Disclosure: GAC Motor Philippines lent us the 2023 GAC Empow GE for one week with a full gas tank and access to its loaded RFID cards. It's a bold statement to say that something from China can give the Honda Civic, an established nameplate, a run for its money. This might be the case for the 2023 GAC Empow GE, as it ticks all the right boxes for those looking for a sporty sedan. Hear me out, though, because I know there is still a lot of controversy over Chinese vehicles, especially with the re

Unless you’ve recently come back from a tech detox, you’ve no doubt heard of a little snafu happening with Daihatsu and Toyota, where they committed a bit of an alleged cheat in crash safety tests. While full details are still making their way down the pipeline, the general story is that Toyota’s small-car division Daihatsu, which makes the Raize, Vios, Wigo and the Avanza/Veloz twins, had allegations of fraud lobbed against it because of a modification on the Vios and Wigo units that it produce

The Toyota Vios has been a stalwart in the Philippine market. These sedans are so common that everywhere you look, you are almost guaranteed to see a unit in one form or another. The Vios has encountered many rivals throughout the years, with the likes of the Nissan Almera, Mitsubishi Mirage G4, and MG 5 making a run at it. However, its longest-lasting rivalry has been with the Honda City, which has outclassed it in terms of performance and features. Things may change now that the 2023 Toyota Vi

If you haven’t gotten a holiday gift for yourself or your family, Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) may have some ideas for you. The company announced in a December 2022 press statement that it is offering special promos from December 1 to 31, 2022. These include a super-low, all-in downpayment of just ₱10,000 for the Honda City S CVT. There’s also a special financing scheme for the City, which includes two months of free payments for customers who put down a 20-percent downpayment with a 60-mo

More and more local carmakers are jumping onto the smartphone-integration bandwagon after Ford Philippines recently unveiled its FordPass app. This time, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) announced in a November 2022 press statement that it is rolling out its myTOYOTA Connect app, initially for the GL Grandia, Grandia Tourer, and Super Grandia variants of the Toyota Hiace van. The app lets Toyota owners instantly get information on their vehicles, such as driving information, trip summaries, and ma

Instead of making a Nitpicker’s Guide, I’ll just tell you about the three things I like, and probably don’t, about the Corolla Altis. (Images from Toyota PH) The Toyota Corolla Altis is one of the iconic cars from Toyota that has made a huge impact in the Philippines as Corolla and as Altis. As the middle child of the Vios and the Camry, the Altis offers both the versatility and class of the two siblings. The Corolla Altis offers more than a mid-range option in the sedan market, and even if peop