Let's Do The News! (September 13, 2016)

- President Rodrigo Duterte wants the US troops to leave Mindanao right away but the United States maintained its commitment to the Philippines despite the recent statement. Duterte warned the US troops that they are in danger of being kidnapped by terrorist group Abu Sayyaf. US Department of State spokesperson John Kirby said that the US will not respond to Duterte's comments unless an official request is made. The Palace clarifies that Duterte's comments is not yet a policy.

- The pregnant victim of the deadly Davao blast died at the hospital, making her the 15th casualty in the blast. Vicenta Depalubos Asperin, 21, passed away at the Metro Medical and Research Center around 2217 hours local time. Asperin, who was six months pregnant, had been in a coma for 11 days.

- Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, daughter of late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, asked their family's critics to forgive her father. Imee made the appeal to their family's detractors in her speech on the 00th birthday of her father in BAtac City, Ilocos Norte. She said her father is only human and prone to mistakes.

- Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump opened a luxury hotel in Washington on Monday, while demonstrators gathered outside. The Trump International Hotel is a renovated former post office built in the century near the White House. It opened nearly two years ahead of schedule. Hotel officials say peak season room rates start at around 900 dollars a night and go up to 25,000 dollars. They say they are fully booked from opening night.

- Meanwhile, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who was revealed to have pneumonia following her 9/11 memorial incident, says she is feeling much better and hopes to return to the campaign trail in the next few days.

- The president of the International Paralympic Committee says that the Rio 2016 Paralympics was a complete success with over 120 world records had been registered so far in the Games. It was a great opportunity to learn about something new, and the athletes' performances frequently surprised the spectators.

- The Senate will hold a hearing next week regarding the aggressive sales tactics by Wells Fargo employees that led to a $185-million settlement package with federal and state regulators. Last week, Wells Fargo was fined with a hundred million dollars to the CFRB and fired 5,300 workers for improper sales practices five years ago. 

- General Motors announced that their upcoming Chevrolet Bolt EV will have 238 miles of range, more than what Tesla's Model 3 can do.

- Caterham honors the 60th anniversary of the Lotus Seven with this retro-inspired Seven Sprint special model, which will be limited to 60 units.

2016 Caterham Seven Sprint

TTFN!!!

Infiniti Q60

From concept to reality, the brand-new Infiniti Q60 marks a brand new turn for Nissan's luxury brand as it readies to "empower the drive" for luxury car buyers looking for a luxury sports coupe that will give the Germans a run for their money. Ready or not, the new Q60 will give the stern Japanese car enthusiasts a taste of what will their new Skyline Coupe will look like.

2017 Infiniti Q60

Although this is an all-new model and a two-door derivative of the Q50 saloon (which is sold in Japan as the Skyline), the Q60 name is not new to us because that was once used on the previous Nissan Skyline Coupe V36, once called the Infiniti G37 Coupe until the name change. Now that the Q60 is the two-door Q50, it features all of the stuff that you get from the Q50 saloon while delivering that sporty feeling that you get from most Germans.

The Q60's exterior design is almost similar to the concept car last year, making it an undeniable proof that the are some good cars trying to inspire its design from concept cars, not like Subaru that features a much exciting concept car at first but made it into production with such bland results.

2017 Infiniti Q60 interior

The interior looks very similar to the Q50; the dashboard, the two monitors, the a/c, everything, but the Q60 is themed to be a sportscar rather than a sports saloon and even though it's got two doors, it's still has room in the back as long as they can survive squeezing through the back. Also, it's boot space is big enough for stuff to go golfing. For a sportscar of such caliber, it's all business as usual for the new Q60 coupe.

2017 Infiniti Q60

For a two-door version of the Q50, the new Q60 still has that clever Direct Adaptive Steering which delivers precise handling and quickly communicates road surface feedback to the driver but this is a brand new update to this clever steering stuff. It can now steer quicker and smoother as before and when driving on unstable roads, it constantly, automatically, making subtle changes for better stability, while decreasing feedback and vibration through the steering wheel. It's got a dynamic digital suspension which can change how it drives at the push of the button or it can adapt through different behaviors while cornering or going through unstable road conditions. It feels somewhat robotic, if you know what I mean?

