It’s easy to get carried away by the hype of an all-new vehicle launch. And that’s what car brands want you to feel after seeing their latest offering roll onto the stage. Let’s take the all-new Mitsubishi XForce, for example. Sure, it looks appealing, has a handsome design, and even a well-endowed feature set. But what if we said Mitsubishi ensured its latest offering had some other tricks up its sleeve for good measure? At a Mitsubishi product conference Autofun Philippines attended on the sec

Local automakers got a big shot in the arm after the Philippine government extended the timeframe of its ₱27-billion program to boost domestic car manufacturing. The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) announced in a May 2023 press statement that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved a five-year extension to the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) Program. PSAC is composed of business leaders and experts across six main sectoral groups: Agriculture, Digital Infrastructur

Disclaimer: Jetour Auto Philippines paid for my airfare, transportation and accommodation for a week-long trip with other media practitioners to China, including a visit to Auto Shanghai 2023. Everybody in the Philippines is familiar with the Chery QQ from the mid to late 2000s. The dinky urban hatchback became the symbol of everything that was wrong with China-made cars. With shabby workmanship, questionable aftersales (if there were any) and non-existent warranties, the QQ was China’s first ma

One of the highly touted selling points of the Mitsubishi Xpander multi-purpose (MPV) and its tougher Xpander Cross sibling is its ride height. With 225 mm of ground clearance, the Xpander duo rivals many sport-utility vehicles (SUV). For comparison, the Toyota Avanza only has up to 190 mm. Given the abovementioned stats, it is obvious that the Xpander and Xpander Cross top the entry-level MPV (or even SUV) segment when it comes to ground clearance. This means that the Mitsubishi utility runner

No doubt about it, the family car can be likened to one magic carpet ride transporting a bunch load of people from point A to B in a matter of seconds. While this metaphor sounds greatly exaggerated, it’s a known fact, however, that family or commercial vehicles (CV) truly do a wonderful job not only of hauling up families on long trips but they can also become reliable work fleets for storing up supplies or other loads as well. So far, Toyota, KIA, Ford, Suzuki, and Honda are the big-name car g

The Toyota Rush is one of the go-to MUV of the Filipino families alongside Mitsubishi Xpander and Honda BR-V. In 2019, Toyota introduced the Rush in the Philippine market. The all-new Toyota Rush was only available in seven-seater configuration (1.5 G) until its five-seater variant (1.5 E) came out. Known to some as the "Mini Fortuner" (because of its exterior design) it is better than an Avanza and cheaper than a Fortuner. Toyota Rush's exterior design allows for smooth mobility, less drag from