I dare you to truly wrap your head around this math: Two out of five brand-new cars that Filipinos buy today are from Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP). That’s 40%. An eye-popping number especially when you consider that more than 35 automotive brands — from the mass-market to the luxury — do business in the country.

LOCAL distributor Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) is aiming to put up 36 Fast Track-ready dealerships this year, adding to the current 18 such facilities.

IN 2017 Toyota Motor sold more Vios subcompacts in the Philippines than in any other Southeast Asian market. Deliveries of the model during the period reached 36,733 examples in the country, topping those in Thailand by 23,026 units (Vios’s sales were disrupted there and resumed only in the last five months of the year) and 13,233 units more than those in Malaysia -- two economies where the Vios is as popular. Globally, only China -- the world’s biggest vehicle market -- bested the Philippines’ result with 92,242 units sold last year.

VOLKSWAGEN in the Philippines is currently replacing some models sourced from Latin America and Europe with those made -- and in some cases found only -- in China. The China-built Volkswagens are more affordable as these do not incur hefty freight costs and duties. One such model recently introduced by the German car maker is the Lavida 230 TSI DSG which, by the looks of it, is supplanting the compact sedan spot in the local range occupied by the Jetta -- a global model. If so, the Lavida has big shoes to fill.

MORE units of Volvo’s new XC60 SUV, the car maker’s best-seller since the model’s launch in 2008, are now available in the Philippines. According to a statement released last week by the brand’s distributor in the country, the latest version of the car -- unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2017 -- is now available in local showrooms, as well as in pop-up stores nationwide.

ICON, a California-based company rebuilding vintage cars and SUVs into modern classics, has come up with its first watch -- the Icon Duesey.

Ford Ranger sales rise 9% in Asia Pacific SALES of the Ford Ranger in Asia Pacific have picked up nearly 9% in the first six...

Over the weekend, the automotive industry learned of the sad news about Sergio Marchionne being relieved of his concurrent roles as CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and CEO of Ferrari. This development came after the 66-year-old Italian executive had reportedly fallen into a coma as a result of complications sustained from his recent shoulder surgery.

ELECTRIC vehicles (EVs) have long crossed the divide of the conceptual to mass-production reality, but there remains a number of challenges to their adoption -- from high cost to lack of charging stations. It thus has been a constant and loud refrain in markets like ours that a multi-sectoral push is needed to realize a more conducive environment for EVs.

PRODUCTION of Porsche’s first purely electric is set to begin in 2019, the company said in a statement.

ALL-WHEEL drive. Seems only proper that the sixth-generation BMW M5 -- which on July 15 made its Philippine debut suitably surrounded by supercars of varying makes -- is capable of allocating grunt to all four wheels rather than just the rear ones, as the case had been in all previous M5s. The latest car is the most powerful rendition of the model yet, and the added traction guaranteed by all-wheel drive should raise the M5’s performance level as the engine’s output is transmitted to the tarmac more effectively than ever.

INDEPENDENT high-end watchmaker Richard Mille, partner of the Le Mans Classic since it began in 2002, has been creating special pieces to mark each edition of the motor racing event. For the 2018 edition, held in early July, Richard Mille unveiled the RM 11-02 Le Mans Classic.