Disclosure: Astara Philippines, the official importer and distributor of GAC Motor Philippines, kindly lent me a 2023 GAC GS4 for eight days. It arrived with a full tank of fuel and loaded RFID cards. They always say, “Never judge a book by its cover.” But experience has taught me (and perhaps many of us) that carrying preconceived notions about people or things can actually be useful. In my work as a reporter, I generally talk to high-level officials when I want to discuss the intricacies and n

Kia Motors Corporation has announced that it will target to sell 1.6 million electric vehicles by 2030. This is up by 400,000 units from its previous goal of 1.2 million. The South Korean carmaker is also looking at a total of 4.3 million overall sales by that year. That means its EV sales will represent only 37% of the whole pie, and this will be buoyed by an EV lineup of 15 models by 2027. At its CEO Investor Day held last April 5th, Kia stated its plans to become a leading EV brand by raising

New Zealand's drifting ace, Mad Mike Whiddett, tests out the new Mazda 3 Pikes Peak spec car at the Suzuka Twin circuit in preparation for the world-renowned hill climb event happening in June this year. The car is a Mazda 3 hatchback converted to rear-wheel drive and equipped with a twin-turbo quad-rotor engine and a six-speed manual transmission. Here's a video of the finished race car during its initial shakedown. Setting up the racecar The project for this particular race started in 2021, wi

2022 was an excellent year for the Philippine car industry, with new cars making their mark. We saw new crossovers, sedans, pick-up trucks, and sport-utility vehicles enter the market. As we welcome a new year for the local automotive industry, we have compiled a list of cars that you will miss in 2023. Honda Civic 1.5 Turbo S CVT We have gotten confirmation from the public relations team of Honda Cars Philippines Inc. that the Honda Civic 1.5 Turbo S variant will no longer be around this year.

With no word yet as to when, or if, it will be available in the Philippines, the Mazda CX-60 has already received an award in its homeland. Because of its Driving Position Support and Driver Emergency Response technologies, the rear-wheel drive Mazda CX-60 has been selected for the "2022-2023 Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car Technology of the Year" award. Driver monitoring to the next level The Mazda CX-60 was launched early this year as a larger, more powerful, and more premium crossover to co

With the impending launch of the Hyundai Stargazer, Filipino subcompact MPV buyers will again be given another option to choose from in this hotly contested category. Along with the Suzuki Ertiga, the Toyota Veloz and Avanza, the Honda BR-V, the Mitsubishi Xpander, and the recently launched Nissan Livina, you can see how car manufacturers are going after a bigger slice of this growing pie. The trend is also evident around the ASEAN region, with PT Hyundai Motors Indonesia recently unveiling the