Subaru Pleo Mk.II

Rewind back to the date October 1998, and if you remember the kei car which is the successor to the Subaru Vivio, known as the Pleo, then how will you explain the outdated 11-year old kei car? Because of the outdated Pleo disappeared since December, and the partnership between Fuji Heavy Industries and Toyota Group, the Pleo name was reborn. Only this time, taken from the form of the seventh-generation Daihatsu Mira (known in other countries as the Cuore or Charade), which gives the newborn kei car some taste and flair suitable for the young, fashionable Japanese women.

Along with the recently launched, Daihatsu Tanto Exe-based Lucra, the new Pleo comes in two distinctive flavors: the regular Pleo targeted for the simple female drivers and the stylish Pleo Custom with the premium taste bold women wanted. The regular Pleo boasts overall cuteness that women always wanted to purchase this car for its looks. The Pleo Custom boasts overall karen-ness (Note: Karen is beautiful in Japanese) giving the term "a kei car with the look and feel of a luxury car" and customers love to buy this Custom variant for its sporty and luxurious features.

The interior of the new Pleo boasts overall comfort and luxury that only a kei car could take this comfort for granted. With the foldable rear seats, women can take advantage of this feature for placing several shopping bags after a long, stressful shopping trip to the mall. For the peace of mind, the new Pleo has a list of features such as the reinforced body, airbags, vehicle theft immobilizer, and anti-lock braking system. When performance is an issue, the new Pleo comes with either a KF-VE engine that delivers 58PS of power and the fuel economy of 21.0-24.5km/L or the KF-DET turbo engine that triggers 64PS of power and the fuel economy of 19.0km/L. It comes with either a 5-speed manual transmission or a CVT, depending on the variant you are.

My thoughts about the Pleo:
When the original Pleo disappeared four months ago, it is not surprising that the Pleo will return, only this time, as an OEM of the Daihatsu Mira. Is it a Coincidence or just a truth? You might just figure it out when you step inside the new age Pleo, in regular and custom flavors. Try it and you will decide how the new Pleo affect its audience impact for its style, packaging, quality, and performance. With the partnership between Fuji Heavy Industries and Toyota Group, the Pleo was another one of the Subaru OEMs since the Toyota bB-Daihatsu Coo-based Dex, Atrai Wagon-based Dias Wagon, and the latest Daihatsu Tanto Exe-based Lucra.

Photo: Fuji Heavy Industries

Subaru Lucra

Since December 24, Daihatsu launched the newest kei car that slots from the Tanto and the Tanto Custom kei car, known as the Tanto Exe and the Tanto Exe Custom. With the partnership between Toyota Group and Fuji Heavy Industries (also working for the "Toyobaru FT-86" projects), Subaru uncovered their own Daihatsu Tanto Exe, known as the Lucra.

When Subaru decided to stop making kei cars that dates back the Vivio, Pleo, R1, and the R2, they decided to source it out from Daihatsu, which of course a part of the Toyota Group, because of the deal that they would work together for their upcoming projects. Starting from the Toyota bB-Daihatsu Coo-based Dex, the alliance was formed between them.

Now, on the Lucra, you may recognize that this is the OEM of the Daihatsu Tanto Exe. How Subarists will find the Lucra very intriguing that why a Daihatsu-built kei car would was Subaru-badged. Despite the badging, the Lucra possesses different qualities that can also be found on the Tanto Exe:

- Two different styles to choose from; the original for cuteness and the Custom for sportiness

- Amazing seating arrangements that matches different situations

- 21.5km/L on most variants and 19.0km/L on the Lucra Custom RS variant

- Illumination accessory from the top and bottom

- Spacious interior

- Choice of audio and navigation systems available

- Available Momo steering wheel on the Lucra Custom RS variant

- Smart key entry with immobilizer

- Continuously Variable Transmission

- Anti-lock braking system

- Approved for Japan's eco car tax-break laws

My thoughts about the Lucra:

As an OEM of the Daihatsu Tanto Exe, the Lucra continues the strong bond between Toyota Group and Fuji Heavy Industries ever since the Dex, the Dias Wagon, and now the second-generation Pleo. (This is now Mira-based) With the regular, Lucra targeted for the practical customers and the Lucra Custom targeted for the hardcore kei car customers, both of these Lucras will have one giant leap for the car industry, despite its small size. Can the Lucra really replace the Stella because of their identical sizes? We are not sure, but try the Lucra and judge.

