Friday, 04 January 2013 07:43
Honda builds new 1.6L i-DTEC diesel engine for the 2013 Civic
Words by Hans Gerald Chua | Photos courtesy of Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
In its commitment in preserving the environment, Honda unveils its newest 1.6L i-DTEC diesel engine. Designed from the ground up, the new block promises high performance, better fuel efficiency, and lower emissions. The Europeans should be feeling pretty lucky, as this new diesel engine will be resting under the hood of the Euro Civic come 2013, followed by the CR-V in the near future. While there are no hints that it will come our way anytime soon, it's still worth knowing what makes this new power block so good.
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News
Monday, 17 December 2012 10:14
Unioil now pumps EURODiesel IV in all stations nationwide
Words by Christopher Kho
It goes without saying that diesels are dirty (at least here in the Philippines, anyway). And yes, I'm referring to both the fuel and the engine. Okay, there are some newer cars out there that run on cleaner and newer diesel technology, but in reality, most of the ones that ply our roads don't. Our government, or more specifically the Climate Change Commission (CCC), actually has plans to rehabilitate some 500,000 PUVs that will reduce soot emissions by up to 80%, but that project will cost us P26 billion. So what if I tell you there's a way to get the same result without spending an extra penny? That's right, the answer is cleaner diesel fuel, and it's called EURODiesel IV from Unioil.
While the Department of Environment and Natural Resources's (DENR) mandate to use Euro IV fuel is still three years away, all Unioil stations nationwide now carry EURODiesel IV - the cleanest and most advanced diesel fuel in the country.
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News
Wednesday, 29 August 2012 06:59
Piaggio goes Ape; Offers cheapest diesel on the market
Words by Niky Tamayo | Photos by Christopher Kho
Perhaps one of the most unusual displays at the 4th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) is the Ape three-wheeler. It’s aptly named, as there is something monkey-ish about the thing. A product of Piaggio, the Ape was designed in Italy specifically for the Indian market. Being a Piaggio product, it obviously shares some architecture with the famed scooter line that spawned the Vespa, with a scooter front end mated to a robust swing axle rear. It’s available in a variety of forms, from dropside to closed van to auto-rickshaw. While most people wouldn’t get up in a blather over a motorcycle-based three-wheel delivery vehicle, given the ready availability of local and Chinese conversions, the APE has something these two-stroke wonders don’t: A diesel engine.
Maybe it’s not the most appealing of cars, with its cramped cabin and scooter-based controls. Rear swing axles won’t inspire confidence, either, for anyone familiar with old VW Beetles. But this is not a sports car. It’s a low speed urban delivery vehicle built specifically for business. And it costs less than a Segway.
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News
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
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
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 21:20
Hell freezes over, BMW releases M Performance Diesels (w/ video)
Words by Niky Tamayo | Photos courtesy of BMW Group
BMW's M Performance division has made a name for itself developing hardcore versions of its regular road cars. While Mercedes-Benz's similar AMG's are more like road-going locomotives, cars bearing the M badge have always had a reputation as razor-sharp race cars for the road. But in recent years, BMW's definition of M-cars has become somewhat more liberal.
Take the case of the BMW 1M Coupe, which was as hardcore as an M gets, but it had... gasp... turbochargers. And now, BMW is straying even further from the original M ethos with the M550d sedan, M550d touring, X5 M50d, and X6 M50d.
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Newly Launched
Thursday, 28 April 2011 06:40
PGA Cars serves up the Porsche Cayenne with Diesel
Words by Christopher Kho | Photos courtesy of PGA Cars Inc.
Just a month after it was launched at the Geneva Motor Show, PGA Cars Inc., the Philippine distributor of the Porsche brand, already have their hands on the latest Cayenne Diesel.
Offered locally with all-wheel-drive, the Cayenne will be powered by a 3.0 liter common-rail injection turbo diesel V6. With 240 hp and 550 Nm of torque in tap, it jumps from 0 to 100 km/h in a brisk 7.8 seconds and continues to accelerate until it reaches a top speed of 220 km/h. And contrary to its outstanding performance figures, the new Cayenne is actually 23 percent more fuel efficient than its predecessor and claims to achieve a mileage of 13.9 km/L, partially swayed by the new 8-speed Tiptronic-S automatic transmission.
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Newly Launched
Monday, 14 March 2011 17:54
Get a boost in performance with Petron Turbo Diesel
Petron Press Release
Petron, the country’s leading oil company, is making its mark as a fuel innovator with the introduction its specially formulated fuel, the new Petron Turbo Diesel.
A high-performance diesel designed to deliver that optimum driving experience, Petron Turbo Diesel contains a technologically-advanced cetane booster, resulting in a cetane number higher than other diesel fuels in the market. Technically speaking, Cetane number or 'CN' is a measurement of the combustion quality of diesel fuel during compression ignition. A high cetane number indicates that the diesel fuel has a shorter ignition delay from the start of injection to start of combustion. It causes lower rates of pressure rise and lower peak pressures, thus lessening combustion noise and vibration, resulting in increased efficiency. The cetane boosters in Petron Turbo Diesel ensure better ignition quality for quicker engine start-up, improved fuel economy and reduced exhaust emissions.
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News
