BMW finally arrives in the Philippines in 2 variants, the carbon and the Pure. Both will come with the same  3 liter, inline-6, twin turbocharged engine that puts out 453hp and 550Nm of torque. Both units shown at the launch had an 8 speed automatic but a manual will also be available for special order. Power gets sent exclusively to the rear wheels via BMW's active M differential.  The Pure is base variant . It gets manual sport seats and a basic sound system  The Carbon is the higher trim and it comes with a carbon fiber roof, power operated carbon fiber, heated bucket seats, a Harman/Kardon sound. The speed limiter has also been adjusted from the Pure's 250kph to 285kph The BMW M2 Pure sells for P5,990,000 and the M2 Carbon sells for P8,890,000

 Honda has officially launched the all-new Honda CR-V It comes in the following  variants: CR-V V Turbo: 2,590,000 CR-V VX AWD Turbo: 2,280,000 CR-V RS eHEV: P2,100,000 The E-HEV has two electric motors which provide a combined 184Ps and 335Nm of torque. They're coupled to a 2.0L direct injection Atkinson Cycle engine that provides 148PS and 183Nm of torque. The hybrid system can intelligently switch operating modes to achieve a claimed fuel economy of 29.4KM/L in urban driving and 16.4KM/L in extra urban conditions. The E-HEV comes with 8 years or 200k kms of battery warranty Both the V Turbo and the VX Turbo AWD are powered by a 1.5L Direct injection DOHC Turbocharged engine which puts out 190PS and 240Nm of torque and is coupled to a CVT transmission All variants come standard with Honda sensing, Honda connect, a power liftgate. Both the V turbo and the VX Turbo AWD will have 3-row seating. The HEV will have 2-row seating Do watch out for our detailed walk-around and re...

This Channel's been around for a few years and we've built relations with almost every brand operating in the Philippines with the exception of a few. One of those exceptions is Geely. We don't know a single person currently working at Sojitz, Geely’s distributor, as they didn't engage with "new media" car reviewers until just very recently. For an upstart that could use as much exposure as it could get, it’s a curious decision. Problems arise in every brand, even those considered to be the most reliable. The difference is in the People behind the brand and what they do when the pressure mounts up. Ford gets a lot of flak for what people say are reliability issues but Ford Philippines is very quick when it comes to addressing them before they get bigger. They have teams that monitor social media posts and facebook groups for complaints and reply to them very quickly. Problems will inevitably arise but they try to nip it at the bud as much as possible. The is...

 Jetour celebrates its first 100 days in the local market with the motoring media.  Jetour has made significant strides in their first 100 days in the Philippine market. They've opened 6 dealerships with another 6 currently under construction. They aim to open a total of 26 dealerships by the end of 2023. They've put 300 Jetour vehicles on Philippine roads in their first 100 days. They aim to sell 50k vehicles in the next 5 years. That seems like a lofty goal but after personally seeing their upcoming products on a recent trip to China, I don't think it's completely unrealistic as they have some game-changing products in the pipeline. At least 2 of those are scheduled to launch this year. First would be the Land Rover-sized and shaped Jetour T2 which will come in both PHEV and ICE variants. I was able to film a walk-around of the T2. You can watch it here: They will also likely launch the Jetour Dashing PHEV this year which we also got to drive in China. That one comes ...

 We're probably going to get the successor to the Strada early next year and it's gonna be called the Triton. Mitsubishi unveiled the new Triton (currently called the XRT Concept) at Mitsubishi's 60th Anniversary Expo. The Concept model should look very close to the production model So far we have no details about the Philippine-spec model apart from the exterior styling which now looks more rugged and boxier looking. Also at the show is Mitsubishi's XFC concept which should also get a production model very soon See the new Triton, the XFC as well as other old and new Mitsubishi models at Mitsibhsi's 60th Anninversary Expo taking place from aug 11-13, 10am to 9pm at the World Trade Center, Pasay #mitsubishi #mitsubishitriton #newmitsubishitriton #2024mitsubishitriton

  BMW Philippines shows off the new BMW M3 CS This souped-up version of the M3 has a retuned version of BMW's 3.0L 6 cylinder S58 engine which puts out 550hp and650Nm of torque. That's 40 more horsepower than the M3 competition. That power propels the M3 CS from 0-100kph in just 3.4 seconds The CS has an all wheel drive system but for those who like going tail happy, it can be set up so that power is only sent to the rear wheels. The adaptive suspension has also been retuned with different springs. Aside from the performance upgrades, it also comes with a lot of aerodynamic and cosmetic enhancements. It gets a carbon fiber front lip, a carbon fiber hood, sidekirts, rear diffuser. It gets a unique set of staggered wheels finished in a bronze-like paintjob. it gets 19s at the front and 20s at the back Only 2000 units of the CS will be produced globally. We're lucky that we get an allocation here in the Philippines but expect the price tag to reflect its rarity. The M3 ...

BMW Philippines shows off the XM, their largest and most powerful SUV to date. Whether it’s beautiful or not is debatable but in person, its sheer size makes it a very imposing sight. The styling reflects BMWs current experimental trend featuring quad headlights, supersized kidney grilles and very boxy proportions. The hybrid badge may fool people into thinking that this has a smaller 6 cylinder engine. Those same people might be pleased to know that this comes with a 4.4L Twin Turbo V8 that puts out 482hp and 650Nm of torque. The electric motor alone puts out an additional 194hp and 281Nm of torque. All in all, the XM has a combined 644hp and 800Nm of torque on tap Power is sent to all 4 wheels via an 8 speed transmission. It can sprint from 0-100kph in just 4.3 seconds and it has an electronically limited top speed of 250kph Its 25.7kWh battery is good for 88km of range in pure EV mode As for amenities, it comes with: Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System with an ove...

