Guide Car

Photos by Ulysses Ang

The local pickup truck segment feels like something straight out of the reality show, Survivor. With the level of cut throat competitiveness going around, only the strongest will outwit, outlast, and outplay everyone else emerging as the ultimate king of the hill. Ford has certainly been playing that game right so far and it shows: the Ranger continues to be the country’s best-selling pickup truck. That streak is bound to continue with the heavily refreshed 2016 Ranger.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

The Toyota Road Trek is the annual event where Toyota Motor Philippines brings us members of the motoring media on a ride-and-drive activity that takes us all around the country. Every year, it’s an excuse to take off the serious hat and put on something a tad sillier. This year though, they’ve ramped things up a notch and not in the physical sense. This year, Road Trek welcomes the world of social media.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang and Porsche Philippines Press

Porsche is a name now eponymous with style and speed. Throughout the decades, the dream makers in Stuttgart have come up with objects of desire. But for all the talk about their design and brevity, there’s one thing that ties all of them together: engineering. At the core of every 911, every Cayenne, every Panamera lies precision work making them feel like they’ve been cut from the same piece of cloth—a cloth dipped in both heritage and tradition, in ingenuity and cleverness.
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You’ve read our first impressions on the all-new 2015-2016 Ford Everest, but just how does it do in action? Well, check out the video below.
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Who says crossovers can’t handle a real-life off-road trail? Subaru just proved naysayers wrong when they brought bone stock Foresters, in both turbo and non-turbo trims, to the first-ever X-Mode drive that brought their compact crossovers from  San Juan to through some rough terrain eventually ending up at the Daraitan River in Tanay, Rizal.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

It was an unequivocal show of strength for Toyota Motor Philippines as the country’s number one automotive company shared the waku-doki spirit to racing enthusiasts down south. Last May 16 to 17, Toyota successfully staged Second Leg (Race 3 and 4) of the 2015 Vios Cup.
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Growing up on a steady diet of Car and Driver, Road and Track, and Automobile Magazine, the typical Filipino car enthusiast will probably not know what to make of Peugeot. After all, it’s mostly a European-only affair since the 1990’s. Hence, when it arrived here back in early 2000’s and remerged once again a few years back, the brand recall, admittedly, wasn’t so great. It didn’t help that Filipinos had a hard time pronouncing the name thanks to the lengthy string of vowels. Imagine, therefore, the mountain for its distributor to climb just to get recognition in the sea of growing upscale Japanese and American brands, and new entry-level European brands.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

Remember the Honda HR-V? People of a certain age, including myself, remember it as Honda’s attempt to diversify from its core City, Civic, CR-V, and Accord models. Suffice to say, it didn’t fair too well and has been largely swept under the corporate rug as a “never again” model joining the likes of the Legend. However, in recent years, Honda’s corporate slogan has changed to “never say never” as they sought to diversify their lineup and gain market share. From just four models in the late 1990s, they now have 11; now make that 12 as the HR-V re-joins the lineup. And I’ve just driven it.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

For Isuzu, a lot is hinging on the success of the all-new mu-X. The mid-sized 7-seater SUV market is the country’s fastest growing segment and yet, their previous effort, the Alterra, barely made a dent in the market. After lessons were learned, they got back to the drawing board and pretty much re-designed, re-engineered, and even re-named their effort. Fast-forward years later and you have five Isuzu mu-Xs parked in a row in the scenic province of Palawan. The mu-X’s first drive just happens to be a road trip in paradise.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

Should you find yourself with a free day in Tokyo, try one of Tokyo’s little-known gems for car aficionados and Subaru enthusiasts – the STI Gallery. Located just 30 minutes away by train from Tokyo, the STI Gallery is part of the Tokyo Subaru/Car Do, a super Subaru dealership which houses the head office in Tokyo as well as the products and activities of the Subaru racing unit in Mitaka.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

Nothing spells summer than Katy Perry’s videos on constant loop. Whether you’re into her songs or not, the catchy lyrics and upbeat tunes is the only way to pass the two-hour journey to Mindoro. Either that or your adolescent eyes are trying to spot something in the umm…pink clouds. But the 42-degree heat, constant desire for Gatorade, and bubbly tunes on the radio make for the perfect backdrop for a summer road trip. And since it’s the first week of May, it could very well have been LaBoracay. Only it’s not. This is LaPuertoGalera aboard the LaMobilio.
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When BMW unveiled the 2 Series Active Tourer, it felt like an arrow straight through the heart of purists. For so long, they held on to treasured brand values like sporty designs and of course, rear wheel drive. They tolerated Chris Bangle, but this? BMW’s first-ever MPV, first-ever front-wheel drive car, and first-ever use of a three-cylinder engine? It isn’t just an arrow—it’s an arrow through an arrow through an arrow. It’s a move that makes Robin Hood proud. Imagine the other German brands snickering, “Whut iz wrong with ze water in Munich? Too much Paulander?!”
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

Our ride and drives follow a certain formula: hop on a vehicle and drive to an exotic locale for some R&R. Along the way, we’re fed with bottomless food and if the carmaker feels generous enough, a massage. There are some variations along the way, but the bottom line is we’re shown a good time. This looks hedonistic to an outsider looking in, and I can’t blame them. After all, is eating to your heart’s content an appropriate way to spend some seat time when we could instead make a difference? Well, Mitsubishi did just that. The 2015 Strada’s first shakedown is a ride and drive activity like no other. It’s one with a purpose, with a heart. It shows what a Strada can do, and consequently, what its owner could possibly achieve.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

Remember when the Sony PlayStation 1 launched? I did. It was dubbed the next-generation video game console even before its debut, and yet, no one had any idea how it will revolutionize entertainment. From simple graphics during the Nintendo Family Computer days, the PlayStation opened up the possibilities brought about by its impressive graphics. What the PlayStation did for video games is exactly what the Nissan NP300 Navara’s doing for pickup trucks.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

The local pickup truck segment is tightening and the one that’s starting to feel the pinch is long-time leader, Isuzu. For years, the D-Max has enjoyed brisk sales, but the increased competition from within the segment has caused its sales to plateau in recent months. Knowing quite well its importance to its line-up, the D-Max had to learn to sing a different tune from the “dependable workhorse” formula it has known from Day One. Earlier this year, Isuzu has done just that. They introduced the 2015 version of the D-Max, a timely upgrade that the company hopes will lure weekend warriors and lifestyle-oriented buyers to join the long list of satisfied Isuzu customers.
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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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Photos by Ulysses Ang

Countless driving events have been done, each touting a specific aspect of a new car. However, none has emphasized the beauty of its design. Though certain makes and models could pioneer such an activity, none could be a more fitting subject as Mazda’s current line-up. Imbued with KODO – The Soul of Motion, the CX-5, Mazda6, and Mazda3 all share the sculpted look that evokes a sense of movement. It’s a visual representation of beauty and tension that’s seen in the split-second a predator pounces on its prey. In that frozen moment, it’s expressive, emotional, and strong—traits that tie in perfectly with Mazda’s heritage.
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Photos by Ulysses Ang

“Go Further” is a very apt tagline for Ford lately. In the past few years, the Blue Oval has invested heavily in technology, transforming them from an automotive follower to automotive leader. Of course, some of this tech like EcoBoost has fared better than others like MyFord Touch. Still, there’s no denying that their investment in the cutting-edge has boosted their position in the market place; enabling them to tap segments like the so-called ‘millennials’—people who wouldn’t otherwise consider a Ford before.
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