Photo: Fuji Heavy Industries

Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker OST

With the Peace Walker's launch date is on the end of April, and June for the U.S. and European markets, Konami has pleased to announced that the original soundtrack of this game is finally arrived and it gives them the first listen of the game's background music, courtesy of Akihiro Honda and the others. Complete with 28 heart-pounding tracks, you can rest assured that you and your friends can co-op in to this OST, warming yourselves up before the real deal arrives. Aside from the game BGMs, the theme song "Heaven's Divide" by Donna Burke and the bonus track "Koi no Yokushi Ryoku" by Nana Mizuki (found also on the maxi single CD) also added on this OST!

Track Listings:
1. METAL GEAR SOLID PEACE WALKER Main Theme
2. Heavens Divide (sung by Donna Burke)
3. Rain of Bane
4. Marshland
5. Clients
6. Heavy Arms
7. The Spear
8. Fearless
9. Tank Corps
10. Little Brother
11. Highland
12. Cold Principle
13. PUPA
14. Hide-out
15. Air Strike
16. Entry Gate
17. CHRYSALIS
18. COCOON
19. Mother Base
20. Dead Ahead
21. Facility
22. Take Down
23. Boot Sequence
24. Peace Walker
25. Outer Heaven
26. Uninterrupted Signal
27. Zero Allies!
28. Koi No Yokushi Ryoku (sung by Nana Mizuki, the Japanese CV of Paz Ortega Andrade)

All tracks will warm yourselves up before Peace Walker arrives in April (Japanese version) and June (English version) respectively!

Remember the tagline: SAY PEACE!

Super Junior's Super Girl song gets the Lokomoko treatment?

Episode Two of Lokomoko U (the third installment of the Lokomoko series on TV5), throws me just decent ROFLs. From the nightclub gags, another Talentadong Family sketch episode, another Tuesday and Monday episode, only this time Monday (played by Rainier) dressed as a traffic aide, a sketch about how to clean the TV (at the beginning of the sketch, we see those two men watching last week's Lokomoko U's LBM take on Girls Generation's Oh song), and at the end of Lokomoko U, a spoof of Super Junior's Super Girl song came out in the open?!

Yes, it is another one of K-Pop songs getting the "Lokomoko treatment" since Lokomoko High did to 2NE1's Fire and I Don't Care, and Super Junior's Sorry Sorry, Sorry Sorry Answer, and It's You. K-Pop songs with twisted lyrics.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta -New-

Alfa Romeo marks the return of the legendary Giulietta name (produced in the 1950's and ended in the 60's, resurrected in the '70s, but terminated again in the 80's) and this time, it is not a sedan, a coupe, or a convertible like how their grandparents remembered. The new Giulietta is now a 5-door hatchback, dedicated to terminate other competitive hatchbacks such as the Opel Astra, Volkswagen Golf, and the Renault Megane.

2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta

Replacing the decade-old Alfa 147 was a hard thing to do for the new Giulietta, but resurrecting a "more than 5-decade-old name" was essentially a manly act to follow for Alfa Romeo. Previously known as the Milano from the spy shots, the new Giulietta is a light shining in the light for hatchback lovers from across the European continent. With the exterior posing Alfa Romeo's new design language found at the 8C super sports car, and the MiTo compact, the Giulietta was the hatchback made as a "reward of the goddess.” When a customer peeks at the new Giulietta's side, it confuses them by thinking it is a 3-door hatchback, but honestly, this is a 5-door hatchback. It is because of the secret rear doors (seen on the GM Daewoo Matiz Creative and the upcoming Nissan Juke crossover) equipped as a surprise.

