Local automakers got a big shot in the arm after the Philippine government extended the timeframe of its ₱27-billion program to boost domestic car manufacturing. The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) announced in a May 2023 press statement that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved a five-year extension to the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) Program. PSAC is composed of business leaders and experts across six main sectoral groups: Agriculture, Digital Infrastructur
Let’s turn the clock back some five years ago. In 2018, I was 40 pounds lighter and working part-time as a motoring contributor to help me through graduate school. This was also the year that I started my racing career. 2018 was also when the cars in this list were showroom fresh. Even without the “new car smell,” which is actually a combination of chemicals from the manufacturing process, these models still have plenty of life left in them. Indeed, five years is typically the time when most com
Whatever the reason, there are now more women who are spending a lot of time behind the wheel. In fact, women car buyers now account for nearly half of total car sales, according to industry estimates. This can be attributed to more women joining the workforce, starting their own businesses, increased purchasing power and other factors. As such, car manufacturers have even started to take into account what women drivers want. These include convenience features that drivers of all sexes will appr
And just like that, it’s already March! Thankfully (or maybe not thankfully), we still have those cool, crisp mornings with the searing-hot sun in between. In just a few months, the skies will open and the rain will pour. But what’s not cold and wet are the five hottest stories from February 20 to March 3, 2023. These are the ones that you enjoyed the most for this Sunday’s AutoFun Philippines Rearview Roundup. Je-what?! Another Chinese brand is coming to the Philippines – this time a subsidiary
The 2023 Toyota Wigo is a reasonably new hatchback to the segment; its seen launches across the ASEAN region, with each new version bringing something new. We have the likes of the Toyota Agya, a more basic version of the hatchback with more power, and the Perodua Axia, which retains its old 1.0-liter gasoline engine but is upgraded with better safety and more technology. While the new Toyota hatchback is a compelling vehicle, it is still unavailable in the Philippines. However, based on its spe
Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) celebrated its 60th anniversary in the country with a ceremony at its plant in Santa Rosa, Laguna. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation president and CEO Takao Kato also flew in to attend the event, expressing his gratitude to the Philippine government, MMPC employees and the brand’s 70 suppliers and 25 dealer groups for all the support extended to the company. “I’m very happy to celebrate MMPC’s 60th anniversary as well as witness its strong performance
The Philippine government is receptive to extending a program that provides billions of pesos in incentives to carmakers that produce vehicles locally. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation president and CEO Takao Kato said he met President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently and discussed extending the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) Program. “I think that the President is very positive,” he told reporters at the sidelines of Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation’s (MMPC) 60th-anniver
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is looking into putting up a new model assembly line in the Philippines, depending on government incentives. “They want to get into, probably, a new model assembly that they have not disclosed yet,” said Senior Trade Representative Dita Angara-Mathay in a February 17, 2023 report in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “So, that’s really contingent on our CARS Program,” she added. Angara-Mathay was referring to the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) Progr
The subcompact Mitsubishi Mirage may be a strong seller in the Philippines, but it’s saying “Sayonara” in its home country. Mitsubishi Motors announced on its Japanese website that it would no longer be producing the Mirage for the Japanese market. “Due to the end of production of the Mirage, we may not be able to meet the customer’s request for body color, options, etc.,” the Japanese carmaker said in a translated message. It remains unclear what would replace the Mirage in the Japanese market.
Toyota Raize
Honda Civic
Ford Territory
Toyota Rush
Suzuki Jimny