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Driven

2020 Kia Forte Turbo GT: Turbocharged Modern Sleeper

I was driving along the rain-soaked toll ways with the cruise control set at 100 km/h when I saw a white late-model pickup truck beginning to loom large in my rear view mirror. The pickup truck was obviously being driven way above the speed limit so I gave way and moved to the slower lane on the right. But the ...

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2020 Volkswagen Santana GTS: Rekindling Passion Responsibly

Most modern vehicles are designed to transport you from point A to point B safely, quietly, comfortably, and efficiently. There are some vehicles that can transport you the same way but with more luxury, more verve, or more passion. And then, there are vehicles that can transport you back in time. These are the ones that can bring the zing ...

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2020 Land Rover Defender 110 S P400 Explorer: Sneak Peek and Short Drive

I have to admit that I have very limited experience driving the iconic Land Rover. The first time I ever rode in one was when I was a grade school student in the 1970s. My uncle Nestor Razon would sometimes swing by our house in his old 1960-something Land Rover Series II service vehicle on his way to work and ...

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2020 Mercedes-Benz V220d Avantgarde: Songs For A Winsome Luxury Van

Buying a brand new car is always an exciting experience. You go through a plethora of choices – from sedans to crossovers to SUVs, pickup trucks and passenger vans – leaf through brochures or browse over online reviews, and then decide on a particular brand and a specific model. Once you’ve ascertained that you have the budget, you visit a ...

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2020 Chery Tiggo 5X Lux: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

The Chinese idiomatic phrase “Wo Hu Cang Long” translates to “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and refers to the undercurrents of emotion, passion, and secret desires that lie beneath the surface of polite society and civil behavior. The phrase comes from one of the works of the ancient Chinese poet Yu Xin that says, “behind the rock in the dark probably ...

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2020 Honda HR-V 1.8 RS Navi CVT: Orange-Glazed Subcompact Simplicity

In our review of the 2019 Honda Jazz 1.5 RS Navi CVT, I stated that I was a big fan of the Jazz because of its intelligent and functional design, its performance and handling capabilities, its fuel mileage, and of course, its affordable price. But, after driving Honda’s HR-V, I’m beginning to be a bit inclined towards subcompact crossover vehicles ...

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2020 Jaguar F-Pace 2.0d R-Sport: Getting Spoiled

My wife Shawie and I were daydreaming. We were planning to live a simple life even if we were able to generate a huge windfall from the new business we were creating. When we become successful in our new endeavor, the only extravagance that we vowed to allow ourselves to indulge in would be a new house, a reliable and ...

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2020 Range Rover Evoque D180 HSE R-Dynamic: Making a Big Statement

It was May 29, 2020, our last Friday under the government-imposed Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (M-ECQ). The government was about to implement General Community Quarantine (GCQ) and ease travel and work restrictions. Everybody was excited to have some semblance of normalcy back. On that day, my wife Shawie and I were excited for another reason – we were going to ...

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Vintage Electric Tracker: Classic Design Meets New Technology

The past decade alone has seen a lot of technological advancements when it comes to mobility or transportation. Electrification of vehicles is one thing — ditching the traditional petrol-guzzling engine in favor of a motor and packs of batteries. It has been transforming the automotive space since it offers power without the need to burn fuel. Using the same technology, ...

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2020 Qingling Isuzu Taga 4×4: Driving a Prototype

It’s not often that I get to test drive a prototype vehicle before it is introduced into the Philippine market. The two times I had the chance to do so was in 2002-2003 when I helped evaluate and promote the Yamaha Nouvo and Mio, and in 2005-2006 when I rode the to-be-introduced Yamaha Sniper 135, which I rode for almost ...

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