Suzuki’s Ertiga and Dzire bundles elegance and efficiency for various drivers Whether one looks for a car to begin his or her driving experience, or...

SOJITZ G AUTO PHILIPPINES (SGAP), local distributor of Geely, recently launched its third offering in the country — the Okavango.

I ADMIT there was a time when I dreaded driving up to Baguio City on a weekend, and it was simply because of the sheer traffic I had to endure on the way up there! I recall to have made it a point to drive up to the beautiful city only on weekdays — during off-peak hours — while secretly wishing I could just somehow teleport to Camp John Hay where I could enjoy crisp morning jogs with the forest bathed in fresh pine.

A NEW distributor group and, it seems, a new mindset await the Changan brand in the Philippines.

ONE of the first things that came to mind with the dawn of this pandemic, and as social distancing became the new standard, was the following thought: This is a perfect opportunity for drive-in movies to come back in style! True enough, car enthusiasts — specifically those in car clubs — apparently thought of the same thing and worked on their concepts to delightfully usher in the revival of drive-in movies in the Philippines.

IT’S OFTEN been said that the key to the resurgence of the vehicle industry in the age of COVID-19 is the willingness of financial institutions to extend car loans. Depending on who one talks to, the percentage of car buyers who depend on financial instruments to complete an auto purchase can range from 70% to 85%.

DPWH’s Luzon Spine Expressway Program in progress to improve existing highways and expressways inside and outside Metro Manila When urban roads get congested due to...

THE DEPARTMENT of Tourism (DoT), according to Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, recently conducted a survey to ascertain people’s confidence with traveling — “even in the absence of a cure or vaccine for COVID-19.” The official reported that respondents (who were sought from different regions) “showed a preference to initially travel to destinations closer to home.”

THE EVER-CHARISMATIC MX-5 — often fondly referred to as the Mazda Miata by many — is quite a magical car. Historically, it revived the world’s passion for roadsters at a time when its kind was dying out. That is, thanks to the brilliant, Japanese-born Tom Matano aka “Father of the Miata,” who had the ingenious concept of creating an affordable, open-top roadster that brought people joy because of how fun it was to own and drive.

THE MUCH-AWAITED Truck Month of Ford Philippines has been extended to the end of November “to allow more customers to get a Ford Ranger with great deals.” Added Ford Philippines President and Managing Director PK Umashankar, “The Ford Truck Month also just got better this month with cash discounts extended to more Ford Ranger models, giving customers the widest array of deals for our ‘Built Ford Tough’ pickup trucks.”

THE ONGOING pandemic has clearly not held Toyota back in its pursuit to seed and support motorsport enthusiasm among drivers. By now, you would have already heard of Toyota Motor Asia Pacific’s very first virtual motorsport racing championship in Asia, the GR Supra GT Cup Asia 2020, which engages participants from Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and, of course, the Philippines. Virtual racing has indeed become the next best thing for motorsports in this time of social distancing, and what better vehicle is there to enjoy e-driving than Toyota’s powerful, extremely well-balanced and agile sports car, the GR Supra?

ORIGINALLY scheduled to ensue last April 2 to 5, this year’s Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) was sadly (but understandably) aborted due to the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a painful but necessary move to assure the safety of participants and attendees. “In light of the recent turn of events concerning COVID-19, which has led the Philippine government to declare a state of public health emergency, the management of Worldbex Services International has come to the decision to temporarily postpone MIAS 2020,” the show organizers had said in a statement.