The Drive Mode Selector offers over 336 customizable driver settings that can tailor your driving style based on its steering, engine, and suspension inputs. It can be very complicated to fiddle it on your own but if you're not sure how to fiddle it, you can select between Standard, Snow, ECO, Sport, and Sport+. This is like changing the settings of your TV set by color, contrast, brightness, warmth, etc.

Under the hood, the Q60 offers a powerhouse cast of turbocharged engines and because these turbocharged engines are proven to be quite a charm for the Q60, they can be carried over to the Q50 as well. There's the 2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged engine sourced from Mercedes-Benz and the brand new 3.0L V6 Twin Turbo engine featuring friction-reducing technologies, and new cooling and valve timing systems. In the high-end Red Sport 400 variant, that bumps up to 400HP of power while promising a 26MPG HWY fuel consumption. They;re all mated to a 7-speed automatic with Adaptive Shift Control.

2017 Infiniti Q60

The Q60, as a luxury car, offers a wide array of safety tech such as Forward Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Haptic Feedback, Blind Spot Warning, and the brand new Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection. This new update alerts the driver to moving objects detected within the display image, delivering a better perspective around the driver.

The starting price for the new Infiniti Q60 is $38,950 for the 2.0L model while the 3.0L model starts at $44,300. The Red Sport 400, the one with the 400HP 3.0L V6 turbo on it, is priced at $51,300. With that pricing, that puts it within reach of rivals such as the BMW 4-Series, Audi A5, Mercedes C-Class Coupe, and the Lexus RC.

What can I say about the Q60? Well, with the concept-turned-reality design inside and out, a wide selection of turbocharged engines with no-nonsense performance, and its dynamics that really cater the driver very well, this could be one of the best luxury sport coupes ever sold to the market today and I believe that Infiniti manage to get things right to deliver a sports coupe that delivers the right amount of performance to please the car enthusiasts everywhere. I am very desperate for one of these right now.

Available colors: Dynamic Sunstone Red, Midnight Black, Majestic White, Iridium Blue, Hagane Blue, Liquid Platinum, Graphite Shadow, Black Obsidian, and Pure White.

Photo: Infiniti

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea rejects Obama's condemnation

Sourced from NHK World:

North Korea says it will proceed with its nuclear arms development by improving the quality and quantity of its stockpile.

A Foreign Ministry statement released on Sunday reacted sharply to Friday's condemnation of the test by US President Barack Obama.

Obama said the test posed a serious threat to the security of the region and to the peace and stability of the world.

The US president stressed that his government will increase sanctions against the North in cooperation with Japan and South Korea.

The North's statement said the ultimate aim of its nuclear program is to protect the nation's dignity and its right to existence from repeated US nuclear threats.

North Korea is expected to also reject a statement condemning the test issued by the UN Security Council on Friday.

The North is expected to maintain its hardline stance, while the international community tries to increase pressure on the country.

Let's Do The News! (September 12, 2016)

- Typhoon Ferdie (Meranti) has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility yesterday and expected to bring heavy rains and strong winds over parts of Luzon and the Visayas until Thursday, according to PAGASA. As of 4PM yesterday, Ferdie was located at 1,280km east of Casiguran, Aurora with max sustained winds of 120kph near the center and gustiness of over 150kph.

- Reports told that President Rodrigo Duterte approved the Indonesian government to execute convicted Filipina Mary Jane Veloso. The Jakarta Post reported that Indonesian leader Joko Widowo said Duterte okayed the execution. The legal process will be followed up by Attorney General M. Prasetyo. Last year, Veloso was reprieved as she was scheduled to be executed by firing squad in Indonesia. She was sentenced to death in 2010 for drug trafficking.

- Netizens are drawing flak over the Official Gazette Facebook post on Sunday regarding the 99th birthday of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. What provoked them was a part of the original caption that tagged as historical revisionism. It reads "In 1972, he declared martial law to suppress a communist insurgency and secessionism in Mindanao. In 1986, Marcos stepped down from the presidency to avoid bloodshed during the uprising known as "People Power." Edited, and then removed.

- Hillary Clinton, Democrat Presidential Candidate, attended and left the September 11 memorial service prematurely and she was caught almost being collapsed while returning back to the vehicle and when got out from her daughter's apartment two hours later, she felt well. It is revealed that her doctor that she was diagnosed with pneumonia and dehydration. Her doctor said that Clinton was put on antibiotics and advised to rest and modify her schedule. At this morning's event, she became "overheated" and dehydrated. The doctor examined Clinton and she is now re-hydrated and recovering nicely. She will remain at her Chappaqua home to rest and her Californian schedule on Monday and Tuesday was cancelled.

