I was able to “overrule” my husband, Lester, when Foton Motor Philippines (FMP) lent us the Foton Tunland V7 for a weeklong test drive in April 2025. I reasoned that it was time to show that women (like me) can drive large full-size pickup trucks around our crowded metropolis just as easily as men. I had a great deal of fun ...

A little over a week after Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) introduced the upgraded Mitsubishi Xpander model lineup on August 29, 2025, I found myself behind the wheel of a 2026 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross, the very same model displayed during the launch at the SM Mall of Asia, for a week-long test drive. Some of my colleagues in the motoring ...

When Li Auto Philippines took us for a Media Drive in August from the Li Auto BGC showroom to Calatagan, Batangas for a relaxing overnight stay at the Nawa Wellness Resort, they designed the drive to pamper us, the motoring media participants, to the point of being spoiled. All throughout the drive, we were chauffeured in three luxurious Li Auto ...

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), the renowned artist, painter, draftsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect during the High Renaissance once opined that “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. These words came to mind when we had the 2025 Suzuki Jimny 5-door GLX for a week-long test drive. In this age where vehicles are becoming more complicated and complex to comply with ...

It may be just my luck but there’s almost always a storm or a typhoon on my landmark birthday. On my 10th birthday, I cried because strong rains and floods prevented us from going to a department store to buy a toy car that my parents promised as my birthday gift. I recalled this childhood disappointment when two typhoons, Crising ...

BYD is short for BYD Auto Company, Ltd. of China, a car brand that manufactures battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which are now collectively known as New Energy Vehicles (NEVs). BYD is also the abbreviation of the phrase “Build Your Dreams”, which is the foundation of the car brand’s visual identity. From 2020 to 2024, BYD ...

Launched in 1958, Hongqi, which means “red flag” in Chinese, is the oldest automotive brand in China. The original Hongqi cars were luxury vehicles that were reserved for the use of foreign dignitaries, high-ranking government officials, and the ruling party elite. Their very first model was the Hongqi CA72, a full-sized sedan based on a 1955 Chrysler and equipped with ...

The Filipino’s love affair with sport utility vehicles (SUVs) actually and truly started when Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) launched their Mitsubishi Pajero 5-door high-roof wagon more around 40 years ago. It was the middle of the “go-go” 1980s when businesses were making a fortune and large vehicles were the ultimate status symbol. Movie stars, celebrities, and popular athletes, such ...

GAC Motor Philippines, the subsidiary car brand of Astara Philippines, has taken great strides in promoting the brand, such as establishing multiple dealerships around the country and getting popular actor Dingdong Dantes as their brand ambassador. They have also taken great lengths for people to pronounce the brand name correctly. For those who don’t really know, GAC stands for Guangzhou ...

It’s always great to see old friends and former colleagues during motor shows. At the GAC Motor display pavilion during the 2025 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) in particular, I saw Ryan Bermudez, who’s now the Sales Director of Astara Philippines, the distributor of GAC, among other car brands. “It’s been a while”, he greeted as I approached him after ...