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February 19, 2021

Mazda is the Best Car Brand for 2021

The report cards are out, and Mazda is Consumer Reports’ Best Brand for 2021. This is the first time the Japanese automaker stood atop the rankings, but it follows up their win at the publication’s reader reliability survey late last year.

Lexus returned to the top of the U.S. J.D. Power vehicle dependability study after losing the top spot last year. Meanwhile, Kia is the highest ranked mainstream brand, and third overall.

GAC PH to Increase Prices by P78k Due to DTI Safeguard Tariff

Legado Motors, Inc., the official distributor of GAC Motor in the Philippines, announced that it will be increasing the prices of its whole vehicle line-up effective March 1, 2021.

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is expediting work on the Skyway Extension project that will make the Skyway System even more accessible to motorists from the south as the company announced road closures to usher construction works at the southbound section starting midnight on February 20.

After a short tease, Honda has finally pulled the wraps off the all-new 2022 HR-V. Like the Japanese market Fit, the third-generation HR-V takes on a human-centric design approach, hoping that it’ll meet the expectations of its would-be owners.

Kia’s new logo makes its debut on a production car: meet the 2022 K8. With a focus on modern, premium quality, and dynamic performance, the K8 moves forward in the sports sedan space, and hopes to build success of the K7 (aka Cadenza).

Araneta City partners with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to open an accessible drive-thru saliva collection center for COVID-19 testing in Metro Manila.

Honda Motor Co., will be naming a new CEO as early as the end of this week, if reports from Reuters are true.

Ford is taking a big leap towards electrification with the announcement that its European line-up will go zero emissions capable by 2030.

SMC Cleanup of Tullahan River Heads Further Upstream

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is extending the total reach of its P1-billion Tullahan-Tinajeros river system cleanup to 11.5 kilometers, close to halfway of the entire 27-kilometer stretch, to further complement ongoing flood mitigation measures in the cities of Navotas, Malabon, and Valenzuela, before the start of the rainy season.

Don’t let the looks fool you—it may look like an evolutionary take on McLaren design, but the Artura is the start of a new chapter for the British supercar maker.

The ASEAN NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) held the fourth ASEAN NCAP Grand Prix 2020, recognizing brands and vehicles that are considered as the highest achievers in the field of vehicle safety across Southeast Asia.

Toyota Motor Philippines’s best-selling MPV will be getting an upgrade, and it’s arriving as soon as this Saturday. Mark your calendars as the refreshed 2021 Innova drops in on February 20.

Porsche takes its track learnings and puts it directly onto the 911 sportscar with the global reveal of the newest 911 GT3.

Mitsubishi reveals the all-new 2022 Outlander—a compact SUV that features the brand’s new design direction.

Honda Accord, City Cited for Safety at ASEAN NCAP Grand Prix Awards 2020

The Honda Accord and Honda City received four distinguished safety-related awards at the ASEAN NCAP (ASEAN New Car Assessment Program) Grand Prix Awards 2020. The Honda Accord won three (3) awards from the “Best Safety Performance,” while the Honda City received the “ASEAN NCAP Excellent Award - Consistent 5 Star”. This achievement emphasizes Honda’s strong commitment to safety and its vision to realize a collision-free mobile society.

Last year was big for the Kia Seltos. After we declared it as having one of the best transmissions in its segment, impressing us with its long-distance touring comfort during its first Philippine drive, and even beating the base model CX-30 in a comparo, it sealed 2020 by earning a spot in our Top 5 Picks of the year.

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) reported that cashless electronic toll collection for motorists who use both the Skyway and the South Luzon Expressway has increased to 85 percent, despite the continuing availability of cash lanes, as government has yet to fully implement its mandate of 100 percent cashless transactions at all expressways.

With the launch of the 2021 Ranger, one question surrounding its ownership popped up: will they be offering an extended warranty as seen in Thailand.

In what could be the current Ranger’s final iteration, Ford Philippines is debuting a new look for its pickup truck this 2021.

Classic and vintage car collectors rejoice: a vintage car law is in the works. Filled by Representatives Paul R. Daza, Weslie T. Gatchalian, Enrico A. Pineda, and Faustino Michael Carlos T. Dy III, House Bill 8244 or “An Act Regulating the Use and Registration of Vintage Automobiles and Other Historical, Classical, or Collector Motor Vehicles, Providing Exemptions and Restrictions on Their Importation and Use, Establishing a Vintage Car Registration and Assessment Office, and Appropriating Funds Therefor” will offer added protection to the importation and use of cars more than 30 years old.

Jaguar Land Rover is fully committed to going electric; this after the two British luxury brands revealed their mid-term “Reimagine” plan.

The Honda Mobilio RS Comes with a P250k Discount This Month

In a market for a small 7-seater MPV? You are in luck. Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. is launching its promotion for this month entitled “Pursue Your Drive”. The promo features cash discounts, exciting deals and special offers from February 1-28, 2021, including a P 250,000 discount on the Mobilio RS.

Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor Co., is embarking on an aggressive expansion in Southeast Asia, and it can come as early as this year.

Apologies for delays in updates surrounding our long-term Mazda CX-30 AWD Sport. With the lack of driving (blame the community quarantines), we haven’t really racked up the kilometers in our compact crossover.

Hyundai trucks and buses have what it takes for better journeys ahead. Even better, you can get them with great deals as Hyundai welcomes the Chinese New Year.