- Fighting continues across Syria on Sunday despite a ceasefire scheduled for the following day. The United States and Russia agreed on a ceasefire in Syria to take effect at sunset on Monday. The US supports opposition rebels while Russia supports the government of President Bashar al-Assad. But fighting and numerous airstrikes were reported across the country on Sunday as the agreement sets no rules prior to the ceasefire.

- Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson blew up his own house to make room for a new one. According to reports, he gained permission from the local town council to explode his home. Reason why he destroyed his house is because he plans to upgrade to a bigger one.

- A crossover variant of the new Opel Karl/Vauxhall Viva called the Rocks and while it looks tough on the exterior, it's still the same Karl/Viva five-door compact we all know about.

2017 Opel Karl Rocks

- MAGES' Idol Incidents multimedia project will be getting a TV anime adaptation set to air on Tokyo MX and BS Fuji this January. Those who are unfamiliar with, 5pb. Games and MAGES had announced the project as a social smartphone game two years ago with a slated release in fall 2014 but it's still in development. We're not really sure why they made an anime out of a game that hadn't came out yet after years of delay.

- After the success of the first KING of PRISM by PrettyRhythm film, another film is set to release in Japan in the summer of 2017, titled called KING of PRISM: PRIDE the HERO. The KING of PRISM movie was the spinoff of the Pretty Rhythm franchise that highlights on the story of the boy group "Over the Rainbow". It was shown in theaters last January 2016.

- TV personality Kris Aquino has officially left ABS-CBN.

- Actress Isabelle Daza and Adrien Semblat were finally married.

TTFN!!!

September 11, 2001, 15 years later...

September 11, 2001...I'll never forget it...

It all started as an ordinary day back in downtown New York City, but hours later, terrorists hijacked four jet airliners filled with passengers. They crashed two planes into the World Trade Center in New York City, while a third plane hit a wing of the Pentagon, the American military HQ, in Washington D.C., and a fourth airplane crash landed somewhere near Pittsburgh. Over 3,000 people have died in that tragedy. Following the WTC incident, it is believed to be the work of the so-called al-Qaeda mastermind named Osama Bin Laden, who allegedly staged the attack on New York, although some reports say the terrorists behind the attack are Saudi-based but they are deeply connected to it.

Not taking any chances, then-President George W. Bush, a Republican who won the 2000 election against Democrat Al Gore with the most number of electoral votes following problems in electoral votes in Florida, declared war on terrorism but his so-called war against terrorism led the United States to nigh nowhere including the war on Afghanistan and Iraq two years later. It even gave birth to the Department of Homeland Security, which maintains national security by any means.

15 years had passed since the horrendous incident and it's been five years since the US troops killed Osama Bin Laden, the whole topic of "war on terror" has been around with us when we talked about global affairs. The terrorist organization Al-Qaeda may be decimated following Bin Laden's death but terrorism keeps on growing like a viral outbreak, thanks to the infamous Islamic State militants that caused havoc not just in the Middle East but also the rest in the world; including Paris, San Bernardino, Brussels, name any city where terrorists staged attacks that were inspired by the Islamic State militants.

Islamophobia has been with us following the attacks caused by the terrorists who want to radicalize the Islamic religion for nefarious purposes and everybody likes to blame Islamic people for everything but in my mind, Islamic people are not the bad guys because these terrorists have unleashed attacks on Islamic nations too. Whatever that is, those infamous extremists really want this world to burn just to radicalize the Islamic religion and praise the Prophet Muhammad for nothing but slaughter.

A lot of good people, even soldiers fighting for their homeland, have died fighting against the harsh realities of terrorism. Even today, people like us are trying to brace the unpredictability terrorism thrown on us and how to deal with the aftermath. Right now, the pain we felt post-9/11, both physically, mentally, socially, psychologically, and politically, are still in our minds today and we are still very unsure what possible consequences will be facing on us if the world keeps on changing.

Bubble Gang -September 9, 2016 #BGImpossibleMission

On the September 9, 2016 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Spy gags

- Mang Tañong thinks he's a big fan of Pokemon.

