October 2014

Mitsubishi Pajero

MANILA, Philippines – The Pajero nameplate brings with it a rich heritage, from rally championships to being a symbol of luxury and power. As it proves to continuously perfect the right balance between capability and opulence, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) introduces the new 2015 Mitsubishi Pajero, which is available in two variants-3.8 Liter MIVEC Gasoline and 3.2 Liter Di-Diesel. The new Pajero continues to offer its full suite of rally-proven technologies such as the All Wheel Control with its Super Select 4WD (SS4-II) system and the unique Mitsubishi Active Stability and Traction Control (M-ASTC).

Peugeot Alabang opens

Eurobrands Distributor Inc. (EDI), official importer of Peugeot vehicles in the country, together with the Autocirculo Group, formally opened the doors of Peugeot Alabang. Peugeot Alabang joins the Las Piñas, Pasay and Quirino dealership under the wing of the Autocirculo Group. Also open are dealership in Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Nueva Ecija, Lipa, Pasig and Negros Isle. Like all the previous Peugeot dealerships before it, Peugeot Alabang aims to provide the full ownership experience to its customers while ascribing fully to Peugeot international standards.

Mitsubishi ASX

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines beefed up its crossover line-up for 2015 as it introduced the 2015 ASX. It now features a sportier exterior with a honeycomb insert in the front grille as well as LED daytime running lights, two-tone 17-inch alloy wheels, and a super wide-range HID headlamp. Inside, the ASX receives a push-button engine start/stop system across the line to go along with the all-black interior scheme as well as a 6.5-inch LCD touchscreen monitor that plays DVDs along with GPS (dealer option. For the new range-topping GSR, the ASX gets a panoramic glass roof extending all the way over the front and rear seats. The roof is attractively illuminated with LED at night. Now available solely as a 2WD model, the 2015 ASX is still powered by the 4B11 engine with 150 horsepower and 197 Nm of torque. Mated to that engine is a new 6-speed CVT transmission with Sportronic. This new CVT promises a more efficient and quieter experience than before.

Volkswagen Cebu opens

Iconic Dealership Inc. formally opened its second showroom right at the heart of the Queen City of the South: Volkswagen Cebu. The simple ceremonial inauguration was led by Volkswagen official distributor Automobile Central Enterprise Inc. (ACEI) president & CEO, John Philip S. Orbeta and IDI general manager, Nemesio Solomon, Jr.

The Covenant Car Company, Inc. celebrates 5 years

Chevrolet Philippines - The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI) celebrated its fifth year as the exclusive distributor of Chevrolet cars in the Philippines. TCCCI announced that sales for the Chevrolet brand have grown by 41 percent on average each year since it began operations in October 2009. TCCCI has introduced 10 new Chevrolet models in the past five years and more than doubled Chevrolet’s market share. To date, TCCCI has sold more than 20,000 Chevrolet vehicles in the Philippines, rising from the 12th spot in 2009 to eighth overall in the market.

Chevrolet Motorama

Chevrolet rocked the SM Mall of Asia for the 5th time in a row as thousands of Chevy enthusiasts herded to the 2014 Chevrolet Motorama event last October 9 to 12. Showcasing the American automobile brand’s constantly evolving products, passion and creativity in engineering great automobiles, auto fanatics both young and old experienced the Bowtie brand in Chevy’s grandest motorshow event of the year. The 4-day event served as the ‘launch pad’ of Chevrolet Philippines’ three-month long Motorama sales campaign. The Motorama also featured the unveiling of the first ever Transform Your Ride: Chevrolet Dealer Build-off competition, all new Chevrolet merchandise collection at the Chevy Shop, Chevrolet’s exciting product line up, easy ownership promos and more.

Honda City E Navi+

Honda Cars Philippines finally answered the prayers of tech-savvy Filipinos by unveiling a new variant of its best-selling City, the City E Navi+. Equipped with a new Audio-Visual Navigation (AVN) system, the City E Navi+ slots in-between the entry-level City E and higher-end City VX models. The City E Navi+ features a new 7-inch VGA sliding touch panel (not to be confused with the Touch Panel display of the higher-end VX and VX+ models) with integrated Garmin navigation. The Garmin system boasts of a smart, yet user-friendly display with trademark Garmin features such as Expressway Exit Guide, Lane Assist with Photoreal Junction View and many others. Marking Garmin’s close relationship with Honda Cars Philippines, the City E Navi+ will offer free map updates for three years. Updating of maps can be done at all authorized Honda dealerships during the City’s PMS or Preventive Maintenance Schedule.

Tata’s Big 7 diesels

Pilipinas Taj Autogroup, the exclusive distributor of Tata vehicles in the country recently launched not one, not two, but seven heavy-duty eco-diesel vehicles. These new additions to the Tata line-up come in many forms from diesel-fed passenger cars to pick-ups to mini trucks. Launched at their Big 7 event, Pilipinas Taj unveiled the Tata Indigo Diesel sedan and Indica Diesel (a hatchback version of the Indigo) which are perfect for the budget-conscious fleet customer who does compromise on economy and comfort. Joining the Indigo and Indica are the Manza Aura Diesel sedan, the Vista Ignis Diesel, the Xenon XT pick-up in both 4x2 and 4x4 versions, the Super Ace “Big Boy”, and the Ace “Bata.”

Honda Brio and Brio Amaze in Bicol

Honda Cars Philippines gave a more thorough shakedown of its Brio and Brio Amaze at its first ride-and-drive activity in Bicol. There, journalists were given the chance to bring Honda’s new sub-B segment cars to their absolute limit as they tackled the hilly and twisty roads surrounding Luzon’s eastern coast.

Mazda opens in North EDSA

Situated on southbound EDSA directly across Trinoma Mall in Quezon City, Mazda North EDSA greatly enhances the sales and service accessibility to the rapidly growing Mazda customers who are responding to the new generation of Mazda Skyactiv product portfolio. Mazda North EDSA represents the third major Mazda dealership under the ANC Group of companies.

Toyota Motor PH now TRD distributor

During the final round of the 2014 Toyota Vios Cup held at the McKinley West street circuit in Taguig, Toyota Motor Philippines formally signed its agreement with Toyota Technocraft Co. Ltd. to distribute Toyota Racing Development (TRD) products in the country. TRD is an internationally renowned brand with a heritage firmly planted in automobiles and racing. With this partnership, TRD products will now be exclusively distributed in all 43 dealerships of Toyota Motor Philippines nationwide. The wide range of TRD products include both cosmetic and performance-related parts designed and engineered to make Toyota vehicles more fun-to-drive and sportier-looking.

Toyota Vios Cup Round 3

The final round of the 2014 Toyota Vios Cup was held at a street circuit in McKinley West, BGC, Taguig City. A total of 37 cars were divided into two grids or brackets for the results of the qualifying round. Moreover, champions from the previous legs’ Media Class will race under the Media All-Stars category together with celebrity racers.

Nissan X-Trail Baguio drive

Driving up to Baguio, was once considered an automotive torture test. It was where new cars are brought up in the hopes of getting back with tales of how everything went smoothly or awfully wrong. Although those days are over, Baguio is still a commonly preferred destination to stretch a new car’s legs, and of course, act as a quick getaway. Thus, it wasn’t a big surprise that Baguio was chosen as the destination to shakedown the all-new Nissan X-Trail—the compact crossover that promises to signal the Japanese brand’s return to glory.