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

GAC Philippines recently invited us to a track day event to test the 2024 GAC Empow to showcase its sporty capabilities. The event was held at the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC), where we could safely try the sedan. The automaker lined up several tests that covered the car’s handling, acceleration, braking, and traction control system. GAC also let us hot-lap the Empow on the short course layout of BRC. ALSO READ: FULL REVIEW: 2023 GAC Empow GE -- A Honda Civic rival in the making, but with a few

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

Chinese cars have flooded the Philippine market and many other countries around the globe. It is because Chinese automakers have found ways to undercut the competition by offering quality vehicles that are more affordable but have features comparable to or even better than their Japanese, European, and American counterparts. But the question is, how has China evolved so quickly to produce quality, feature-rich, and, most importantly, cheap vehicles so customers can afford them? Lower production

Rightly or wrongly, we’ve always thought about Jaguar cars as designed for the older, more mature segment of car buyers. Despite its deliberate transformation into a more dynamic, modern, and chic luxury brand in the last few decades, Jaguar has yet to outgrow this stigma with its cars. So when it decided to enter the fast-growing SUV segment in 2016, the F-Pace was supposed to be its ticket to bite into the then-growing pie. SUVs are highly sought-after vehicles among all car brands, and with t

Think Jaguar and many of us recall glamorous luxury cars with acres of polished timber and vast swathes of buttery-soft leather. Whether it was the Mark 2, the Mark X or the XJ6, these sleek saloons, with their plush and stylish cockpits, made their German counterparts from BMW, Audi or Mercedes-Benz look like staid and upright boxes. Younger car lovers, meanwhile, would recognize “Jags” like the record-breaking XJ220 and the F-Type for their standout styling and blistering performance. But for