And Cruze CRDi has landed...

2011 GM Korea Chevrolet Cruze

What a stroke of luck for those who are waiting for the diesel-fed Cruze to arrive in the Philippines for a long time. It seems that TCCCI has finally launched the Chevrolet Cruze 2.0L Diesel variant and this is what we've been waiting for!

Scoop:

http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/and-now-the-diesel-cruze-is-finally-officially-in-the-philippines

Lucky for you, GM Korea sold this variant and we happy to see the Korean-made Cruze come equipped with this diesel engine, packed with 150 PS of power output (eh? the Korean-spec Cruze Diesel packs about 163 PS of power) and it's mated with a six-speed AT.

Pricing starts to a modest 1,288,000 Philippine Pesos, which is a not bad pricing, and best to hurry up because of its limited availability. First come first serve!!!

Sportage R GDi Turbo!

2012 Kia Sportage R T-GDi

Kia's smart crossover, the Sportage R, received the much awaited GDi turbo variant for the South Korean market. This is some kind of an aggressive expansion to its lineup.

Scoop:

http://www.megaauto.com/newcar/carinfo_body.php3?carinfoid=46578&family_id=icomes&menu_id=472&val=&Nstep=2&beforeyear=&frame_id=5&frame_url=list/drive.php3?id=53420

About that, the Sportage R GDi Turbo is packed with the turbocharged Theta II 2.0-litre Gasoline Direct Injection engine. This turbocharged GDi engine packs up to about 261 horsepower and the fuel economy to a frugal 11.2km/L (T-GDi 2WD variants). It comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Ms. Ginia Domingo, please add this to your queue of upcoming Kia models in the Philippines! For those who didn't know who's Ms. Ginia Domingo, she's the new head of Columbian Autocar Corporation, the official Kia distributor in the Philippines! I hope she got my memo and hopefully she get it right about bringing the latest Sportage to the Philippine market soon!

Hold that up, the Evo's not dead...yet

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR
Premium

Yesterday, I read the internet articles saying that Mitsubishi plans to kill the Evo for good. Now, when I wake up, I read something interesting;

http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/mitsubishi-lancer-evolution-the-real-score

And according to the Twitter from Mitsubishi Motors:

Production of the current Lancer Evolution continues as planned. 

As for its successor, regulations and market feedback will dictate its engineering package & architecture.

MMC has kept the Lancer Evolution sedan evolving as the brand's highest performing model in the global market. However, as the market's needs and demands change, MMC is considering not advancing the Lancer Evolution concept in the same way as before, but to find a different direction for the Lancer Evolution model to evolve. The new direction, the technologies involved, and corresponding products will be disclosed in due course.

There you have it folks. The Mitsubishi Evo's not yet to be called "La Ocean Deep", but if the times demand it, the Mitsubishi Evo will end up being not the Evo of the yesteryears. As always, the Lancer Evolution is "our spirit, our evolution", it will keep on evolving into more exciting ways or something different....

Hyundai Accent Wit

2012 Hyundai Accent Wit

Since November 2010, Hyundai launched the fourth-generation Hyundai Accent (known as the Verna or Solaris) targeted for guys, providing this compact sedan a new concept term "Guy's License".

Now, in March 2011, the 4th generation Accent is now offered not just in the much-awaited 1.6L VGT diesel engine variant, but it marks the addition of the 5-door variant called the Accent Wit.

The Accent Wit offers the same "Guys License" concept of the sedan now in the spaciousness of its hatchback body. The Hyundai Accent Wit targets the likeliness of the Toyota Vitz, Honda Fit/Jazz, and the Suzuki Swift.

Not only the Accent Wit hatchback offered in the new 1.6L Common Rail Diesel VGT engine, but also in a 1.4L VVT and the high-performance 1.6L GDi engine (sourced from the Hyundai Avante MD). The entry level Accent Wit 1.4L variant may come in a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed auto while the diesel variant may come in a 4-speed auto or the -gasp- 6-speed manual transmission. The Accent Wit GDi variant only comes in the standard 6-speed automatic.

You may already know about the stats of the Accent's 1.4L VVT and the 1.6L GDi engine, but since the 4th-gen Accent now comes with the 1.6L VGT diesel engine, allow me to tell you the scoop of the Accent's latest offering. The 1.6L VGT diesel engine offered on the 4th Generation Hyundai Accent (now with the Wit hatchback) has a power output of 128HP/4000RPM and the torque output of 26.5kg-m/2750RPM. The fuel economy of this engine can accommodate up to 23.5km/L on the Accent Wit VGT 6MT variant.

