As the Inquirer is celebrating its 28th anniversary this month, my editor discovered that I’ve been writing for the Inquirer Motoring section for 27 years. So at the risk of revealing my true age (I can…
Nowadays, pickup trucks are no longer workhorses used only in farming, construction and other outdoor industries. Modern pickups have become a lifestyle statement for urban dwellers who dare to be different from the hoi polloi driving passenger…
Not many Filipinos are familiar with French cars, what with the market being saturated with Japanese, German, American and Korean brands plus a few Italian (Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini), British (Jaguar, Land Rover, MINI Cooper, Bentley, Rolls Royce)…
First, it was Ford Motor Co. that shut down its assembly plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, at year’s end, 2012. Now, rumors are rife that Nissan Motor Philippines, which is merging with Nissan light commercial vehicles…
Last year, when I wrote about the 2-liter, 162-HP Mazda CX-5 (“SkyActiv Technology sets Mazda CX-5 apart,” Motoring, 8/15/12), I noted that “while the CX-5 weighs less than its competitors, its horsepower rating is also lower than…
When the Volkswagen brand was launched last weekend with a festive public display of its cars at Ayala Corp.’s Greenbelt Makati stomping grounds, the theme was “The Time is Now.” Europe’s biggest automaker (12 car brands,…
While the S-Class is globally recognized as the flagship of Mercedes-Benz, the E-Class is the Stuttgart-based manufacturer’s core product and most important car in terms of profits generated and derivatives spanned.…
A global success story, the BMW 5 Series model line has sold over 6.5 million units worldwide since its launch in 1972. In Asian countries including the Philippines, BMW has been the top-selling luxury car brand for…
After a short, unsuccessful venture into the Philippines in 2005, the major French automaker Peugeot returned in 2012 under the aegis of the Columbian Group of Companies. Founded by chair emeritus Jose Ch. Alvarez, the Columbian Group…
Lately, Ford and Mitsubishi advertisements in Metro Manila broadsheets have been trumpeting the fantastic fuel economy of the 1.6-liter Focus and the 1.6-liter Lancer: 19.07 kilometers per liter touted for the Focus and 19.8 kpl for the…
