CALL IT a tribute to the ultimate means of mobility for one Luke Skywalker.

SUZUKI in the Philippines has always been known for being the country’s compact car specialist. Now, to be fair, it has offerings that do not fit the bill (take the Vitara and XL7, for instance) but even a cursory glimpse at the brand’s portfolio indeed reveals subcompact/compact options that have been hits for their segment- and price-point-defying propositions.

ROME, ITALY. There’s a spring nip in the air as I deplane and head into the belly of the Aeroporto Internazionale di Roma-Fiumincino. The busiest airport in the country has also been known — pre-COVID-19 pandemic, at least — as one of the busiest airports in all of Europe. This is my first taste of airline travel since the outbreak, and I am equal parts nervous and excited.

IT’S A STRONG message when the country’s leading mall chain steps up its, well, electric vehicle game. This means the brand has gotten whiff of the future — which now obviously smells distinctly electric.

SMC ASIA CAR Distributors Corp. has formally ushered in the electric age of BMW Philippines. Last Thursday, the official importer and distributor of the Munich-headquartered automobile brand formally unveiled the BMW iX. Touted as the BMW Group’s “technology flagship,” the iX is an all-electric SAV (or Sports Activity Vehicle, the brand’s parlance for SUV) which is now available on indent order — bearing an initial tag of P6.29 million.

MG PHILIPPINES was named as the mobility partner of Miss Universe Philippines for the third year in a row. The pageant, held over the weekend, also recognized the winner as the official MG Philippines brand ambassador “for the duration of her reign.”

THE COUNTRY’s first-ever one-make sports car series will be flagged off this year as Mazda Philippines, the Manila Sports Car Club (MSCC), and the Clark International Speedway (CIS) collaborate for the 2022 MSCC Miata Spec Series. The series will feature 20 brand-new, track-tuned Mazda MX-5 open-top sports cars to be raced exclusively by MSCC members.

Hybrids coming in the ‘near future,’ confides company president EVEN CASUAL automobile industry observers know that the crossover market (particularly its subcompact segment) is a...

TOYOTA MOTOR Philippines (TMP) has confirmed that it will bring in the Veloz, a spirit sibling of the Avanza MPV (whose all-new version was launched here last March) but is positioned as a subcompact SUV.

FORD PHILIPPINES Managing Director Mike Breen assumed his post in June of 2021, but only reached our part of the world two months ago because of the pandemic.