Guide Car

Last September, Honda Cars Philippines gave us the privilege to drive its concept Jazz 1.5 VX+ MUGEN edition with the caveat that it will be launching the official car in the third quarter of 2014 with a retail price that’s ‘to be announced’. Well, after all the speculation, here it is: the 2014 Honda Jazz MUGEN and it’s all yours for P 908,000.
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A year since the 4th generation has been introduced locally, HCPI, never ceased in constantly updating its sole locally manufactured vehicle. Last night an updated version of the City was introduced to address customers’ need for a built-in navigation system.
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Mazda Philippines’s sprawling and intimidating 1,000 square-meter space at the Manila International Auto Show is a strong show of force and for very good reason. Just last year, Mazda achieved a milestone with overall sales almost doubling that of 2013. The end tally shows them selling more than 3,200 units overtaking Subaru in the process. Of course, the giant showcase isn’t just for celebration. They’ve used the occasion to strategically launch 13 all-new or significantly updated new models for 2015. In short, if you’re buying a car that’s not a Mazda, you better hold off that purchase.
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Honda Cars Philippines is brightening up the summer with two special limited edition models: the Honda CR-V Limited Editon and Jazz Limited Edition. The Jazz is limited just to a run of 20 units while the CR-V is limited to just 10. That equates to just 30 units all-in-all. Interested? Read on.
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Volkswagen is always seen as “the people’s car”, responsible for democratizing transport and allowing the regular folk to drive a brand-new automobile as long as she or she saved enough. So when the German brand re-entered the Philippine market last year, its premium price positioning caught everyone, including its loyal fan base by surprise. This year, Volkswagen Philippines is rectifying it by introducing an affordable yet well-designed and well-engineered car that’s aiming to be “your first German car”. Meet the all-new Volkswagen Polo hatchback.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang and Mazda Press

Fresh from winning the Japan Car of the Year 2014-2015 award, the Mazda2 gains a new sedan form which debuts at the 31st Thailand Motor Expo 2014. The all-new sedan variant joins the hatchback in offering the most up-to-date Skyactiv technology in the Mazda line-up. In Thailand, the Mazda2 also brandishes a 1.5-liter Skyactiv-D clean diesel (Euro 5) engine good for a healthy 105 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and 250 Nm of torque from 1,500 rpm. It makes the all-new Mazda2 sedan the first vehicle to quality for Phase II of Thailand’s Eco Car program. It easily exceeds the requirements of doing 23.2 km/L and CO2 emissions not above 100g/km.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

Whenever you step out of the Tata Manza, it’s inevitable to be the butt of Indian jokes. A couple of times, I was quizzed whether it was curry-powered or at least ask me how it drives with whatever passes for an Indian accent. Clearly, it’s all part of the birthing pains for Tata, being the pioneering Indian car brand in the country. You don’t have to look far to see that a car buyer’s bias is still there: some will say Korean cars are as delectable on the palette as kimchee or that all Chinese cars are built by people named Cheech or Chong. As a car guy, I can’t have that bias. I’ve got to respect cars based on individual merit and strength. So when the Tata Manza Aura arrived at my doorstep, I won’t care where it’s from. I only mind its design and engineering. And you know what? It’s actually a respectable little car.
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Small car expert Suzuki is getting its A-Game on with the launch of its all-new Celerio. Known for its stylish and chic exterior, the all-new model now adds a dose of practicality with the concept of “small on the outside, big on the inside”. It’s the company’s new answer to the country’s fast-growing Sub-B passenger car segment.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

Whether you like it or not, sub-compact cars are becoming more and more complicated. Once seen as the first rung in the ladder of automotive ownership, today’s small cars are jam-packed with features and technologies which can frankly turn some people off. Voice-activated controls, touch screen audio systems, turbocharged engines, stability control; they are all well and good, but for the Average Joe, having to navigate through all these while trying to acclimatize to driving in Manila can be daunting. What if you just want a no-frills everyday commuter that’s still safe and solidly-built? What if you don’t need any of the extra trimmings and just want to get to the meat of the matter. Well, the Toyota Yaris 1.5G is for you.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

About two years ago, I was given the opportunity to drive the Sonic (sedan, hatchback), Chevrolet’s replacement to the solid but otherwise unremarkable Aveo. And while I had a great time loving the delectably designed exterior, premium feeling interior, and the respectably solid driving manners. The experience was without its hiccups, but in the end, you know the General is heading in the right direction with their revitalized sub-compact.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

Even if regular Filipinos didn’t exactly connect with its naughty heritage, Peugeot’s been rolling out the memory of its legendary 205 GTi in marketing its hot hatch offering, the 208 GTi. Keen to trade on the sex appeal of the legendary badge, the latest GTi keeps close to its namesake by offering a genuine fun-to-drive experience without compromising the broad requirements of an everyday driver. Indeed, it’s the automotive equivalent of Christian Grey: a straight-forward boardroom guy by day, a crazy sex machine at night. And if you find yourself behind the wheel of one, you’re definitely playing Ana Steele. Laters baby.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

Pssst…you want in on a little secret? If you’ve been dying to get an affordable, fun-to-drive, and frugal hatchback, consider the Suzuki Swift 1.2. What? You haven’t looked at the Swift? Well, I don’t exactly blame you. With the constant marketing barrage from bigger automotive brands, the Swift has always been left out as a top-of-mind choice when it comes to getting a great sub-compact hatch. In fact, its odd-looking and oddly-named brother, the DZire got more attention, but for all the wrong reasons. So, in the spirit of marketing equality, I’m here to announce: if you want to get a great hatchback, head over to your nearest Suzuki dealership.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

How much are you willing to pay for a sportier body style? That’s the thousand peso question thrown to be would-be car buyers each and every time they cross shop between a sedan and a hatchback. Normally, the hatchback, seen as the sportier of the two body styles, commands a slight premium over the more practical but slightly duller sedan. For Honda though, the answer is quite different: it’s forty thousand pesos less in favor of the five-door. Yes, separating the top-line Brio and Brio Amaze (see review here) is a sizable P 40,000 spread. The question is: are the savings worth it?
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

No matter how you look at it, the subcompact segment is a competitive one. Before, it was all about getting to Point A to Point B in the simplest, most no-frills way possible. It was entry-level motoring at its finest or at its worst. Today though, things are pretty different. Buyers are getting picky. They demand style, handling, and fuel economy—in other words, they want everything. And they’re not willing to pay a pretty penny for them too. It’s got to be affordable as well. Such is the world car manufacturers find themselves in; such is the world the Mazda2 has to fight in.
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