Although Mazda Philippines is pivoting more towards crossovers, there’s still something deeply appealing about its subcompact Mazda2. From its sharp styling to its class-leading driving dynamics, the little Mazda proves that, even after nine years, a small car doesn’t have to be a life sentence to a dull drive. In Thailand, the Mazda2 has gotten a makeover, with the facelifted model launching on June 21, 2023. Aside from the new looks, it gets upgrades to its safety features to put it on par wit

Although the rear-wheel-drive Mazda CX-60 and Mazda CX-90 have been hogging the headlines recently, Mazda has another sharp-looking crossover. The Mazda CX-50 isn’t poised to take on the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz unlike its larger stablemates. Instead, it uses a larger version of the excellent-handling, front-wheel-drive Mazda3 platform and is a bit larger than the Mazda CX-5 crossover. But the mere fact that Mazda has just introduced the CX-50 in China and has assigned local assembly to th

Think Jaguar and many of us recall glamorous luxury cars with acres of polished timber and vast swathes of buttery-soft leather. Whether it was the Mark 2, the Mark X or the XJ6, these sleek saloons, with their plush and stylish cockpits, made their German counterparts from BMW, Audi or Mercedes-Benz look like staid and upright boxes. Younger car lovers, meanwhile, would recognize “Jags” like the record-breaking XJ220 and the F-Type for their standout styling and blistering performance. But for

The first time the Nissan Grand Livina entered the Philippine market in 2008, it was a three-row hatchback based on the Nissan Tiida platform. It was ahead of its time in many ways, as it offered car-like handling and seating for seven. Typical of what crossovers provide today. As head of the marketing team of Nissan Motor Philippines, Inc (NMPI) at that time, I was tasked to find ways to slot such a strange vehicle concept into the MPV-crazy consciousness of Filipino car buyers. The 2008 Nissan

Can a typical man on the street afford a Toyota Alphard? Starting at Php 4,095,000, and you have to add about Php 15,000 if you like the pearl white color, the Alphard is priced like a suburban house for a typical middle-income family. This is not an insult to the man on the street though. This is a reality check. And reality says the Toyota Alphard's clientele can be on the affluent side. Or as those who live in Pasay would say, "in the POGO business." Regardless of the background, you have to

In lieu of a Nitpicker’s Guide, it’s only proper to write about how value for money the Hyundai Reina is. The Reina is the representative of Hyundai in the subcompact sedan segment. It is sleek, it is simple, and a good first car. At about over PhP 700,000, let’s see what’s good and not in the Reina’s price range. And yes, we are going to compare the Reina to other cars in its segment. To do this, we will highlight some aspects and features of the Reina, what it is good for, and what could have