GM Korea Chevrolet The Next Spark

South Korea is the first nation to get the new-generation Spark, which will arrive in the USA in early 2016 and soon in other markets (except Europe because of Chevrolet's pullout in the EU market), and since the latest-generation Spark is built by Koreans, for Koreans, these people are lucky enough to gain early access to "The Next Spark", which is a compact car emerged from being a low-life Daewoo Matiz to a world-proven Spark that captured the global audiences, even first-timers.

2016 GM Korea Chevrolet Spark

2016 GM Korea Chevrolet Spark

Here it is, the latest version, and it's yours for an affordable 10,150,000 KRW (estimated 8,700 US Dollars), which is a smart buy for those who got themselves a driver's license for the first time but what do you get for this uber-cheap city car? For starters, the design looks not very premium-ish for the new model. The previous-model looks fine when kitted out with extras but for the new model, the design looks unpleasant for the Chevrolet, especially with its signature dual-port grille that has gone on the wrong side of the road by putting the Chevy badge to the top of the grille rather than the middle that mosts Chevys do. What retains from the previous model is the secret rear doors which makes it more of an occasion for the new car.

Since this is the Korean-spec new Spark, the only engine available for Korean customers is a newly-developed 1.0 SGE ECOTEC engine mated with either a 5-speed manual or a Next Gen C-Tech CVT gearbox. This small engine develops 75PS of power output and 9.7kg-m of torque, which isn't sounds like much but in the small car like this, it feels peppy and perky. There's also an optional feature where it can shut off its engine at a set of lights, capable of delivering a combined fuel economy of 15.7km/L.

2016 GM Korea Chevrolet Spark interior

Thanks to its aerodynamic design and enhanced chassis, the NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) has been improved, meaning that the new Spark delivers a best-in-class comfort unlike any other small cars in the market. This isn't half bad for a car suitable for first-time drivers but when it comes to your next barkada trip, you should better off with another car because even though it has seating enough room for your stuff and your mates, it's relatively small, meaning you can get bothered by people chit-chatting about what they saw on TV, what plans for the weekend, or any other blabbermouth your barkada might expect to ask.

What's also bizarre that this is the first-ever Chevy on sale to come with Apple Carplay which acts...just like your iPhone and that's it.

So, should you buy one? With the starting price of 10,150,000 KRW, yes, you can afford one but you have to spec it all out with some fancy stuff, including the CarPlay, to bring out the best to your city car, and since this car is ready to be sold in other markets soon, especially the Americas, this is one global car that deserves the credit of being a world-proven city car. Sadly, if you're European, you can't have one because of Chevrolet's pullout from the EU market but don't worry, the new Opel Karl/Vauxhall Viva compacts will supplant the Spark's EU demise. Look at this way, they're made in the same Korean factory, the same chassis, the same stuff, and the same behavior, despite their different appearances.

Available colors: Creamy Beige, Urban Titanium Grey, Blu-ray Blue, Carbon Flash Black, Blue Splash, Switchblade Silver, Mystic Violet, Fresh Lime Green, Solar Red, and Pure White

Photo: GM Korea Company

#BGSoaperman

On the July 24, 2015 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Soaperman meets a new hero named Tanda Woman!

- The king's funeral gags

- IKAW AT ANG INA takes on...relationship goals!

- Cook & Relax with Cookie Ochoa!

- Bubble Gang does McDonald's Chicken McDo by spoofing this commercial as CHICKEN WCDO! Luv ko 'to!

- Interview with experts about the nation's rise in population.

- Two lovers are revealing themselves

- An interview with a talking dog.

- Tsugi o Churva!

Volvo S60 Cross Country and V60 Cross Country

2016 Volvo S60 Cross Country

2016 Volvo V60 Cross Country

Following Volvo's rebirth of the Cross Country lineup starting with the V40 Cross Country tall hatchback, looks like the Swedish carmaker decided to give the S60 midsize saloon and the V60 station wagon a more rugged and outdoorsy experience and by judging on its character, it's hard to say if these latest versions are proven to be quite a handful to be lifestyle vehicles targeted for people who want to go out and do leisure stuff on the weekends.

On the contrary, they're nothing but just an S60 and V60 with some fat chunky tires, added ground clearance, and that's about it. There's nothing you can expect that these Cross Country models are made to go anywhere when the elements are thrown at them. The V60 Cross Country isn't so bad, especially it was made for those who can't afford an XC60 crossover, which is usually based on that car. As for the S60 Cross Country, looks like the big tires really spoils the sports saloon's looks. It looks like a ghetto man's donk car going on the alleyways on the evening playing with some rap music on his radio. Ooh, how would the neighbors think when they see one of these?!

Despite their odd appearances, the added ground clearance, the chunky tires, and the ALL WHEEL DRIVE system are all here to keep the car going while facing numerous road conditions like cobbled roads, slippery roads, speed bumps from your local suburbs, loose gravel, and many others. They're not really scary to drive as well especially on elevated roads like the ones you'll face somewhere between Gemini St., Leo St., and Pisces St.

