The weather seems to have improved this week! All that smog seems to have lessened considerably, while the occasional rain showers help keep things cool in the day or night. This week in motoring seems to have replicated that pleasant climate, with exciting new-car launches and even a rumored new Toyota in the works. Here are your five favorite stories from Oct. 2 to 8, 2023 in this edition of the AutoFun Philippines Rearview Roundup. Toyota Land what? The Toyota Land Cruiser is a name that is a

Disclosure: GWM Philippines lent us the GWM Cannon SLux for a week with a full tank of diesel and access to its two RFID cards. Japanese and American offerings dominate the pick-up truck market in the Philippines. It is a challenging segment to crack, especially for budding Chinese carmakers who want a piece of that lucrative pie. Filipinos want a durable, reliable car that can handle harsh conditions, especially with our roads. Enter the GWM Cannon, a new pick-up truck that wants to stake its c

Once a novelty in the slushbox segment, continuously variable transmissions (CVT) are getting increasingly popular. This is because of the multiple forward ratios that the transmission presents to the driver, instead of a set number of gears. In the Philippines, this particular tranny saw national attention when it was part of the original equipment for the mid-2000s Honda City subcompact sedan and Honda Jazz subcompact hatchback. The tranny was deemed a good alternative to a market that still p

Ford Philippines has solidified its position as one of the country's leading automotive brands thanks to its solid retail performance in 2022. The Blue Oval brand grew its full-year retail sales by 24% in 2022, with 24,710 units sold, led by its three best-selling vehicles - the Ford Ranger, the Ford Everest, and the Ford Territory. Ford Ranger - Still a best seller The Ranger was the top-selling Ford vehicle in 2022, with sales also rising by 24%, with 11,396 units sold. This makes the nameplat

Expect more expensive vehicles as car brands update their prices for 2023. It's the first month of the new year and four manufacturers – Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Suzuki – have already updated their prices as of press time. While some may only have minor changes, others have more dramatic hikes. However, we expect more brands to follow, especially those that have yet to implement changes since 2022. Honda Cars Philippines Honda Cars Philippines announced in 2022 that it would increase the pr

The common English saying “crossing your Ts and dotting your Is” refers to being meticulous. With the 2022 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross, the Japanese automaker took lessons from the previously launched competition (such as the Suzuki Ertiga, Toyota Avanza, the now-defunct Honda Mobilio, and the SsangYong Rodius) and applied them to its starter multipurpose vehicle (MPV) when it was first introduced in 2020. Two years and a pandemic have passed, and one of the Nippon diamond star’s top sellers has un