It’s Sunday again, which means it’s time for the AutoFun Philippines Rearview Roundup! You read this the day before Independence Day, which is the date when the Philippines was freed from the shackles of over three centuries of Spanish colonial rule (that was then followed by decades of additional colonial rule under the Americans and the Japanese). It’s also the rainy season now – strong showers are now hitting various parts of the country as a counterbalance to the searing heat in the first ha

The current-generation Kia Picanto hatchback has always had a cuddly and cute appearance. From its pert rear end to its beady headlights, it looks more like a bunny than a small city car. But with the latest leaked photos from South Korea, this rabbit’s got a mean new face. South Korean automotive forum Autospy has released what appears to be official photos of the facelifted Picanto, now sporting a front end reminiscent of the Kia EV9 battery-electric sport-utility vehicle. Much more aggressive

It's still early in 2023, but automakers are slowly adjusting the prices of their vehicles for the new year. While brands such as Toyota and Honda have already released their new pricing, Mazda Philippines is the latest Japanese brand to join in. A quick check of the local website has revealed that the Japanese automaker has adjusted the pricing of specific models, which includes the Mazda 2, MX-5, CX-3, and the top variant of the recently updated CX-5. Mazda’s pricing updates The Mazda2, in its

Rare and riveting is the roadster constructed for those that revere Mazda's two-seater performance runner. This is what transpired at Mazda's presentation during the opening day of the 2022 Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS). Mazda released a limited edition variant of the MX-5 sports car, to commemorate the 25th year of the Miata/MX-5 worshippers known as Miata Club Philippines (MCP). Priced at Php 2.3 million (six-speed automatic transmission) and Php 2.25 million (six-speed manual tra

Toyota Motor Thailand has just launched what is believed to be the 2023 Toyota Vios this morning. Actually, this model is known as the 2023 Toyota Yaris Ativ in Thailand. While it was originally thought that the Toyota Vios and the Yaris Ativ will remain two distinct models, it is now confirmed that Toyota Thailand will cease production of the former. Underpinned by the same Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) platform also found in the Toyota Raize, Avanza and Veloz, the Yaris Ativ will cov

Test-driving a car for a living sure sounds like a lot of fun instead of moping around in a gloomy-drab corners of an empty room. But excitement levels do churn up a notch especially when a person is onboard an avant-garde Geely Coolray but maybe it's way better to keep a sharp eye on those grubby meat-hooks er, fingers of yours as they entangle themselves to ah, one Ford Ecosport’s blunt-sized joystick? Well, Kool (Kool and the Gang) is cool but Coolray was way much cooler than the name (its na