Minute dimensions, generous ground clearance, and no clutch pedal. These three ingredients form the recipe for sales success in the Philippines. And no car has done it quite as well thus far as the Toyota Raize subcompact crossover. But the little Toyota faces stiff competition from the Chinese carmaker that’s always full of surprises – the new Geely GX3 Pro is priced close to the Raize E CVT, while offering more generous equipment levels. Let’s pit these two in a Spec Showdown to see which come

It was supposed to be on display at the Manila International Auto Show on April 2023, but it couldn’t make it in time. We’re talking about the Mitsubishi XFC Concept, which will be showcased at The Grove in Newport Mall in Pasay City from June 16 to 18, 2023. The XFC Concept was first premiered in Vietnam on October 2022. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation president and CEO Takao Kato said the production version of this crossover would be on sale in ASEAN markets as early as April 2023. "In the futur

It seems Toyota has yet another headache resulting from the conduct of its subsidiary carmaker, Daihatsu. New information has emerged regarding discrepancies in the crash-test certification of the Japanese-market Daihatsu Rocky Hybrid and Toyota Raize Hybrid crossovers, which were both developed by Daihatsu. Toyota has immediately suspended the sales of both models in the "Land of the Rising Sun" as it conducts an investigation. This fresh controversy comes days after Toyota resolved the safety

Once a novelty in the slushbox segment, continuously variable transmissions (CVT) are getting increasingly popular. This is because of the multiple forward ratios that the transmission presents to the driver, instead of a set number of gears. In the Philippines, this particular tranny saw national attention when it was part of the original equipment for the mid-2000s Honda City subcompact sedan and Honda Jazz subcompact hatchback. The tranny was deemed a good alternative to a market that still p

The 2023 Auto Expo in India is proving to be an excellent showcase for Suzuki, especially with the unveiling of the Suzuki Jimny 5-door and the new Suzuki Fronx. The Suzuki Fronx is a subcompact crossover that seeks to challenge the likes of the Toyota Raize and Kia Stonic as it will be positioned below the Suzuki Vitara. A Suzuki Vitara-lite? The Fronx looks much like the Vitara as it has a trapezoidal mesh grille with a chrome strip that flanks the Suzuki badge. It also carries some SUV-like s

A hybrid Toyota Vios? It’s in the works. That’s according to Toyota Motor Asia Pacific chief executive officer Hao Tien. "From the business perspective, we do have plans for hybrid A/B segment,” Tien told our colleagues at WapCar Malaysia at the sidelines of the Idemitsu Super 1500 Endurance race in Thailand. “I can't tell you the date yet, but it's coming soon,” he added. Toyota is fielding two cars in the endurance race: a hydrogen-powered Toyota GR Corolla and a Toyota GR86 running on carbon-