Words by Jose Carlo R. Sapera | Photos courtesy of Kia Motors Corporation
At this year’s Paris Motor Show, Kia puts their best foot forward when they debuted the all-new 2013 pro_cee'd. As the three-door version of the Kia cee'd hatchback, it's lower, sharper, and a lot sexier than its five-door counterpart that bowed in Geneva earlier this year.
The pro_cee'd isn't simply a chopped up cee'd. They've lowered the roofline by 40 mm, raised the shoulder line, and angled the rear windscreen to create the coupe-like shape. And to give it a bit more muscle, the rear fenders were widened and a spoiler was added to the rear. A set of 17-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels with low profile tires and twin exhausts completes the look. Of course, the pro_cee'd swanks Kia's signature tiger-nose grill like its siblings.
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08 October 2012
Volvo's 2013 V40 R-Design explores the wild side
Words by Hans Gerald Chua | Photos courtesy of Volvo Car Corporation
Back in the day, Volvo's were synonymous for making boring, bland soccer-mom station wagons, and was the equivalent of a petrol head’s kryptonite. Owning though one isn’t that bad, especially with its high safety standards and unprecedented reliability made. But in its efforts to capture the attention of a much younger audience, Volvo gave its newest five-door hatchback the R-Design treatment.
The new Volvo V40 R-Design, featured in a special Polestar Racing Rebel Blue shade, is fitted with an aerodynamically-sculpted front bumper and a metal-framed high gloss grill. The rear, on the other hand, gets an ironstone diffuser with more metal details, plus twin exhaust tailpipes to give it a sportier edge. Heck, they've even covered the side mirrors in a metal shell. Finally, you get an option of 17 or 18 inch five-spoke, diamond cut wheels to complement the V40 R-Design's aggression.
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05 October 2012
Paris 2012: The McLaren P1 packs big balls due to Tight Genes
Words by Carl Trocio | Photos courtesy of McLaren Automotive
Ever had those times when you meet a couple and thought what their kids would be like? It’s the same anticipation we had when McLaren gave the world a preview of the upcoming McLaren P1 at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. This vulgar display of car pornography gave us a peek of things to come from the loins of what used to be the ultimate super car, the McLaren F1.
But since only bits and pieces have been revealed about the entrails of the P1, we're left to dissect its little brother, the MP4-12C, to tickle our imagination and give a little “probably” to our “maybe’s.” To tickle out imagination, McLaren insiders threw a couple of bones… the biggest one being the MP4-12C.
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Words by Leo Lim | Photos by Christopher Kho
Judging by how quickly Filipinos took to the motorcycle mania, I personally think that we have the next big thing in affordable transportation coming to our shores. Known to some as Electric Scooters or simply as E-Bikes, these plug-in two-wheelers have been locally available as early as last year from importers selling China-made units. But there's a new player in town, and from the looks of it, they've got what it takes to change how we travel.
Terra Motors Corporation is Japan's number one electric scooter manufacturer and they're starting to set up shop here in the Philippines. And when they do, not only do they plan to sell their bikes through local dealerships, but invest on a local manufacturing facility as well.
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Words by Rico Soriano | Photos courtesy of Kia Motors Company
Making its official debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, the all-new fourth generation 2013 Kia Carens is now more than just your trendy MPV. As it boasts a very striking style, it's no longer a wallflower like its predecessor.
The face of the all-new Carens is highlighted by the signature tiger nose grill that's also found in other current Kias. But due to the MPV's sheer size and proportion, this execution looks a bit more aggressive. Complementing it is the headlights' upward stroke shape that sparkles like a supermodel’s eyes. In contrast, a more subtle design wraps the rear end to balance it all out.
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03 October 2012
Paris 2012: The 2013 Honda CR-Z is Renaissance Re-hashed
Words by Jade Lu | Photos courtesy of Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
It’s no surprise that Honda decided to develop a sport hybrid coupe, given that the Japanese automaker is known for the sportiness attached to its name. Th CR-Z made its debut as a concept way back at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show and as a production car three years later at the North American International Auto Show.
When it started out, the CR-Z was the brave new hybrid compact to veer away from traditional hybrid impressions by packaging itself as a “low, short, wide” parcel. But as environmental consciousness developed throughout the years, succeeding hybrid units from other automakers has downplayed the uniqueness of the CR-Z.
To stay ahead of the pack, Honda re-hashed its sport hybrid and came out with the new 2013 CR-Z, which made its official public debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show.
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Words by Jose Carlo R. Sapera | Photos by Mazda Motor Corporation
After breaking cover at the 2012 Moscow Motor Show in late August, the Hiroshima-based car manufacturer headed to the 2012 Paris Motor Show to mark the official public debut of the all-new 2014 Mazda 6 Wagon and its new SkyActiv-D engine.
Targeting the more eco-conscious European market, the 2.2L SkyActiv-D (“D” stands for diesel) generates 173 horses and complies with stricter EURO 6 emissions standards. This just proves that diesels too can be clean. Though fuel consumption figures aren’t out yet, we’re expecting it to be quite a bit more efficient than the 20 km/L we estimate from its gasoline counterpart.The 2.0 and 2.5 liter direct-injected gasoline SkyActiv-G engines, will also be available as an option with the all-new Mazda 6.
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02 October 2012
Jaguar Cars Philippines unleashes 500+ hp XKR-S
Words by Christopher Kho
As if the already-ballistic 503 hp XKR wasn't fast enough, Jaguar went all-out to make it even faster. With a little re-sculpting, a bit of tweaking, and quite a lot tinkering, they've created the 500+ horsepower XKR-S - Jaguar's quickest car in over a decade. And just last week, the exclusive Philippine distributor of the British luxury car brand, Jaguar Cars Inc., bared that their 300 km/h sportscar is now here, available in both coupe and convertible versions.
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