08 June 2012
The all-new Pilot is Honda's supersized SUV
Words and photos by Christopher Kho
Aren't Hondas supposed to be small, compact, and lightweight? Well, as we found out, there's one exception to the rule, and it’s here in the Philippines. Meet the all-new Pilot, Honda Cars Philippines Inc's (HCPI) latest supersized SUV.
At 4.8 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 1.8 meters tall, the Pilot is about 20% bigger and 30% heavier than the CR-V. Heck, it’s so big that we reckon a Jazz can fit inside it. But the upside is that it can carry 60% more passengers, bringing up the total seating capacity to eight. And yes, as hard as it is to believe, this SUV can indeed fit three average sized adults comfortably in the last row. As a matter of fact, Honda claims that it has the best interior and luggage space in its class, beating the Mazda CX-9 and Hyundai Veracruz. Plus, this heavyweight can also swallow as much as 1,000 liters of cargo with the seats upright, or double that with the rear seats down.
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Words and photos by Christopher Kho
The Odyssey began its journey in Japan as a minivan way back in 1994. Unfortunately, the model was not as well-received in North America as they had hoped. So, to better suit the bigger Americans, Honda created a separate lineage of Odyssey's for their larger lifestyles. And while it took Honda Cars Philippines Inc (HCPI) eighteen years to bring their flagship MPV into the country, the fourth generation of this eight-seater people carrier is more than ready to make it big in the Philippines.
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This weekend, watch out as Nissan Motor Philippines Inc. (NMPI) is brining a different kind of star to their dealerships. Roll out the red carpet for the new Grand Livina Highway Star.
This special edition Grand Livina is fitted with stylish upgrades from Nissan's performance subsidiary, Autech Japan. There's a new, more aggressive front fascia, featuring a chrome grill with three horizontal slats and a revised front bumper with integrated air splitters. And to make it shine in the limelight, they've fitted it with a sports side mirror cover with LED turning lamps, fog lamp chrome garnish, side skirts, rear skirt, and a roof spoiler. Of course, the look wouldn't be complete without its stylish new 15-inch alloy wheels with gunmetal accents.
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Words by Hans Gerald Chua | Photos courtesy of Toyota Motor Corporation
Three years since its last update, Toyota has finally revealed its new facelifted Estima, otherwise known as the Previa in other countries including the Philippines. And in those three years, its image has changed from an elegant MPV to a more aggressive and sportier-looking mini-van, making it a lot more attractive not just for soccer moms.
The new Estima has been given an updated front end with a lot of angular detailing on the bumper and grill that's so aggressive, it puts other sports coupes to shame. The V6 version even comes with huge air intake upfront that could swallow pedestrians whole. Its front headlights have been likewise reshaped to give it more attitude. However, the rear's sleek silhouette remains untouched, except for the addition of a rear spoiler.
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Words by Jose Carlo Roberto R. Sapera | Photos courtesy of Toyota Motor Corporation
Most car models today stay out in the market for a good five to six years before bowing down for the curtain call. And when an all-new model is about enter the scene as a replacement, teasers, spy photos, and design concepts appear to give us a hint of what's to come. Perhaps, one of the more notable cars that’s due for a full model change is the current generation Toyota Corolla Altis. So when Toyota Motor Corporation pulled the covers off their 11th generation Corolla Axio in Japan last week, it roused rumors of the next generation Altis would look like.
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Words by Niky Tamayo
For those lonely few who can realistically dream about buying a Ferrari FF, forget it. The Ferrari FF, launched just last week here at the Autostrada Motore Inc., the official Ferrari importer-distributor in the Philippines, has been sold. Yup. Just one of these Ferociously Fast beasts will be brought in by Ferrari this year, and it’s accounted for already, for an undisclosed, but presumably very tidy, sum.
It’s not surprising. This is a very unusual car. It’s Ferrari’s first four-wheel drive, and it’s a four-seater, to boot. It’s Fast, Furious, and Fantastic. Amusingly, since FF means “Ferrari Four”, its official name is “Ferrari Ferrari...”, which is twice as many as most owners get. And if you think I’ve run out of “F” words to throw at the car.
You’re probably right.
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Words by Jose Carlo Roberto R. Sapera | Photos by Christopher Kho
The BMW 3 Series has been around for 35 years now and is said to be the company's best-selling model since its launch. While domestic sales only began 19 years ago, it immediately commanded the biggest volume in all BMW models sold in the country. And now, just seven months after its world debut, Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, has finally officially launched its successor to the title, the all-new sixth generation 3 Series.
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Words by Jade Lu | Photos by Christopher Kho
Since pioneering the luxury SUV segment 14 years ago, Lexus has effortlessly maintained its position at the forefront of its class. In this light, the luxury automaker launched the new 2012 RX350 Luxury Crossover last May 8, 2012 at the Lexus Manila Showroom in Taguig.
The 2012 edition of the RX350 boasts a bolder but more refined frontal styling and showcases Lexus' new signature “Spindle” grill design that's also seen in the CT and GS. The headlamp clusters have been updated to incorporate halogen and High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights, complemented by LED Daytime Running Lights. This may sound a trifle flashy, but Lexus definitely kept it classy.
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