- The boys are getting pervy on their house visit...

- Hugot lines in jail

- Hassles at the X-Ray appointment...

- An interview with nothing but thoughts...

- In this week's Enkangtodo, the Bubble Gang spoof of Encantadia, Hangre Damihan won the duel against Pireto but another fight's brewing between the two. This time it's a game of Trip to Jerusalem.

- More news for moms in Balitang Ina!

- Basa-Basa-Pik!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test

North Korea conducted their fifth nuclear test in their act of defiance against the international community's calls to halt its nuclear and missile programs, marking the second time they conducted such test this year since January 2016, when the Korean Peninsula did their fourth nuclear test.

North Korea confirmed the test four hours after seismic waves from a magnitude-5 artificial earthquake were detected around 0930 hours local time near the Punggye-ri nuclear test site. The North said through its state-run media that the successful test has advanced its technology of mounting a nuclear warhead on a ballistic missile to a higher level.

The South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff analyzed the nuclear test as the North's biggest test to date with the device giving an explosive yield reaching 10 kilotons, four more than what they did last January.

After the man-made tremor, South Korea' military held an emergency video conference headed by JCS Chairman Lee Sun-jin and placed its military forces on full alert so Seoul can react "sternly and strongly" in case of further threats.

Meanwhile, President Park Geun-hye will convene a meeting of high-ranking officials to discuss follow-up measures to respond to the Korean Peninsula's fifth nuclear test. The meeting is to be convened shortly after her arrival from her eight-day trip to Russia, China, and Laos. During her visit, the president called for a stronger unity against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. It will be attended by the ministers of defense, foreign affairs and unification, and senior presidential secretaries in charge of security and foreign policy.

Close cooperation between South Korea, the United States, and Japan will take center stage in tackling North Korea's fifth nuclear test, which came as the deepening US-China relationship threatens to weaken efforts to pressure Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program.

The test occurred on Friday had coincided when members of the key six-party denuclearization talks came together at the G20 Summit in China and East Asia Summit in Laos to denounce North Korea's nuclear program. Despite problems with China, the surprise test showed at least Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo were determined to deal with the latest threats from North Korea. Following the test, the three countries asked for an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to swiftly address the provocation.

Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo said on Friday that the South Korean government will not rule out the possibility that North Korea may carry out another nuclear test. During a meeting at the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of the National Assembly today, a lawmaker underlined the need to acknowledge the grave reality that North Korea's nuclear weapons program can't be destroyed with the current sanctions and pressure and it's time for a new strategy. In response, Hong said the government is fully aware that it failed to stop the North from advancing its nuclear weapons technology despite various efforts. Also, the government will consider diverse options to deal with the current situation.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News! (September 9, 2016)

- At the closing ceremony of this year's ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos, it is announced that the Philippines will be the next to lead next year's summit, along with an imprint of President Duterte's campaign. The theme for next year's summit "Partnering for change, engaging the world" is broadly similar to Duterte's election slogan "Change is Coming".

- Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama said that he does not take President Duterte's comments seriously as it seems to be just a habit. The scheduled meeting between them was moved to a later date following the harsh comments against the US President. Earlier this week, Duterte said that he will not bow down to Obama if he ever asks him about the rising extrajudicial killings of drug suspects in the Philippines.

- Four US swimmers, including gold medalist Ryan Lochte, have been suspended from competition for falsely claiming they were robbed in Rio de Janeiro. The United States Olympic Committee and USA Swimming announced on Thursday that they had suspended Lochte for 10 months and three others for four months for violating a code of conduct. The athletes reportedly accepted the sanctions.

- Following the death of Uzbekistan leader Islam Karimov, Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev was named as the interim president. The parliament told the Russian media on Thursday that the decision was reached at a joint meeting of both chambers. 

- The European Union leader has urged British PM Theresa May to begin negotiations for Britain to leave the EU as soon as possible. European Council President Donald Tusk met with May in London on Thursday. Tusk said that the ball is now in British court and stressed that initiating the procedure would reduce and eventually end the uncertainty. He said this is everybody's best interests.

