THE Vespa Notte (“notte” is Italian for “night”) is the special series available for the 150cc version of the Vespa Sprint) and the 300cc variant of the Vespa GTS Super -- meaning two of the most recent large-frame Vespa scooters.

MUCH fanfare has surrounded the enthroning of the Q8 as Audi’s preeminent SUV. Supplanting the Q7, the mid-size Q8 is imagined by the Ingolstadt-based premium car maker as “[uniting] the elegance of a four-door luxury coupe with the practical versatility of a large SUV than can be used for both business and leisure.”

IAN Carlo Jaucian’s “Car Keys” was the featured work of Ayala Corporation (AC) Automotive in the 2019 edition of Art Fair Philippines held on Feb. 22-24 at The Link in Makati City.

PHILIPPINE Chevrolet distributor The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI) said it is offering all-in low down payment options on select Chevrolet models.

I’m a fan of automakers that put up and operate a manufacturing plant in the Philippines in spite of the many challenges that come with it. Even if electricity and labor are relatively more expensive in this country than in other Asian territories, some car companies doing business here still choose to assemble a vehicle or two locally.

CONFIRMING the veracity of the buzz leading to the much-awaited launch of its new vehicle, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) presented the all-new iteration of its popular van nameplate. Unveiled on Feb. 18 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taguig City was the sixth-generation Toyota Hiace.

FILIPINOS are used to having women lead the way. We’ve already had two female presidents, two vice-presidents, and two chief justices. And then there are the countless other female civic leaders and corporate captains of industries.

THE Lamborghini Urus was named the 2019 Robb Report Car of the Year. In a statement Lamborghini Manila quoted the American luxury-lifestyle publication as saying the super SUV is a “class-defying breed.”

LEXUS announced it collaborated with street wear designer John Elliott in creating bespoke tires for the new Lexus UX. The tires, billed the “Sole of the UX,” were inspired by the all-white John Elliott x Nike Air Force 1 (AF1) sneaker and, according to Lexus, embody the “spirit of clean, purposeful, and modern design.”

TOYOTA Motor Philippines (TMP) continues to beef up its portfolio of sport-utility vehicles with the introduction of the all-new Toyota RAV4. Unveiled at the Bonifacio High Street Amphitheater in Taguig City on Feb. 8, the fifth generation of the compact SUV first seen in 1994 comes at a time when the global appetite for the ute continues to drive sales (one in every three vehicles sold worldwide is an SUV).

JUST a week after the Jan. 23 introduction of the second-generation Suzuki Ertiga compact MPV, Suzuki Philippines, Inc. mounted a ride-and-drive activity using the new model.

IT made its world debut in September 2017 as a 2018 model, and now, this fourth version of the Audi RS 4 Avant is available in the Philippines. Avant is Audi-speak for its wagon variants while RS designates the high-performance renditions of Audi models. The RS 4 identifies the model generations of the Audi A4 -- including a sedan and a cabriolet -- which were given the high-performance treatment.