The weather has been funny this past week. Although the smog (supposedly a tantalizing cocktail of volcanic ash and vehicle emissions) seems to have subsided somewhat, each day mixes searing heat with pouring rain. Assuming none of you have gotten a cold by now, here are your five favorite stories from September 25 to October 1, 2023. This is the AutoFun Philippines Rearview Roundup! Chery’s EV trio From being the whipping boy of Chinese car hate locally, Chery Auto Philippines has now become on

GAC Philippines is on a roll as the brand is celebrating its 7-month streak of record sales performance. The brand achieved an impressive 276% year-over-year growth in sales as it managed to sell over 825 units during this period. Franz Decloedt, marketing director of Astara Philippines, announced its recent sales success at the GAC Discovery Drive Fest, a three-day mall display and customer test drive event at the Glorietta 2, Ayala Center, Makati City. The special event will only last until Au

Following the unveiling of the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro mild-hybrid on June 2023, another electrified crossover will join the Chinese carmaker’s lineup Chery Auto Philippines announced in a July 2023 press statement that the first batch of the subcompact Chery Tiggo 5x Pro, which will also feature a mild-hybrid powertrain, has arrived in the Philippines. The Tiggo 5x Pro Hybrid and Tiggo 7 Pro Hybrid, which were both showcased at the 2023 Manila International Auto Show, are expected to officially launc

The best-selling car in 2022 was the Toyota RAV4, with a total of 1,016,000 units sold worldwide. But if current trends continue, another crossover may take the top spot by the end of the year. On top of that, this new challenger is made in America, Germany, and China and uses absolutely no fossil fuels. The Tesla Model Y electric vehicle (EV) was the best-selling car from January to March 2023, according to a May 2023 Motor1 report that used data from global automotive market research firm JATO

Disclaimer: Jetour Auto Philippines paid for my airfare, transportation and accommodation for a week-long trip with other media practitioners to China, including a visit to Auto Shanghai 2023. Everybody in the Philippines is familiar with the Chery QQ from the mid to late 2000s. The dinky urban hatchback became the symbol of everything that was wrong with China-made cars. With shabby workmanship, questionable aftersales (if there were any) and non-existent warranties, the QQ was China’s first ma

Long before its recent launch, the 2022 Subaru WRX was much awaited by car enthusiasts, especially race car drivers, who were looking forward to a better and bolder sport compact car. The WRX draws its inspiration from when Subaru joined and won the World Rallying Championship manufacturer's trophies from 1995 to 1997, along with the driver's championships in 1995, 2001, and 2003. Indeed, it has several attributes that make it one of the most sought-after high-performance cars. Its specification