This year’s auto industry rigodon has new participants. Astara Philippines, the multinational mobility distributor that handles the local operations of Peugeot and GAC Motor, announced in an August 2023 press statement that it has appointed two well-renowned executives in key leadership positions. Timmy Naval-de Leon, who was formerly head of corporate communications of the Ayala Corporation’s automotive arm AC Motors for nine years, is now Astara Phiippines’ new marketing director. Naval-de Leo

One look at the landscape changes that have happened to our roads makes it clear that Chinese cars are here to stay, regardless of how many Filipinos try to resist. They’re affordable, powerful, well-equipped, and in many cases, quite stylish. But have you ever noticed how many seem so similar under the skin? Eagle-eyed buyers will note that many cars sourced from China have engines that rarely exceed 1500cc, whether in turbocharged or naturally aspirated guise. That’s not for convenience’s sake

At Clark International Speedway, Car #150 and Car #214 line up behind the starting tree of the National Drag Racing Championship Series (NDRC). Car #214 is much like many other drag cars in the Philippines – a ‘90s Honda Civic ESi with a ram-air intake. Its silver trumpet sticks out of the right headlight like a monocle. Car #150 is rather different – it has a bulky, gray hatchback body and a turbocharged inline-3 engine. The lights descend the tree. Yellow, yellow, yellow, green! The Civic take

Back when I was a kid, having a turbocharger meant you had a car with plenty of grunt. These were the days of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 5, the GC8 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, the R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R and even the 993 Porsche 911 Turbo – all high-performance machines that used forced induction to make their magic happen. Nowadays, turbos are popping up even in subcompact sedans like the Honda Civic supposedly in the name of better efficiency and higher fuel economy. But owning a turbocharged

Toyota has unveiled the ASEAN-market All-New Yaris Cross, a medium urban SUV that slots between the Toyota Raize (Specs | News) and the Corolla Cross. And our colleagues from AutoFun Indonesia were on hand to cover and take photos of the World Premiere. According to the Chief Engineer of the All-New Yaris Cross, Toru Uda, "We wanted to create a vehicle that embodies both youthful and fun driving experiences while maintaining the ruggedness and dependability of a crossover. The All-New Yaris Cros

Ford Philippines is bringing the next-generation Ford Territory to the 2023 Auto Focus Test Drive Festival at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. Customers can see the crossover in the metal at the brand's booth in its Titanium X and Titanium trim levels. Aside front this, they can also test out the Blue Oval’s other vehicles, such as the Ford Everest Titanium 4x4 and the Ford Ranger Wildtrak 4x4, to experience their segment-leading features and capabilities. “We are so happy to be part of this