- The US has successfully launched a spacecraft with a mission to collect sand and rock samples from an near-earth asteroid. It is the first such attempt since Japan's Hayabusa carried back particles from a different asteroid six years ago. The Atlas 5 rocket carrying Osiris-Rex lifted off at 2305 UTC on Thursday at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Osiris-Rex will head to the asteroid Bennu within next year and it will observe for around two years. After that, the spacecraft will return to earth within 2023.

- Jaguar returns to motorsports with its Formula E entry, called the I-Type 1. It will be driven by Adam Carroll and Mitch Evans, with Ho-Pin Tung as the reserve driver.

- A new E-Hybrid variant on the brand-new Porsche Panamera was launched, packed with controlled AWD and an electric range of 50km. It produces 462HP of combined power output and fuel economy of 2.5L/100km.

TTFN!!!

Daihatsu Move Canbus

We all seen kei minivans throughout Japan from the Daihatsu Tanto, the Honda N-BOX, the Suzuki Spacia, the Mitsubishi eK Space, and the Nissan Dayz Roox. These kinds of kei cars showcase that even when they're small, they can be as practical as any minivans get in their lifetime. As demographics continue to shift through the years, the Toyota-owned Daihatsu has created a brand new kei minivan that is targeted for young women in mind. Let's take a closer look at the new Move Canbus.

2017 Daihatsu Move Canbus

It's hard to tell if this new kei car kinda reminded you of the old VW Sambabus from the last century but trust them. This ain't no "hippie" car you are familiar with, this is a girl's car fit for whatever girls do on their day out like going to the mall, doing ridiculous poses on photo booths, going on a food trip, cosplaying outdoors, karaoke, whatever girly stuff they can do on their free time and then record it on their diaries and post it online to show it to the world about what they do. Sounds so much for a Japanese young females' routine from day by day and this new Canbus does fit to their lifestyles very well. Of course, while this is purely a kei minivan, the Move Canbus has two sliding doors; that's one more than the Tanto had, meaning it's very easier to get out of while on a day out with the chicks.

2017 Daihatsu Move Canbus interior

2017 Daihatsu Move Canbus interior

Although nothing to see much about the interior, there's a nifty trick you will notice and that goes in the rear seats. Dubbed as "Make up" Seat, this cool trick can handle most of your stuff under the rear seats when you slide it open. Of course, while this is obviously practical at first, it can get a bit flashy when you store your shopping bags on the Make up Seat but on the positive note, it can be pretty handy when you're in a middle of organizing stuff on your daily routine ahead on your busy schedule. Of course, there are other conveniences the Canbus can offer, even the luggage under box for more space in the back while the rear seats are present.

2017 Daihatsu Move Canbus

With the fuel consumption of around 28.6km/L from its 660cc engine, the Move Canbus is very frugal and very economical to get you going for more trips to the shops without worrying about a single drop of petrol. As for driving, the turning radius of 4.4m means that the Canbus is the easiest to live out with and the easiest to park. While it features an array of safety tech, the Canbus is the first Daihatsu to come with Bi-Angle LED Headlamp with AFS which allows the front headlamps to adapt to where you're steering at. This is plainly common in most modern cars using that tech but for a kei car, that sounds like it does work while taking the journey back home after your little day out with your pals.

The Canbus starts at 1,188,000 up to 1,668,600 Japanese Yen, which is the most affordable of all the Daihatsu kei minivans offered. Sounds like a bargain but because this is really a girl's car, don't even think about getting excited to have one because this car is all too much reflecting on what every young Japanese females do on their free time.

Photo: Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.

Let's Do The News! (September 8, 2016)

- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and US President Barack Obama finally met informally on Wednesday in a holding room before attending a gala dinner at the ASEAN summit. The brief meeting took a little sting out of the soured relations caused by Duterte's comments on Obama earlier this week, causing Obama to cancel a formal meeting. However, according to reports, Duterte skipped summit meetings Thursday of ASEAN leaders with their US and Indian counterparts in Laos due to migraine.

- Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte lost two of the triplets she was carrying. At the change of command ceremony at the Task Force Davao office at 1000 hours local time, Duterte-Carpio said she lost twins but luckily enough, the other one is still living. She suffered from exhaustion days after the deadly Davao bombing last Friday.

- Presidentiables Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump answered every questions from the veterans regarding their roles as commander-in-chief in the televised Commander-in-Chief Forum in New York, presented by NBC News.