My thoughts about the Accent Wit:
The kind of 4th-generation Accent we want is now here and not only the Guys Only Accent comes with the new 1.6L CRDi-VGT engine, but also comes with the fun-to-drive Accent Wit hatchback! If only HARI would bring the diesel-powered Accent and the Accent Wit hatchback to the Philippines soon, we might enjoy more out of this latest offering!

Come on Hyundai Asia Resources, we are waiting to have the CRDi-VGT variant of the "Guys License" Accent but not just that, bring us the Accent Wit hatchback complete with the 1.6L CRDi-VGT engine and 6MT! Come to think of it, I really want to have this diesel-fed hatchback version of the Accent because with diesel and 6MT combined in the Accent's latest addition, this could be the fun to drive Korean hatchback ever, scaring away both the Toyota Vitz, Honda Fit, and the Suzuki Swift. Consider this a GUY'S SPECIAL.

Photo: Hyundai Motor Company

Kuya Jobert shows off his guitar skills

Tough luck finding the perfect tone, eh?

In "Damoobs ni Kuya Jobert" on the March 3 episode of Banana Split, RR Enriquez showed up her picked-up guitar to Kuya Jobert and Kuya Jobert's teaching her how to use the guitar. It seems Kuya Jobert shows off his guitar talents in front of us but the search for the perfect guitar tone ended up in breaking the guitar. LOL

Pokwang as Mommy Dionesia Poohkyaw

Looks like Pokwang's reprising her spoof on Manny Pacquiao's mom, Mommy Dionesia, on some sketch called Mommy Dionesia in Love. It seems that the mom of Manny Poohkyaw falls in love with some driver. While at the car, the driver told Mommy Dionesia Poohkyaw that he's looking for some present for his girlfriend. Too bad for Mommy D to find her true love.

Who's That Girl? (2011 Philippine Film)

Who's That Girl?

Year: 2011

Filmmaker: Star Cinema

Cast: Luis Manzano
Anne Curtis
Eugene Domingo
Dina Bonnevie
John "Sweet" Lapus
Candy Pangilinan
DJ Durano
Dennis Padilla

Who's that girl? Who is Elizabeth Pedrosa? First off, she's one pretty woman every male indulged on her. Upon the funeral of John Edugue's father, one secret revealed that his deceased father had a "number two" or "kabit", which is none other than Elizabeth Pedrosa! The twist occurred and its up to John Edugue to take back what comes around for his mother, Mrs. Edugue, and of course, you'll know where you'll find me!

What's going on? Will John risk everything against the pretty woman who ruined his family? Oh you'll see.

Who's That Girl is a perfect balance between humor and romance. It stars Anne Curtis (Showtime, Green Rose) as Elizabeth Pedrosa, Luis Manzano (Laugh Out Loud) as John Edugue, and Eugene Domingo (Comedy Bar) as John Edugue's mom. You'll know where you'll find them! Other stars include John Lapus, Candy Pangilinan, DJ Durrano, Dennis Padilla, Dino Imperial, Abby Bautista and Maki Billiones are here to ham it out and poke fun on this hilarious comedy-romance film that deals with something what we don't know is something that they know is what something that we know is something what they don't know is everything we know is everything they don't know. In other words, MALING AKALA!

Storyline seems to be okay but it needs to be more balanced in order to please the viewers and whatever the heck it is, it looks fun to see such a rollercoaster ride of one playboy chasing the woman who ruined his family. What a twist...

Ending the Ten-Tou tradition that Subaru started 53 years ago...

Some breaking news for Japanese kei car fans;

I read some article at some Japanese website that Fuji Heavy Industries, maker of Subaru vehicles, decided to stop producing "kei cars"of their own, as a matter of fact, the only Subaru-made kei car, the Stella, will end production on April 2011!

2007 Subaru Stella Custom

Scoop: http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/economics/news/CK2011022602000029.html

This move is planned due to a partnership between Toyota Motor Corporation and Fuji Heavy Industries that they promised for the "Toyobaru coupe"project. As Subaru no longer creates their own "kei cars", instead they sourced it from Toyota-owned Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. Earlier, Toyota plans to sell their own OEM versions of some Daihatsu kei cars this Autumn. It seems it's like a random process but partnership takes a lot of process to get things straight. Now, the Subaru kei car lineup are now consisting of Daihatsu-made vehicles such as the Dias Wagon (based on the Atrai Wagon), Lucra (based on the Tanto Exe), and the second generation Pleo (based on the Daihatsu Mira).

I guess the kei car business is a tough job for the biggest Japanese car manufacturers. Only Daihatsu, Suzuki, and Mitsubishi creates their own kei cars. Subaru, Nissan, Mazda, and soon Toyota, sourced these kei car makers for OEMs.The partnership makes them no longer being "Ärch Rivals" and they are sharing.