AutoFun Philippines Rearview Roundup: No to greedy, price-gouging dealerships!

It’s the last Sunday of January – here’s another edition of the AutoFun Philippines Rearview Roundup.

We’ve compiled the top five stories from January 23 to 27, 2023 that really moved you. Here’s what you chose.

Toyota party!

In case you’ve been living under a rock over the last decade, Toyota is once again the top-selling car brand in the Philippines.

Data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. showed that the company took a mammoth share of the market in 2022, selling 173,245 out of 352,596 vehicles.

As such, it’s hardly surprising that Toyota got eight spots in the list of top 10 bestsellers last year, with the venerable, previous-generation Toyota Vios subcompact sedan snagging first place.

With Toyota getting a new president and CEO on April 2023, will the Japanese carmaker continue its firm hold on the Philippine car market?

A sub-₱500k electric vehicle?

Many of you were astounded by the BYD Dolphin’s winged little brother, the Seagull.

This mini electric vehicle (EV) features five doors, five seats, and an expected starting of $9,000 (around ₱491,000 as of press time) in China.

Would you get on the EV bandwagon if BYD Philippines really brought one this cheap, especially with the removal of duties for imported EVs?

Gotcha!

AutoFun Philippines may be a young publication, but having veteran journalists on staff means we unashamedly report issues that matter to you.

Some readers approached us about a nasty practice of certain Honda Cars dealerships for the recently launched Honda Civic Type R – price-gouging and “bidding wars” to the tune of up to ₱800,000 above the hot hatch’s ₱3,880,000 list price.

Honda Cars Philippines Inc. told AutoFun Philippines in an official statement that it doesn’t allow this kind of behavior, encouraging customers to report dealers who are trying to sell off a Civic Type R for the price of a new Toyota Supra.

Do you know of any other cars that dealers are trying to sell above their list price?

Fighting back

In line with the previous item, we decided to do a little digging.

Price-gouging has long been an issue in the local car industry. But there are ways to counter what exploitative “stealerships” have been up to.

From finding another dealer to writing to the manufacturer’s head office, here’s how you can fight for your right to buy a car at the list price.

Vigilance is the key! Let’s take them on together.

Officially official!

An upgrade of Mitsubishi Philippines’ best-selling model has finally been launched in the Philippines.

The 2023 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross sports 225 mm ground clearance, a 4-speed automatic gearbox, Active Yaw Control from the dearly departed Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and the uprated rear suspension of the Mitsubishi Montero Sport.

Will the new Xpander Cross have what it takes to battle its chief rival, the all-new Honda BR-V?

The AutoFun Philippines Rearview Roundup runs every Sunday. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on TikTok and Instagram!