Resurgence is the word that perhaps best characterizes how GAC Motor Philippines is doing nowadays. Ever since multinational automotive distributor Astara took over local operations on December 2022, the Chinese car brand’s image and vehicle lineup have gotten a huge boost amid the surge of new cars from the People’s Republic. GAC Motor Philippines’ improved fortunes are also being helped by the recent appointment of highly respected industry veterans Franz Decloedt and Timmy De Leon, who serve

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

Despite the rise of electric vehicles, a strong market remains for non-electrified hot hatchbacks. These high-performance machines combine savage performance with the practicality of a traditional hatchback. Put another way; these vehicles can offer immense driving pleasure on the race track while remaining usable for going to the supermarket. The “Land of the Rising Sun” currently has two hot hatches that have captivated the world’s imagination – the Honda Civic Type R and the Toyota GR Corolla

If you’re among the buyers who missed out on the first batch of the 2023 Honda Civic Type R, there’s some good news ahead. “Considering the global demand, HCPI has plans of bringing in the second batch in the second quarter of this year,” Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) vice president Louie Soriano told AutoFun Philippines. “Detailed timing and volume will be announced later,” he added. HCPI originally brought in 40 units of the Type R that had been launched on January 2023. All 39 were sold

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R is one of the most exciting performance cars to launch in the Philippines this year. However, it is facing trouble in the United States, where Honda Cars ordered the stoppage of all sales of the Type R on March 31, 2023 for a safety recall. The issue? Improperly manufactured seat frames. “The driver’s seat and cushion frame assembly may have faulty welds which may lead to squeaking, rattling noises, or breakage of the seat frame weld,” the carmaker said in its service

(Images from Honda PH) As the new Civic model is released, sooner or later, a new Civic Type R will come out. With the new Civic looking more like an Accord, which is more elegant, more formal, more adult, the new Civic Type R can definitely take on this trend and have a more formal re-design despite the red Honda badge screaming at the front and back. For now, as the current Type R which first showed in 2017 is still being sold in the country, and the first Civic Type R that's released in the P