Following the passage of Executive Order 62, Toyota Motor Philippines and Lexus Philippines have slashed prices of their Japan-made hybrid models. Executive Order 62 has slashed tariffs on hybrids and plug-in hybrids made in countries not covered by existing free trade agreement. For Toyota and Lexus, only imported-from-Japan hybrid models are seeing price cuts. Hybrid variants of the Corolla Cross, Camry, Yaris Cross, and Innova Zenix, which are sourced from neighbouring Southeast Asian countri

The Toyota Land Cruiser J70 series has been on the market for 39 years and has steadily received upgrades to keep it up-to-date and modern. While it officially exited other markets in 1990 when the new Land Cruiser J80 came along, other places such as Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand have kept the SUV alive and on sale. The last update to the J70 series Land Cruiser was in 2007 when it received the 1VD-FTV, a 4.5-liter turbodiesel V8 engine. The new engine gave the SUV 205 horsepower and

In 2019, a viral video of the Japanese Emperor's convoy stopping to give right of way to an ambulance made the rounds in automotive media. Many claimed that the amusing scene would only happen in Japan. How preposterous to expect the highest dignitary in the land to give way to an ambulance carrying one insignificant commoner, right? Well, right, but also wrong. It’s true that, in many countries, heads of state and dignitaries take precedence on the road for security reasons. But seeing that doe

Gone are the days when you had to wait for the number-coding window hours to drive your Lexus hybrid. Lexus Philippines said in a November 2022 press statement that all its hybrid models are covered under the exemptions provided by Republic Act 11697 or the “Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act.” “Lexus continues to be driven in offering its customers with hybrid electric vehicles that provide comfort, practicality, and sustainability which, because of the new law, you can now use daily,” t

Audi launched on Nov. 9, 2022 a facelifted version of its flagship electric sport-utility vehicle (SUV). Following some rather mysterious teaser photos, the Q8 e-tron (and its Sportback sibling) is finally out in the open and sports a more aggressive face. The previous model's boomerang-style headlights and heptagonal grill are still there, but Audi added some piano-black or silver accents and larger lower bumper openings to give it a bigger scowl. The side profile also remains largely similar,

Isn't it quite ironic that many car companies nowadays are more focused on providing the latest touchscreen controls, comfort features, cameras, and even electronic nannies and engine efficiency innovations rather than making their cars more satisfying to drive? Fortunately, there are a number of brands that still think that the act of driving should be an art. For them, driving refinement is a continuous process for improvement. And despite some of them providing luxury-levels of comfort and co