Even though the V60 Cross Country and the S60 Cross Country are relatives, their engine choices are ironically different. In the S60 Cross Country model, the only engine offered is a 2.0L D4 engine producing 190PS of power output while mated with a 6-speed MT or a 8-speed AT. In the V60 Cross Country, on the other hand, it has a smaller 2.0L D3 engine, 2.0L D4 engine, and a 2.0L T5 engine producing 245PS of power. Now that's a lot of power for a station wagon of that size.

The S60 Cross Country starts at 373,200 Kr while the V60 Cross Country starts at 320,000 Kr, which is cheaper to buy than the saloon counterpart! How's that possible? No one really knows but either way, both the S60 Cross Country and the V60 Cross Country are well-targeted niches targeted for the lifestyle enthusiasts who prefer to go outdoors. Yes, they may not be as tough or rugged as any other SUVs know and they're big and horrible, but these cars aren't just cars. They're lifestyles in their own rights.

Photo: Volvo Cars

The Oh My G! finale

In the finale of ABS-CBN's religious daytime drama program, Oh My G!, as Anne Reyes, the long-lost sister of the show's heroine Sophie Cepeda (played by Janella Salvador), got hospitalized again after their sisterly walk in the park, emotions sparked as Sophie, along with the people who are close to her including her Teacher-Ninang. Daddy-Ninong, and her friends, especially her former foes such as her Aunt Lucy and her cousin Miley, gathered as Anne Reyes says her final words. Sophie prays, everyone close to Sophie and Anne prays, and as the sudden appearance of G (as in God) appears, Anne Reyes's life is in a critical condition.

As prayers continue, G approaches to Anne Reyes and a few seconds later, a miracle happened. Anne's revived...in front of Sophie's eyes.

Moments later, Sophie and Anne went to her parents' graves to pay respects. While they were there, the two sisters talked about their experiences with G and how did their encounter with Him changed their lives forever. After their emotional conversation, the two sisters took themselves a groupie and when Sophie suddenly encountered G, at the very place where she first met Him, she felt thankful and sorry for losing her trust with Him. As she recalled her moments of pain and mercy, her trust in God made her matured through the outcome and learned something valuable not just for her but for everyone around her. As the two bid farewell, G told Sophie that He will always be at her heart.

As Sophie and Anne arrived home, everyone surprised her because it's her birthday. Everyone close to her greeted her a very happy birthday and as for the two boys who captured Sophie's heart, they have gifts for her, so is her sister Anne. After that, Sophie does her one last groupie with everyone around her.

The show ends as when Sophie got out from the cafe, she encountered G on the streets and said the title "OH MY G!".

And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes the spiritual and wonderful story of OH MY G! Throughout this series, we have learned many things about family values, teen life, growing up, and most of all, trust in God. As we have trust in God, we have learned that we should never give up, stay true to yourself, find your true calling, and most of all, be merciful like the Lord.

Thank You and God Bless You.

Let's Do The News! (July 24, 2015)

- US President Barack Obama admitted that the gun control laws are the biggest frustrations of his administration even in the face of repeated mass killings, according to a BBC interview.

- Turkish government says it has bombed Islamic State targets in Syria. Also, Turkish police launched raids to arrest suspected IS militants on Friday morning in over 100 location in the Turkish capital, Istanbul. It was carried out in 26 districts of the city and involved 5,000 officers.

- Yesterday, the Iglesia Ni Cristo sacked Felix Nathaniel "Angel" Manalo and his mother Tenny by executive minister Eduardo Manalo after the two claimed that their lives are in danger because of alleged death threats, probably a standoff between the religious movement's management and the alleged abduction of some of its members. Angel's viral video message asks the public that they are in grave danger and in need of help but INC General Evangelist Bienvenido Santiago denied such allegations. This was the biggest scandal in the history of Iglesia Ni Cristo as it approaches its 101st anniversary this month.

Right now, Angel Manalo asks the INC brethren to remain vigilant, repent, and keep the faith in the midst of the biggest scandal in INC's history.

- Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte mulls a revolutionary action if politicians have crossed the line by commencing drastic reforms in the government such as closing down all government agencies, except the judiciary, and place the nation under a revolutionary government.

- Free Wi-Fi services of the Department of Science and Technology has commenced at Manila's Rizal Park and Quezon City's Elliptical Circle. The DOST's Information and Communications Technology Office chose the two biggest cities in the nation for their "alpha launch test" of the 1.408-billion peso project.

- Porsche gave everyone a sneak peek on the facelifted 911 (991) range ranging from its updated looks, and the biggest of all is the use of downsized turbocharged flat-six engines with added power and efficiency.

- Seiyuu Sumire Uesaka (KanColle's Fubuki, THE IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls' Anastasia) contributed an essay to the book about pacifism. Her essay argues that increased engagement with the world is necessary to prevent war. Believe it or not, Sumire's fond about the history of the Soviet Union and once a student of Russian studies at Sophia University. She once visited the Russian capital Moscow, two years ago, to attend a convention just to negate her view about Russia as a "dark, cold, scary place".

