Disclosure: GWM Philippines kindly lent me a 2023 Haval Jolion Supreme HEV for eight days. It arrived with loaded RFID cards and a Shell fuel card. AutoFun Philippines paid for a carwash. When I was a kid, I swore by one specific brand of orange juice (which I shall not name, but it’s a brand that’s beloved by many). I simply could not have a meal without this overly sugary beverage that greatly contributed to my, shall we say, “portly” physique in grade school. And it had so many artificial ing

At the recent Chery Technology Day in Wuhu, the Chinese car company explained its global strategy as it ramps up its export business. The nearly two-hour-long set of presentations was so detailed and exhaustive that you'd imagine you were sitting in a board presentation or a marketing sign-off meeting. But it made sense to show it to the 600 or so Chery-brand users and media in attendance. It was a captive audience if ever there was one. El Plan One key observation we made was how Chery seems to

Hybrid vehicles are becoming popular in the Philippine market, with more and more automakers bringing their examples to the car-buying public. We have recent entries into the segment from the Chinese such as the Haval Jolion (Specs | News) and Haval H6, and even more from the Japanese, such as the Toyota Corolla, Corolla Cross, RAV4, Zenix, Yaris Cross, and Nissan Kicks, each trying to get a piece of the lucrative pie, especially with the ever-increasing fuel prices. While many are curious about

Recent rumblings in the automotive industry talk about Chinese brands changing management hands. And from what we've heard, there will be a few. But why do the principals feel the sudden need to come in lock, stock, and barrel to take over the Filipino-run local distributorships? Haven't they done enough to promote the brand? Did the distributors fall short of sales targets? Or have the distributors failed in the perception game despite the uptick in Chinese-made cars' build, tech and quality in

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

Toyota Camry gets updated with a new 2.5-litre Dynamic Force engine Honda Accord offers a downsized 1.5-litre turbo engine, lower road tax Camry has better seats, but Accord's ride is more resolved As recent as 5 years ago, D-segment sedan market was once brimming with no less than 10 very capable rivals, but fast forward to 2022, less than half of the competitors remain. Out of which, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry remain as the two best-selling models, with the latter recently receiving a m