global automotive operations in a bid to fast track its transformation plan.

Lamborghini and Ferrari, two rival Italian supercar brands have switched their efforts to produce life-saving respirators and ventilators as part of its efforts against COVID-19.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, the prospects of the Philippine automotive industry are looking dim this 2020. With the Taal Volcano ash fall and the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) knocking the wind out of car sales, Fitch Solutions is saying that new car sales will remain flat this year.

UPDATED: The DTI responds. See response below. (4/25).

The Philippine Automotive Dealers Association (PADA) has made an urgent appeal to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to allow them to re-open on a skeletal workforce basis by this week.

Ducati is finally getting its first-ever Lego treatment with the Lego Technic Ducati Panigale V4 R. The 646-piece set will be made available starting June 1, 2020 not just in Lego stores (both retail and online), but at Ducati dealerships and even through the Ducati online shop.

If you think the Golf is Volkswagen’s best-selling vehicle, think again. Last year, that record goes to the Tiguan compact SUV.

Volvo Cars is restarting production at its Torslanda plant in Sweden on Monday, April 20, following a short period of downtime related to the coronavirus pandemic.

On its nameplate’s 56th birthday, Ford is celebrating two global sales crowns—the world’s best-selling sportscar and its fifth straight best-selling sports coupe title. This is on top of being America’s best-selling sportscar of the last 50 years.

With the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) extended until the end of April, Suzuki Philippines (SPH) has decided to help front line health workers who face the daily challenge of commuting to and from their respective hospitals to provide service to COVID-19 patients.

With the DTI now classifying hardware items as essential goods under the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), you can start getting CTEK battery chargers delivered straight to your door.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Waze has activated its community and network of partners across its Volunteer Communities, Waze for Cities programs, and more, to support crisis response.

Bentley Motorsport has stepped into the world of esports by announcing entry into its debut sim racing championship, the SRO E-Sport GT Series, a six-round series held by the organizers of many of the manufacturer’s real-world GT3 races.

Lexus may be looking to expand its SUV line-up by introducing a brand-new model that’s supposedly its new flagship SUV—the Lexus LQ.

Update: Nissan has officially unveiled the 2021 X-Trail (aka Rogue). Details here. (6/15).

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Nissan’s still adamant to push through with several new production introductions this year, including the all-new X-Trail.

Nissan will begin making protective face shields for health care workers in Japan who are on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19.

A day after a chartered Philippine Airlines arrived carrying 40,000 sets of protective gear (PPEs), San Miguel Corporation (SMC) employee volunteers have begun repacking them for distribution to medical front liners.

Chery Auto officially launches the all-new second-generation Tiggo 7 compact SUV, a product that will spearhead the carmaker’s strong product offensive post COVID-19 China.

It’s not everyday that a carmaker can claim that they’ve re-invented the side view mirror, but that’s exactly what happened with Volvo’s performance-oriented all-electric brand, Polestar.

During these extraordinary days, every trip is essential to your family’s well-being and health. These are the days when you need your vehicle to perform at its best.

The “eyes” (and fingers) have it—BMW has easiest to use infotainment and climate control system, while MG has the worst. This is judged by UK-based What Car?.

Honda has just transformed 50 of its Odyssey MPVs to transport COVID-19 patients to hospitals and quarantine facilities in Japan. And they’ve done so without risking the driver from infection by sealing off the rear section.

A few weeks ago, Mazda dropped a huge surprise in showering their entire line-up with the 100th anniversary treatment. At the time, the Japanese carmaker revealed all sort of info except for one: the price. They said that the pricing will be made available “at a later date.” Well, that “later date” is now, because we now know how much they cost.

Under its flagship disaster relief program #HyundaiSAGIP, Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) through H.A.R.I. Foundation, Inc. (HFI) rolls out its BIYAHEnihan program in Southern Luzon to support front liners.

Understanding that a strong aftersales program can make or break a brand, Chery Auto Philippines, under its new distributor, United Asia Automotive Group, Inc. (UAAGI) is pretty hyped up to show what they can now offer.

When the first-generation Toyota RAV4 was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1994, few could have anticipated how this new concept would reshape the automotive industry. Since then, it ignited a whole new market for compact, agile, and versatile compact crossovers—SUVs ideally suited to modern life.

The Hyundai Veloster N is a performance surprise to many, but since the sole transmission is a 6-speed manual, its appeal is somewhat limited. Well, that’s about to change as Hyundai’s high-performance N division has just confirmed: an automatic transmission variant is coming.

To help further boost the transportation needs for the city’s front liners, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) extended its assistance to the local government of Santa Rosa City, Laguna by lending two L300 units.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has claimed another victim: the refreshed 2020 Impreza. Previewed at the Singapore Motor Show last January (alongside an infamous tricked out Forester), Subaru’s compact car was expected to bow in (or at least previewed) at the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS).

The RAV4 has joined the ranks of Toyota models that have achieved eight-figure sales. Cumulative figures for the compact SUV passed 10 million at the end of February this year, spanning five generations of the vehicle manufactured since 1994.

Korean SUV specialist SsangYong will use parent company Mahindra’s one-time cash infusion to help ease its liquidity concerns due to softening global demand brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last time, Ford was looking at using car parts in the production of much-needed respirators in the fight against COVID-19. Now, they’re expanding that by using airbags to produce Personal Protective Equipment or PPE gowns.

Following up on its March 27 lend-out of Isuzu D-Max, Isuzu mu-X, and Isuzu PUVs as front liner transport vehicles in Biñan and Sta. Rosa Laguna.  Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) lent out two additional Isuzu units—one Isuzu NLR and one Isuzu QKR modern PUVs.