Wednesday, 28 November 2012 08:54
Chevrolet's refreshed 2013 Cruze comes out in the limelight
Words by Jose Carlo R. Sapera | Photos courtesy of GM Korea Company
It was three years ago when Chevrolet first debuted what was then the all-new Cruze. Since then, it has sold more than a million copies worldwide and earned itself several awards, including the prestigious title of 2010 - 2011 Car of the Year Philippines (COTY-P). But now, this compact has reached the right time for a mid-life refresh and we've already seen the new 2013 Cruze crop up in Malaysia and South Korea.
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Newly Launched
Tuesday, 26 June 2012 05:36
American Diesels: Ford Focus TDCi vs Chevrolet Cruze VCDi
Words and photos by Niky Tamayo
From observation, diesel-powered cars don’t sell as well here in the Philippines. While budget-conscious Filipinos love diesel SUVs, vans, and pick-up trucks, diesel cars often get the cold shoulder. Perhaps it’s simply because we’ve never really had hero diesel cars to look up to. When people think of a diesel SUV, it’s pretty easy to conjure up images of Land Cruisers and Patrols conquering the far flung jungles of the world. But for a diesel car, it’s usually a smoke-belching Isuzu Gemini or a dinky Hyundai Accent taxi weaving erratically through traffic that come to mind. Neither of which is as sexy as a big, burly SUV.
The great diesel cars have invariably all been German, with a price tag several times what most people would pay for a simple driving appliance. But the times are changing. Years ago, it would’ve been hard to imagine a car capable of both 20 km/l fuel economy and a 200+ km/h top speed, let alone one priced within reach of most middle class buyers. Today, we have two and, surprisingly, they’re both from America, the land of high-octane muscle cars. Roll out the Ford Focus TDCi and the Chevrolet Cruze VCDi.
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Comparo
Friday, 27 April 2012 08:04
Beat the heat this summer with Chevy's 10% downpayment offer with the Spark and Cruze
Is the summer heat burning a hole in your pocket? Well, The Covenant Car Company Inc. (TCCCI), Chevrolet's exclusive importer and distributor in the country, is offering a way to beat the heat with their coolest deal yet. This summer, drive home a brand-new Chevrolet Cruze or Spark with their very low 10% downpayment offer.
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Contest and Promos
Thursday, 29 March 2012 02:51
A better Cruze? | 2011 Chevrolet Cruze 2.0 VDCi AT
Words by Andre Palma | Photos by Niky Tamayo and Christopher Kho
Much has been said about the Chevrolet Cruze. Not surprising, owing to the fact that this is a car that has to live up to every inch of its plural, ‘world car’ status. Built to respond to the needs of every market, this is a car that finally brought Chevy out of the dark ages of solely relying on rebranding to get products to fill out gaps in its automotive line-up. The current Cruze is now built on a global platform designed by GM, branded and kitted to regional and country-specific needs - a surer formula for market acceptance. And now that there's a diesel version thrown in the mix, can it really make a better Cruze?
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Compact
Friday, 03 February 2012 20:33
Chevrolet Philippines sparkles with 36.4% growth in 2011; Colorado and Sonic coming soon
Only on its 2nd year of operation, The Covenant Car Company Inc. (TCCCI), otherwise known as Chevrolet Philippines to you and me, has already recorded an impressive 36.4% year-on-year sales growth by selling 2,763 units in 2011. With sales largely driven by their lovable Spark and the 2010 - 2011 Car of the Year Philippines (COTY-P), the Cruze, Chevrolet is looking forward to yet another great year as they launch the all-new Colorado and Sonic in 2012.
Aside from the fresh addtions to their line-up, TCCCI has also signed to open five (5) new dealerships in key areas in the country: Chevrolet Greenhills-EDSA, Chevrolet North-EDSA, Chevrolet Otis-Manila, Chevrolet Cebu, Chevrolet Tacloban, and soon to open Chevolet Cagayan de Oro. On top of that, four (4) additional dealerships are scheduled to open its doors to eager customers within the year - making it easier for anyone to join the “Love this Chevy” bandwagon. And ranked as the No. 1 car brand in J.D. Power's after-sales service study in the Philippines, owning a Chevrolet is now guaranteed to come with a lifetime's worth of satisfaction, not to mention 5-years of worry-free ownership with the included warranty.