San Pedro Transport Cooperative (SPTC), with the full support of San Pedro Mayor Lourdes Catáquiz, empowers the public transportation in their area by choosing the Foton F-Jeepney F29.

Pursuing its commitment to provide comprehensive logistical support for the fast shipment and safe delivery of products across the country, Hino Motors Philippines (HMP), the exclusive distributor of Hino trucks and buses in the country, entered into a strategic partnership yet again with J&T Express Philippines.

Women are much more likely than men to suffer a serious injury when they are involved in a crash, but much of the heightened risk is related to the types of vehicles women drive and the circumstances of their crashes, rather than physical differences, new research from the US-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows.

Motorcycle Dealer Group Points to LTO Corruption as Reason Behind Plate Delays

Du Ek Sam, Inc., (DES) a motorcycle dealership group with 282 branches and headquartered in Bohol slammed both the LTO and the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Senator Richard Gordon on accusations hurled against the company at a recent hearing surrounding Republic Act 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act.

Pre-pandemic, it was tough to get a Toyota Alphard. It came to a point when dealers would resort to refunding fully paid Alphard units simply because there were others—casino high rollers and POGOs being two—who were willing to get one above and beyond the SRP. Two years later, Toyota Motor Philippines is offering hefty discounts on their luxury MPV.

This is the Refreshed Mitsubishi Mirage for 2021

A week ago, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines made news when it started to streamline its line-up with the phase out of its Pajero flagship SUV, added features on its Montero Sport, and the reduction of its Mirage variants to just two—a MT and a CVT. This story focuses on the last item.

Toyota Motor Philippines is giving its best-selling Vios sub-compact sedan its biggest cash discount yet as they roll out their Make Your Move promo until February 28, 2021.

Even when circumstances mean that being indoors is the safe and, at times, unexciting option, racer Leh Keen recently found a way to make being indoors considerably less boring.

Honda is offering the Civic Type R’s K20C1 2.0-liter turbocharged VTEC engine as a complete crate engine package for the first time. The clincher is, it’s available in very limited numbers.

Changan Philippines proved the mettle of its CS35 Plus subcompact SUV by completing a 122-day, 100,000-kilometer endurance test problem-free. The test was conducted on local roads on various terrains, and under different driving conditions.

Isuzu is Still the Philippines's Number 1 Truck Brand

The year 2020, difficult as it may have been across the entire automotive industry, did bring a silver lining for Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC).

Motor Image Pilipinas, Inc., the exclusive distributor of Subaru vehicles in the Philippines, wants you to celebrate Valentines and Lunar New Year at their showrooms. As an incentive, Subaru is offering the following to all customers who visit the showroom from February 12 to 21, 2021:

Geely PH Sold 320 Coolrays Crossovers in December Alone

Even after the pandemic created an unprecedented uncertainty, Sojitz G Auto Philippines (SGAP), the exclusive distributor of Geely has proven last year that it can finish the year strong.

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) is offering special discounts and deals for its service customers until March 31, 2021 at select Honda Cars dealerships (see full list below) and service centers nationwide.

Mini Philippines and Mini AutoStudio Philippines Corp. launched a new 743-square meter Mini pop-up store on N. Escario St. Cor Tojong St. Camputhaw, Cebu City to reestablish ties with customers in the southern Philippines.

San Miguel Corporation is opening to the public two new ramps of the newly-operational Skyway Stage 3, further improving accessibility and ease of travel within Metro Manila, via the 18-kilometer elevated expressway.

Bucking the usual trend for post-Christmas sales to take a downturn, Chery Auto Philippines posted the exact opposite for the first month of the year—delivering 152 brand-new units to their owners from an initial target of 121 units.

With President Duterte now saying that motor vehicle inspections or MVIS no longer mandatory, it’s a clear sign that the government is now trying to wash their hands off this mess.

Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro joins the City of San Fernando in suspending the operation of the Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center operating in the city’s jurisdiction.

Despite the growing popularity of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV still managed to hold on to its title as Europe’s best-selling PHEV.

After scoring a near-perfect score in Adult Occupancy Protection (AOP) at the Euro NCAP, recognized as a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the US, and being recognized by the Kids Design Council in Japan for its Driver Attention Alert system, the CX-30 has done it again—this time being awarded as the safest SUV at the first-ever RACV Safest Car Awards.

Geely PH Launches Sunroof-Equipped Okavango 7-Seater SUV for P 1.478M (w/ Specs)

You asked, Geely listened. Sojitz G Auto Philippines (SGAP), the exclusive distributor of Geely vehicles in the Philippines has brought in a top-spec version of its 7-seater Okavango SUV for 2021. This time, it comes packed with even more features at a price that is still quite affordable.

Foton Motor Philippines, Inc. is now driving its customers to a virtual experience with its three new innovative platforms that will connect customers to the brand, and provide them with necessary information, quality services, and swift assistance—all just a tap away.

Hyundai Asia Resources, Incorporated (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai trucks and buses in the Philippines, ramps up transport modernization initiatives, this time, in Tarlac province. Through their dealership, Hyundai Trucks and Buses Cabanatuan, 30 units of Hyundai HD50S Modern Jeepney Class 2 were turned over to the Tarlac-Moncada-Gerona-Paniqui (Tamogepa) Transport Service Cooperative, Incorporated, a major transport organization in Central Luzon with a 36-year history. 45 more units of Class 2 HD50S Modern Jeepneys are up for delivery within the year.

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