August 2014

Toyota breaches 10,000-unit/month mark

MANILA, Philippines – The number one car company in the country, Toyota, has once again made history in the automotive industry by recording 10,123 units in a single month last July. Coming from a 9,000 performance just last May, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) prove once again that it can go even further by breaching the 10,000 sales mark last month. This is the first time any local car manufacturer experienced such performance in terms of vehicle sales.

Honda Brio and Brio Amaze first drive

Honda took its soon-to-be-launched Brio and Brio Amaze through its initial paces at the Tagaytay Highlands. With Honda’s decision to move the City and Jazz upmarket (and a sole engine variant in the process), it’s up to these two new super minis to plug the entry-level hole that’s left in the line-up. Entering the A-segment (or sub-B segment), the Brio and Brio Amaze are poised to do battle in the Philippines fastest-growing passenger car segment. And instead of doing a ‘me too’, Honda is sticking close to its founder’s ideology by putting engineering above all else.

Mazda MX-5 25th Anniversary Edition

Mazda’s exclusive distributor in the Philippines, Berjaya Auto Philippines, turned over 15 of the 25 limited edition MX-5 Anniversary Edition to owners in a simple ceremony held at the company’s new vehicle stockyard in Batino, Laguna. Designed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the world’s best-selling two-seater sports car, the Mazda MX-5 Anniversary Edition is an extremely limited model limited to just 1,000 units worldwide. Based off the MX-5 Power Retractable Hardtop (PRHT) model, the MX-5 Anniversary Edition comes in Mazda’s iconic Soul Red Metallic color. Other changes include Brilliant Black A-pillars, windshield surround, side mirrors, rear seatback bars, headlamp bezels, and retracting roof. All MX-5 Anniversary Edition models come with a “25th Anniversary badge” with the vehicle’s serial number mounted on the driver’s side fender.

Lexus NX

Lexus finally gets into the highly-competitive premium compact crossover segment with the launch of the all-new NX. Following in the track of the GS and IS sedans, the NX marries Lexus’s bold, dramatic design with a platform engineered with the help of racers. Inside out, it’s a crossover truly inspired by performance vehicles.  From the outside, the NX features the boldest interpretation of the signature Lexus spindle grille and L-finesse design. The NX looks as if it was styled from a single piece of metal. Initially, Lexus is offering the NX in the Philippines in one guise: the NX 300h. The NX 300h uses a tuned version of the 2AR-FXE 2.5-liter gasoline engine. Enhancements made especially for the NX include a water-to-oil cooler for the electric drive motor and a revised front drive reduction ratio for improved fuel economy and hill climbing. This engine is mated to a new electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT) with a kick-down function for greater acceleration.

Ferrari 458 Spider launch

Autostrada Motore Inc., distributor of Ferrari cars in the Philippines officially presented to the local market the Ferrari 458 Spider. The 458 Spider is powered by Ferrari’s naturally-aspirated, direct-injection 4.5 liter V8. It is the brand’s first mid-rear engine convertible which has won the International Engine of the Year award for its engineering excellence in terms of driveability, performance, economy and refinement.

AVID Thought Leadership Forum

The Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID) opened up a dialogue on the opportunities and challenges posed by the ASEAN integration in 2015 in its fourth Thought Leadership Forum (TLF) which was held at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). The conference featured an inter-industry dialogue with a panel of experts led by Dr. Cielito Habito, Chief of Party, USAID’s Trade Related Technical Assistance for Development (TRADE) Project. The other speakers were Dr. Federico Macaranas, Core Faculty of the Asian Institute of Management, Dr. Rafaelita Aldaba, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry, and Maria Fe Perez-Agudo, President of AVID.

Michelin Pilot Sport Experience

Michelin has always believed that the best test bed for its tires is motorsports. Through the spirit of competition, the French tire brand has developed ‘Michelin Total Performance’, a philosophy that combines seemingly conflicting virtues into one cohesive ideology that dictates each and every tire that they produce. This ‘track to street’ approach was very much evident at the Michelin Pilot Sport Experience, a one-of-a-kind experience where regular people get to experience the adrenaline rush of piloting some of the most competitive racing cars in the world all wearing various ultra-high performance tires from Michelin.