The Amazing (Fuel-Sipping) Race: Putting the Peugeot 3008 Through its Paces

Photos by Eurobrands Distributor, Inc. Press

Fuel economy runs have become fairly common for us in the motoring beat. Name every conceivable iteration from city to long-distance, track to off-road; I’ve done it most likely. But that doesn’t stop car manufacturers from using fuel-economy runs to measure the merit of their cars, especially if it’s boasting great levels of frugality. Peugeot, with the 3008, is the latest one to join the fray with an Alabang-Batangas City and back fuel economy fun run.
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The Winning Drive: Subaru XV SubURBAN DRIVE in Cebu

Photos by Ulysses Ang

After conquering the mountainous roads surrounding Sagada earlier this year with the all-new Forester, Subaru’s Philippine importer and distributor, Motor Image Pilipinas, decided to take on a very different challenge: the Subaru XV Suburban Drive. Ultimately, it has one goal: to prove that the XV is the perfect urban crossover. Cebu, the Philippines’s oldest city and a favorite vacation destination, played host to the first leg of the three-leg drive that saw a handful of Manila-based motoring journalists join several Cebu-based ones in driving the popular XV through the city’s various tourists spots.
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A Different Kind of Test Drive: Testing Out Petron Blaze 100 Euro 4

The normal or typical test drive for me involves getting a car from a manufacturer and putting it through its paces for a couple of days. Last week though, Petron Corporation offered a unique test drive—one that involved my own car, but with one slight change: a full tank of Petron Blaze 100 Euro 4.
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Black is the New Green: Bridgestone Launches New Generation Ecopia Tires

Photos by Ulysses Ang

BANGKOK, THAILAND—Today, every carmaker has weighed in on technology which aims to make their automobiles greener. Almost every aspect of a vehicle—from its aerodynamics to its engine, transmission, and even suspension have all been meticulously engineered to extract a couple more extra kilometers out of every drop of fuel. Now, one of the most important, yet neglected parts in a vehicle, the tires, is getting a “green” makeover courtesy of the new-generation Ecopia tires from Bridgestone.
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First Drive: 2013 Mazda CX-5 AWD Sport and Mazda6

They say it’s all about the journey rather than the destination; especially when you’re heading to a more familiar place like Baguio. A trip to the Philippines’s Summer Capital is dime-a-dozen these days and often times, it can be taken on a whim with family and friends. Thus, the only differentiating factor is the drive, and by golly, you need a damn good car to stand out. And on this occasion, prayers to the automotive gods were answered in the form of the new Mazda CX-5 AWD Sport and the Mazda6 sports sedan.
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End of Summer: The Ford Focus Summer Fun Drive in Bohol

Photos by Ulysses Ang

Summer, with its highly predictable weather, is always the best time for a road trip with friends. And all it takes for the perfect getaway is two key ingredients: a great destination and an equally great car to match. Once these ingredients blend together, you’ve got a recipe for fun, “Summer Fun” to be exact. Just a couple of days ago, Ford flew a bunch of summer-wary motoring journalists down to Bohol to get their final dose of the summer sun.
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Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: Toyota Road Trek 9 Takes on Clark and Palawan

Photos by Ulysses Ang

The soft orange hue of the mid-summer sunrise greeted me as I drove into Toyota Global City—the flagship dealer that carries the new bolder and younger brand identity standard. As a Road Trek novice, I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this ninth outing (the previous ones had everything from mental to driving to even physical challenges) except save for two clues: the outline of a track curb on the invitation as well as the words, “Clark and Palawan: Reloaded”. Perhaps it could mean an Amazing Race-style winner-takes-all challenge or perhaps it could mean a date with the Clark International Speedway? Whatever it may be, I stepped down from my car, took a deep breath, and waited for the briefing to begin.
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Conquering the Final Frontier: Kia True North Takes on Batanes

Photos by Ulysses Ang

They say it can’t be done: a ride and drive event in the Philippines’s northern most point: Batanes. It certainly sounds like a challenge, a challenge that Columbian Autocar Corporation, the country’s exclusive distributor of Kia vehicles, happily accepted. Consider this: the weather in Batanes is unpredictable at best, being the only place in the country to experience four seasons. Then, Batanes is the entry or exit points of typhoons, so careful planning is needed to ensure everyone’s safety. Finally, the logistics of mounting such an event is daunting: it required 10 Kia vehicles from a Picanto to an Optima Hybrid to be shipped as cargo (there’s no Ro-Ro or Roll On, Roll Off in Batanes) from Sual, Pangasinan for 32 hours before unloading them one by one by crane with nothing more than a thick piece of foam separating the delicate metal body from the rusty steel chains.
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Subaru ForesterDRIVE: The Video

How did the all-new Subaru Forester do in the recently concluded ForesterDRIVE to Sagada? See it for yourself and hear it straight from the journalists who were there to drive Subaru's all-new crossover. Witness the all-new Forester tackle different terrain from the smooth highway roads of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) to off-roading in the lahar trails of Porac, Pampanga to the long drives going up to Baguio and Sagada itself.

Video courtesy of Ardie Lopez