- Basketball superstar LeBron James is collaborating with Warner Bros. for a production partnership that spans movies, television, and digital content, following his upcoming appearance in the comedy flick Trainwreck.

TTFN!!!

Mercedes-AMG GT

2016 Mercedes-AMG GT

For the past five years, the SLS AMG wowed us not just with the gullwing doors, which others suspect that it's a bit of a show-off, but also the brute force reminiscent of American muscle cars thanks to its V8 engine. Now that the SLS AMG is gone, we are going to miss such a thing but now, Mercedes-AMG created a new, no-nonsense, sportscar with a no-nonsense personality that will hopefully give the silver arrow fans a move on from the burly SLS.

The all-new Mercedes-AMG GT may be as smaller than the SLS it replaces but unlike the SLS, this is all about making sense in terms of dynamics rather than performance, and this is somewhat great for people who want to have a sportscar that is very accessible and very maneuverable than the SLS, which big torque results to chew its own tires off after several miles. This has a brand-new 4.0L V8 engine, which is smaller than the outgoing 5.5L V8 BiTurbo engine as seen from the SLS AMG GT, but mind you, the performance, despite its lower power output, is almost similar to the SLS AMG's. In the range-topping S model, whose V8 engine produces 510PS of power and 650Nm of torque, the 0-100kph time is 3.8 seconds and flat out at 310kph.

2016 Mercedes-AMG GT

Such performance is thanks to science and aerodynamics thanks to some extensive use of space-age chassis and aluminum bodywork. In the past, most AMGs love to become cannibals on the road and when they go around corners, they're starting to behave like savages or beasts in the wilderness. For this new model, it's becoming less than a tiger, and more of a cheetah because it's a well-balanced and accessible car with its newfound maneuverability that can handle the bends better than tail-happy ones, even with the likes of the Jaguar F-Type Coupe R. It even comes with an array of settings which can be adjusted to match your driving style. If you go for the AMG DYNAMIC PLUS on the S model, you can really push the AMG GT to its limits and discover its hidden potential underneath its small body.

Mind you, just like the F Type Coupe R, this car tends to misbehave and you can slide through corners just for fun, not for setting lap times on track days.

2016 Mercedes-AMG GT interior

Apart from the dynamics that make the AMG GT a brilliant car to drive regardless of anyone's skills, it has a great noise too despite a small engine. It may be less similar to the SLS's but boy, isn't that burly? It's like your granny's yaya who often shows her teeth off when she makes some hilarious stuff. It's also surprisingly civilized too in terms of comfort and design, well, the spoiler in the S model looks a bit disturbing for a car like this, but nevertheless, it's a well-behaved design. There are no gullwing doors that blow themselves up when upside down, so no further embarrassment will ever happen when your car got flipped over.

2016 Mercedes-AMG GT

The all-new AMG GT is priced at around 115,430 Euros, which is somewhat more expensive than the more powerful Jaguar F Type Coupe R but more affordable than the Porsche 911 GT3, meaning that at that price, the AMG GT is a great weekend getaway car and a great track day car at a same time. If there are any doubts, I admit, it's not as wild as the SLS AMG I truly love but even though it's not in the same league as the SLS, I admit that the AMG GT is one of the sensations of 2015, you can count on it.

Photo: Daimler AG

Driving Music (What is the name of the song on car commercial?) Vol. 71

Hi, person who's busy searching for commercial songs,

Due to a copyright claim, your search query has been blocked in some countries. This means it's time now for another round of DRIVING MUSIC, but it will be limited to my choosing.

Search query: mazda 6 commercial song
Includes: Audio content
Claimed by: the commercial itself

Why this can happen:
 - Your search query might contain copyrighted content.
 - Copyright owners can choose to block your query that contain their content.

10) ロマンスがありあまる by ゲスの極み乙女 - From the Toyota Porte/Spade commercials

9) カナリア諸島にて by 大滝詠一 - From the Subaru WRX S4 Japanese commercial

8) Fight Song by Rachel Platten - From the new Ford Edge commercial

7) Holiday Road by Lindsey Buckingham - From the Infiniti QX60 "Vacation" commercial

6) Oogum Boogum Song - From the Kia USA K 900 commercial featuring LeBron James

5) Drag Him To The Roof by TOTO - From the Isuzu Mu Wizard Japanese commercial

4) Ma Que Nada by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - from the Toyota Sienta commercial

3) Warm Shadow by Fink - from the all new Kia K5 commercial

2) A Winter Land by Paul Louis Reeves - from the Hyundai LF Sonata commercial

1) I've Loved You All Over the World by Willie Nelson - from the Subaru USA Impreza "Make a Dog's Day" commercial

Driving Music from Leopaul's Blog is the segment where solves every car enthusiasts' questions about the title of the song of car commercials...with the risk of MATCHED THIRD PARTY CONTENT on their status. Acknowledge or dispute, it's your choice.