2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta

The Giulietta's interior is packed with the race-inspired cockpit that gives drivers an edge-of-the-seat fun that feels like they are racing the streets in the racecar, which in reality, they were seating on a normal production car.

2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta interior

There are several engines to choose from to give the Giulietta some chances to brink into the roads, ranging from the entry-level 1.4 TB, 1.6L MultiJet diesel, 2.0L MultiJet diesel, 1.4 TB MultiAir, and the high-end 1750 TBi (available only at the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde). With these engines available as of press time, you can rest assured that finding which engine suitable for the Giuletta is a tough-but-easy act to follow.

With Vehicle Dynamics Control, Dynamic Steering Torque, electronic differential, and the Alfa DNA selector added, the Giulietta is built for safety and performance enhancing purposes. Once more, it strives to obtain a 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP, meaning only the safest Italian ride is definitely the smartest.

My thoughts about the Giulietta:
Alfa Romeo, if you were back in our Philippine fleet, one of us can try your seductive power of the Giulietta. If I meant to say this phrase, maybe Filipinos like us to wish that Alfa Romeo will return to our shores with a new distributor so we can try this awesome hatchback on the streets of EDSA. Despite all this, the legendary Giuletta name makes a comeback in hatchback form, and most rivals will be unhappy to see the new Giulietta in action. Will the Giulietta become the next big thing for Alfa Romeo?

[STILL] Still more bad case of Toyota's mass recall

While Toyota is going 2012-like or Armageddon-like, there is something that this Japanese automaker still meeting its end of the drivers' lives (from the mass hybrid recalls, unintended speeding acceleration, some blame-it-to-the-cosmic-rays, and more suffering from the world's top automaker).

I found something on the news that the U.S. version of the recent Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, known as the Lexus GX, met its poor conditions, according to North America's Consumer Reports.

Wonder how U.S. Toyota/Lexus dealers decided not to sell the new GX. Maybe the case of SUV rolling cause that makes the GX avoided by consumers until further notice. 

Because of its weight, SUVs tend to rollover because irresponsible drivers think they can drift their SUVs on sharp turns, but no...

YOU CAN'T DRIFT YOUR HEAVY SUV!

Trust everyone. All SUV aficionados need to learn how to drive a SUV effectively without a bad case of rollover and other accidents, especially owners of the new Prado.

Oh, and Korean Toyota owners also suffering from the mass recalls.

Imagine if I was driving a Toyota, then the accelerator was stuck, I'm gonna open its sunroof, open my Fulton recovery system, and whoosh! I'm getting out of the near-accident Toyota! (Note: I put Fulton recovery system on the blog, because in Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, you can recruit knocked-downed but breathing troops with the use of Fulton recovery system. Use it and whoosh!)

Compare Peace Walker to Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

While we wait for Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker to arrive in Asia this April 29, US in June 8, Europe in June 17, and U.K. in June 18, we found some alternative co-op game others want to recommend it to others...

Capcom's Monster Hunter: Freedom Unite (日本名：モンスターハンターポータブル2nd G) for the PSP allows players work together as a team and use an array of weapons to take down monstrous foes. Of course, this game allows you to play by yourself or play with a friend.

Now what happens when two worlds collide?

Since April 7, the day when the final specs of MGSPW were released, Konami teamed up with Capcom (famous for Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Mega Man, and Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney games) to see how Peace Walker is better than Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. Of course, playing yourself or with a friend is much more exciting to take down giant monsters with your MGS weapons.

(Geez, better buy this Monster Hunter game and see how solo or co-op is best works for me)

My comment: One word which makes Peace Walker and MH: Freedom Unite have in common: cooperation. Team work pays off.