Vans have always been part of the elite lifestyle, with V8-powered conversion vans once ruling the roost for celebrities and politicians alike. But that all changed when the Toyota Alphard rolled into town, offering super-smooth and relatively fuel-efficient powerplants, along with a road presence that was truly a class of its own. Just a month after the launch of the all-new Alphard, GAC Motor Philippines is getting into the game with its eye-catching M8. The Chinese carmaker announced in a Sep

When you see a typical passenger van, you will probably think of the Toyota Hiace and the Nissan NV350 Urvan, but not necessarily the Hyundai Staria. The South Korean van doesn’t fit our perceived notions of what a passenger van is, a boxy rectangularly shaped vehicle with a rounded nose and sliding doors. The Hyundai Staria gives off something more futuristic with its softer curves and cleaner look. That being said, here is how the Hyundai Staria breaks passenger van stereotypes and norms and e

Aside from the pending launch of the Toyota Yaris Cross, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) may have another vehicle waiting in the wings for its time in the spotlight. A 2024 Toyota Alphard unit was spotted in a parking complex in the southern part of Luzon, presumably in the Bauan port in Batangas. It indicates that the Japanese automaker wants to launch the all-new version of the luxury MPV soon but has yet to reveal any official launch dates. With that said, we can look to other markets where th

Disclaimer: Hyundai Philippines lent us a Hyundai Staria unit for a week with a full tank of gas and access to its RFID cards. Remember when Hyundai Philippines launched the Hyundai Starex? It was a hit for the South Korean automaker as it saw a second generation. However, Hyundai had to discontinue the Starex nameplate and replace it with the 2023 Hyundai Staria, its new replacement. We had on loan the family-oriented GLS+ version, which seats 11 passengers but has retained a row of captain sea

It is Sunday once more, so we’re back with another edition of the AutoFun Philippines Rearview Roundup. Valentine’s Day is just a few days away and many of you will likely have some fun dates with and/or great gifts for a special someone (sanaol talaga). For those who want to take their mind off February 14, 2023 (which we single people call Tuesday), here are five of your favorite stories from February 6 to 11, 2023. Tasty EV treat? We start off with something sweet (unlike my love life). AutoF

(Images from Toyota PH) The Toyota Alphard is a monstrosity, in a good, alpha way. It has all the things you need to make travel comfortable and with class. Its luxury is defined not only by the number of chrome parts attached to its grille and body, or the vagrant disregard to the rising prices of gasoline through its 3.5L gasoline engine, but also through the space one has in the passenger cabin while cruising on in a road trip. There still are some points to nitpick. Here they are. Analog Das