 Honda Launches the facelifted Brio and City on the same day. HONDA CITY The styling changes to the new city are very subtle. It gets a different grille and slightly different bumpers It will come in 4 variants. All variants will come with the same 1.5L naturally aspirated engine that puts out 89hp and 140Nm of torque. All variants come with a CVT transmission. There is no manual variant. A Push start button comes standard on all variants as well as power adjustable side mirrors. All variants except for the base E variant will come with an 8in screen with wireless apple carplay and andriod auto. The base model gets a 2din head unit. The V gets a leather wrapped steering wheel, the top of the line RS variant gets leather seats The most significant improvement to the new city is the inclusion of Honda sensing to all variants. Honda sensing includes: Adaptive cruise control, Collision Mitigation Braking System (Automatic Braking) Lane Keeping Assist System Lead Car Departure Notifica...

 The GAC GS3 Emzoom has finally been launched with specs and pricing that may just disrupt the market. It will come in 3 variants which will occupy one of the most competitive price brackets in the market, the 1-1.2 milion peso price bracket All 3 variants will get the same 1.5 liter engine which puts out 174hp and 270Nm of torque. It’s the same engine that powers the Empow and if the Empow is any indication, the Emzoom may be one of the quickest if not the quickest crossover in this price bracket. Also standard on all variants are a 7 speed dual clutch transmission, a 10.25 in screen with apple carplay and android mirroring, GAC's new design language is very angular The base model 1.5GS will sell for P998,000 and will hold the distinction of having the most powerful engine of any vehicle under 1 million pesos by a significant margin. It will come with a polyurethane steering wheel, fabric seats, 18in wheels, cruise control, rear parking sensors but no reverse camera. The Middle-...

GAC and distributor Astara are on an aggressive launching streak. Just months after launching the GS8, the Empow and the Emkoo, they're launching a new 5-seater, subcompact crossover, the GS3 Emzoom. We're starting to see a pattern in their naming convention but we're still clueless as to how they come up with these names Like the Emkoo, the Emzoom also features very angular exterior styling. It has a bold grille flanked on both sides by sharp looking headlamps. It has an aggressive looking front diffuser. It appears to have large wheels, probably 18s with low profile tires.  It will come in 3 attractively priced variants: GS3 Emzoom GS: P998,000 GS3 Emzoom GB: P1,098,000 GS3 Emzoom GL: P1,198,000 It will officially launch on June 30, 2023. By then, we'll get the full specifications Aside from announcing the imminent launch of the Emkoo, they also announced that Dingdong Dantes will be their new brand ambassador. #gacemzoom

Mitsubishi Unveiled the XFX Concept at Newport Mall, Manila. Unlike a lot of concept cars, this one has a full interior with working displays and fully upholstered seats. It even has brakes and what seems like a suspension system. It looks like you could actually drive it off the display stand. The futuristic looking 5-seater crossover has 20 inch wheels which fill its muscular haunches quite nicely. It has cameras for side mirrors and illuminated faux exhaust tips As it is a concept vehicle, there is no information regarding the powerplant but according to Mitsubishi, there will be a production model that’s based on the XFC and we might see it as soon as late this year. That’s something that we’ll definitely be looking forward to

Many have touted Mazda as the BMW of Japan as both brands focus heavily on the driving experience. Mazda's vehicles tend to be more driver-focused than their Japanese mainstream competitors. But from a BMW driver’s point of view, there's one important thing that differentiates Mazda from BMW and other premiere German brands. Most BMWs are rear-wheel drive or rear biased AWD. Mazdas, with the exception of their dedicated sports cars, are front-wheel drive or heavily front biased all-wheel drive. That affects their driving dynamics as it’s hard to get them to oversteer under power. It also affects the balance of the car as most of the weight is at the front. That changes with Mazda's current generation of crossovers. Mazda just launched the CX60 in the Philippines, their first rear-wheel drive biased crossover with a longitudinally mounted inline 6 engine and near 50/50 weight distribution. The CX60 will come in diesel and petrol variants. Both have 3.3L 6-cylinder engines. T...

For the first time since the E46, the 3 series will again come in touring configuration. BMW Philippines, launches the the 318i Touring, 340i Msport Touring, and the M3 touring The 318i touring will come with BMW's 4-cylinder, 2.0L B48 engine, the same as the 318i sedan. It should put out 156hp and 250Nm of torque. It comes with 18inch wheels, BMW's Hifi loudspeaker system, electrically adjustable seats The 340i Msport will come with BMW's 3.0L, 6-cylinder B58 engine. Currently, we don't have information on the output but if it's the same as what they get overseas, it should put out close to 370hp and 500Nm of torque. It comes with 19-inch wheels, Msport brakes adaptive LED headlights, shadowline trims and more aggressive Msport bumpers. The M3 touring will come with the high performance version of the B58, the 3.0L, 6 cylinder S58 which should put out 510hp and 650Nm of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels via an 8 speed transmission. The new grille has definit...

One of the most affordable Japanese cars in the market now gets a "non-manual" variant. According to Suzuki, the S-Presso AG-S combines the convenience of an automatic transmission and the fuel efficiency of a manual.  AG-S stands for Automatic Gear Shift. It's an automated manual transmission with actuators that operate the clutch and the shifting. It still comes with the same 1.0L naturally aspirated 3 cylinder engine that puts out 66hp and 89Nm of torque. Aside from the transmission, the S-Presso AG-S also gets some very welcome updates. It now comes with a start stop system, hill start assist, power-adjustable side mirrors, apple carplay and android auto, rear parking sensors. The S-Presso AG-S sells for P660,000, just P40,000 more expensive than the manual variant. With the AG-S transmission and the new updates, it looks like the S-Presso AG-S is gonna be an excellent value proposition Do watch out for our full review