- The British government says it will build a wall along a main highway to a northern French port facing the English Channel to stop the flow of migrants and refugees into Britain. Since the summer of last year, migrants and refugees from the Middle East and elsewhere have poured into the vicinity of the French port town of Calais and formed a camp. A support group says there are over 9,000 of them in the area.

- The 2016 Rio Paralympic Games have opened in Rio de Janeiro. The opening ceremony was held Wednesday evening at Maracana soccer stadium and over the course of this year's games, over 4,400 athletes from a multitude of nations, including a team of refugees, are taking part in 528 events in 22 sports.

- Apple unveiled the brand new iPhone 7 range as well as the brand new Apple Watch 2 at a special event in San Francisco. The new model ditches the traditional headphone jack, which sounds very controversial for this new one but they featured a new home button with force sensitivity, water-resistant, and dual-lens camera for the Plus. The Watch 2 now comes with GPS. These new models will be available on the 16th of September, 

iPhone 7

Apple Watch 2

- Sony unveiled a much slimmer PS4 slim and a more powerful PS4 Pro. Whereas the slim model will be the basic in the range, starting at $299, the new Pro features better CPU, better clock rate, 1TB HDD, and 4K and HDR support. It will carry the similar $399 pricing as if the PS4 was launched in the US about three years ago.

- Niantic Labs announced that the Pokemon GO Plus accessory will be available worldwide starting on September 16. In Japan, it will be priced at 3,500 Yen while in the US, it will cost $34.99.

- Mercedes-Benz envisions the future of autonomous commercial driving with their Vision Van Concept.

Mercedes-Benz Vision Van Concept

- Although there's no more Kalyeserye on Eat Bulaga, today marks the 60th weeksary of AlDub.

TTFN!!!

Third-Generation Hyundai i30

Looks like we're having a little case of Deja Vu right now because about five years ago, Hyundai gave us the second-generation i30, which is based on the Avante MD, and while it delivers the same stuff they've expected from the previous Avante, how they sum it up is anyone's guess. Now in the year 2016, five years later, the Hyundai i30 hatchback has reached its third-generation and while Hyundai claims that it's now hotter than the previous model, there's nothing hotter about how hot this new model is. In fact, there's only one way to find out...

2017 Hyundai i30

Following last year's launch of the latest Hyundai Avante/Elantra (AD) saloon, its five-door equivalent, the i30, has been redrawn from scratch and whereas the previous i30 looks like when the designers faced the common sentence "Finish or not finish, pass your papers", this brand new i30 looks like it's got its test papers finished...and got a grade of 90%. Now that's what I called a major improvement in the design stakes.

2017 Hyundai i30 interior

On the outside view, the new design started to feel like work in a more athletic kind of manner, and judging from every angle, this hatchback really means serious business when parked alongside its rivals, namely the VW Golf, the Ford Focus, the Peugeot 308, the Citroen C4, or even the Toyota Auris. On the inside, everything's starting to look like they've inspired it by either the Alfa Romeo Giulia or the Mazda Atenza, but from every angle, the interior, like the exterior itself, really means serious business after all. As a five-seater hatchback fit for all kinds of lifestyles, the i30 really suits various lifestyles very well and when folded, there's much more room for all your garage sale haul.

2017 Hyundai i30

What about performance? Does it really mean serious business for this new i30? Make your guess but thanks to its new chassis and the Advanced High-Strength Steel dons, as well as its reworked dynamics, the new i30 is starting to feel as enjoyable as any hatchback can get, without breaking a sweat. Yes, it's starting to feel as sharp as the Europeans but the word of precaution, however, is when your mate is carrying a very big birthday cake he bought at the bakeshop, and when you corner it like a sports car, you're going to ruin that cake, awesomely. Speaking of newly improved dynamics, the new i30 offers a choice of small-displacement turbocharged petrol and diesel engines ranging from the brand new 1.4 T-GDi, the similar 1.6 T-GDi from the Avante Sport, and the 1.6 CRDi-VGT engine. Of course, while the 1.6 T-GDi is the most powerful variant while the diesel has the most torque, the brand new 1.4 T-GDi balances fuel efficiency and performance at the same pace. It produces 140PS of power and 242Nm of torque while delivering a 13.0km/L fuel consumption, which is somewhat average for an entry-level variant, but know this; all of the variants are mated with a seven-speed double-clutch transmission for a more dramatic shift in performance and efficiency resulted in all variants, as long as you got your maintenance budget prepared when things get ugly.