Published in
Industry Update
Friday, 27 January 2012 08:45
Cruze emerges as Chevrolet's best-selling marque; GM back as world's No.1
Words by Christopher Kho
One would remember that just a few years ago, GM was in deep water and needed to file for bankruptcy protection in 2009 just to survive. But all that has changed after selling 9,025,942 vehicles in 2011, putting GM back as the world's largest automaker - a title it lost in 2007 to Toyota. And helping the company on its way to the top is the Chevrolet Cruze, which sold more than 670,000 examples globally last year and accounting to more than 1.13 million sold since the model was launched in 2009.
GM's subsidiary, Chevrolet, also posted its best global sales record with 4.76 million vehicles sold, driven by the strong performance of cars such as the Spark, Sonic (Aveo), Malibu, Orlando, and Colorado. Topping the bow-tie brand's chart is the U.S. with total vehicle sales reaching 1,775,812 - a 13% increase from 2010 - while China's fast-growing market is catching up with 595,068 units. Other significant year-over-year increases include Vietnam (79%), Russia (49%), Turkey (30%), and Germany (21%).
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Industry Update
Friday, 25 November 2011 08:20
Yvan Muller takes the Cruze to the 2011 WTCC Championship
Photos courtesy of Chevrolet Europe
With the 2011 WTCC manufacturer's title in the bag, it was left to Chevrolet's top two drivers to duel it out for the driver’s championship. Yvan Muller went to the historic street circuit of Macau with a mere 20-point lead over teammate Rob Huff. And with a total of 50 points up for grabs over the weekend, this would prove to be a fight to the finish in the WTCC's season finale.
In a fierce battle, Huff kept the charging two-time WTCC champion at bay to win both races. Starting from pole in race one, Huff tried to pull away from the aggressive Muller, but was unable to shake off the Frenchman, who stuck by his bumper until the chequered flag. In race two, Huff hustled to the lead from P3, while Muller, who started from P8, managed to sneak past up to P3 to keep his championship hopes alive.
Published in
Motorsports
Monday, 07 November 2011 15:19
A million Cruze's for Chevrolet's 100th birthday
Words by Jose Carlo R. Sapera
Chevrolet is surely popping out the champagne and confetti as it marks its centennial in the car industry this 2011. And to make this celebration even more spectacular, the bowtie brand made recent history with the 1 millionth sale of the Cruze.
Launched just two years ago, the Cruze is noted for its popularity across the globe and has been a hit in markets including China, Russia, India, Canada and other such countries. As a testament to its acclaim, the Chevrolet Cruze bagged the 2010 - 2011 Car of the Year Philippines (COTY-P) award, besting 51 entries from different categories.
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Industry Update
Friday, 21 October 2011 12:11
COTY 2011 - 2012 Test Fest Day 6: The last hurrah
Words and photos by Christopher Kho
We have finally reached the last episode of this year's Car of the Year Philippines (COTY-P) qualitative tests. The weekend's roster included a Foton MPX 12-seater, Volvo S60 T4 and T5, and a diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze. Having a short list of four contenders for the day of testing wasn’t half bad considering the impending traffic we expected from the nearby malls’ three-day sales.
As one might remember, the Cruze still is the reigning Car of the Year, so it would be quite interesting how it fairs with a new engine. But that's not the only car that stood out during last Sunday's test. The Foton MPX, for the record, was also a category winner in last year's COTY race in the Van and MPV category. Unfortunately, as a lone entry in the category this year, it might not take home any accolades. Nevertheless, we were quite impressed how much it has improved in just a year's time. The Volvo S60 too makes its come back in COTY. This time around, the S60 is armed with smaller 1.6L turbo and 2.0L turbo engines. As it missed out on a category win by a whisker last year, we're all hoping that the sexy S60 finally gets some recognition.
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Car of the Year
Wednesday, 14 September 2011 10:06
Chevrolet sparkles in the Philippines with a 26.9% growth
Chevrolet Philippines hits a growth spurt as it records an impressive 26.9% sales increase in August 2011 Y-T-D versus the same period last year. The bow tie brand's strong performance is attributed to the star-studded Spark which found its way into 116 new owners in August and swelled the month's sales by 53%. With this achievement and the “Car of the Year Philippines 2010-2011” for the Cruze now in the books, The Covenant Car Company Inc. (TCCCI), Chevrolet's exclusive distributor in the country, is surely on a winning streak.
Barely into its 2nd year of operation, TCCCI is already broadening its dealership and after-sales network with an additional five new dealerships before the yearend. This month alone, Chevrolet Greenhills-EDSA (showroom and service), Chevrolet North-EDSA (showroom and service), and Chevrolet Otis-Manila (showroom) will open its doors to awaiting customers. Chevrolet Cebu, on the other hand, is preparing to move to a larger showroom and workshop within the next few months with Genesis Motor Corporation as its new partner.
Published in
Industry Update
