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

Resurgence is the word that perhaps best characterizes how GAC Motor Philippines is doing nowadays. Ever since multinational automotive distributor Astara took over local operations on December 2022, the Chinese car brand’s image and vehicle lineup have gotten a huge boost amid the surge of new cars from the People’s Republic. GAC Motor Philippines’ improved fortunes are also being helped by the recent appointment of highly respected industry veterans Franz Decloedt and Timmy De Leon, who serve

This year’s auto industry rigodon has new participants. Astara Philippines, the multinational mobility distributor that handles the local operations of Peugeot and GAC Motor, announced in an August 2023 press statement that it has appointed two well-renowned executives in key leadership positions. Timmy Naval-de Leon, who was formerly head of corporate communications of the Ayala Corporation’s automotive arm AC Motors for nine years, is now Astara Phiippines’ new marketing director. Naval-de Leo

Disclaimer, GAC Philippines lent us the GAC Emkoo GE with a full gas tank for 15 days with access to its two RFID cards. The GAC Philippines debuted the 2023 GAC Emkoo at the 2023 Manila International Auto Show. It's part of the brand’s growing crossover portfolio in the Philippines as it seeks to take a bigger piece out of the local market with Astara Philippines backing it up. The new Emkoo brought futuristic styling to the motor show, turbocharged power, and many new features to attract the c

Mitsubishi is set to reveal the production version of its XFC concept car, which we'll christen the Mitsubishi XForce crossover to make things simpler. While only a little information is available about the upcoming crossover, reports have shown a camouflaged unit undergoing testing in the streets of Vietnam and Indonesia. Reports also indicate that the XForce could have a ground clearance of around 222mm, which is tall, especially as it will be positioned in the subcompact crossover segment. We

Chery Philippines recently released a teaser photo on its official Facebook page showcasing another electric vehicle set to join its local lineup at the 2023 Manila International Auto Show. Based on the teaser photo, the upcoming vehicle could be a new variant of the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, thanks to the appearance of the number seven. It also comes with the tagline, “Revive your passion for the environment,” emphasizing the letters E and V, which point to the vehicle being an electric vehicle (EV).