Not only does the new i30 drive very well, but it's very smart indeed because it comes with an array of gizmos in store, including the five-inch touchscreen, an array of safety tech, and a clever way of unlocking doors at the flick of the keys. Touch one time and the driver's door will be unlocked and when touched two times, all of the doors will be unlocked. Nothing says a little easier access than this kind of feature.

2017 Hyundai i30

Should you buy it? The brand new, third-generation, Hyundai i30, starts at a very reasonable 19,100,000 for the mysteriously called "Tuner Package" up to 26,150,000 Korean Won for the 1.6 VGT Premium. Even though is slightly more expensive than the previous model, it's going to be a very competitive hatchback when compared to the best of Europe. So, how can I sum this car up? Well, the new design means business for the new i30, its new driving feel really makes it feel more European than being a Korean hatchback that can be sold at a very reasonable price and I think that's just the start for the new i30 because there's more to come for this new model. 

Available colors: Phantom Black, Iron Grey, Platinum Silver, Polar White, Demitasse Brown Intense Copper, Fiery Red,  Stargazing Blue, and Marina Blue.

Photo: Hyundai Motor Company

Fiat Fullback

The new Fiat 124 Spider isn't the only Fiat with a Eurasian connection with a Japanese company, in fact, there's another Fiat with ties with another Japanese car company, this time with Mitsubishi for their midsize pickup truck called the Fullback. Wait, what?

2017 Fiat Fullback

We have all seen vehicles stealing fighter jet names. Raptor, Lightning, Typhoon, now Fiat's brand new midsize truck took the name from a very popular Russian fighter bomber meaning it's time to grab your axe because the new Fullback knows how to wield a mighty axe for people who got their hands full with their businesses, big or small. What this pickup truck means is that it deserves some serious businesses to work out with for anyone who wants to get their job done from sunrise to sunset.

2017 Fiat Fullback

2017 Fiat Fullback interior

Being another one of Eurasian Fiats ever made since the new 124 Spider, the Fullback is essentially based on the Mitsubishi Triton truck, which is the new model not sold in the Japanese market, meaning most of the stuff is purely Mitsubishi underneath the Fiat flair inside and out. It can be offered with either a single cab (that comes with bigger bed space or a double cab that trades bed space for more rear passenger space and two more doors. Whichever variant they choose, the Fullback delivers a bed width of 1,470mm and a loading compartment threshold of 850mm. Good enough to put some logistic-related materials, construction materials, or anything it can take on, even people for different purposes...although not recommended to do so.

2017 Fiat Fullback

Under the hood, the Mitsubishi-sourced Fiat Fullback features a completely aluminum 2.4L CRDi-VGT engine with two different power configurations, where the most powerful is the one with 180PS of power output and 430Nm of torque. It can be mated with either a 6-speed manual or automatic. With the Fullback comes with four-wheel drive, there's a nifty switch that offers four drive settings with a shift-on-the-fly system that allows drivers to adapt through different road conditions. It can be switched to either a rear-wheel drive, 4WD High Range, 4WD High Range with Locked Center Differential, or 4LLc.

Just like the Triton, the Fullback features Dual SRS Airbags, an Anti-lock Braking System with Electronic Brake-force Distribution, a turning radius of 5.9 meters, a Limited Slip Differential, and a Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution Body.

As far as they know, the Fiat Fullback starts at a theoretical 34,600 Euro pricing for the single cab model while the double cab costs around 36,430 Euros and an automatic variant costs 41,920 Euros. Sounds very costly for a pickup truck imported from Thailand and when compared to the VW Amarok, that pricing sounds so painful to own but despite the pricing, consider this a hearty alternative since VW has been in difficulties right now regarding the whole diesel flop they're facing with.

With a name unashamedly grabbed from a Russian fighter plane, the Fullback's ready to wield that mighty axe to the pickup truck fans with its potential capabilities that make it a keeper.

Available colors:  Verde Metallizzato, Blue Metallizzato, Rosso, Bronzo Metallizzato, Grigio Titanio Metallizzato, Nero Micalizzato, Bianco Perla, and Bianco.

Photo: Fiat