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 BMW 3 Series has long been the benchmark for compact luxury sedans, combining superb driving dynamics with German refinement and quality. But in the Philippines, one rival beat out the 3 Series in the sales stakes. And it comes from Japan. Lexus Philippines said in a February 2023 press statement that the Lexus IS was the country’s best-selling model in its class in 2022, according to data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI). “Since the debut of its f

Ever wanted to own a brand-new luxury car, but you’re not keen on paying too much for a model that you plan to replace in a few years? Lexus Philippines may have something that would work for you. The Japanese carmaker announced in a December 2022 press statement that the Lexus IS and ES sedans, along with the NX and RX crossovers, can be leased through Toyota Financial Services' “KINTO One” program. A lease is a type of financing where a buyer pays a monthly fee over a set period, but the owner

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

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

Scaling down. It may be a messy word to numerous car devotees, but clearly unavoidable. Indeed purveyors of expansive motors, Mercedes-AMG, as of late announced that its respected 4.0-litre, twin turbo V8 engines will be supplanted with hybrid 4-cylinder ones. Very a stun to the framework, yes. If you, like me, lived through the late 1980s and entire 1990s, you'd know that premium and performance cars of that era mostly came with large-capacity engines. 2.0-litre engines? That was the minimum en