Chevrolet Delays All-New Tahoe and Suburban to 2021

If you’ve been waiting for the all-new 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban to arrive locally, well, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, General Motors says they’re delaying at least half a dozen models including these two high-profile SUVs.

According to a Reuters report (and confirmed by GM), pre-production work on the Tahoe and the Suburban have been pushed back to the 2021 calendar year. In an email to its suppliers, the carmakers told its parts makers and suppliers to stop work on all tooling and parts manufacturing. However, GM told these suppliers not to dispose of any tooling or materials indicating that the current models will have an extended lifecycle.

It’s expected that the all-new Tahoe and Suburban will be launched by 2022 instead.

These two SUVs aside, development work on the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Cadillac XT4, Bolt EV, Chevrolet Silverado, and GMC Sierra have all stopped. Furthermore, work on the Corvette C8 is also delayed as is the Camaro’s supposed refresh.

Meet the Guy Who's Responsible for the Next Nissan Navara, Terra's Design

Ken Lee took the helm of Nissan’s LCV (Light Commercial Vehicle) design team six months ago, and now he shares his vision of where he’ll be taking the brand moving forward.

A Nissan veteran of nearly 17 years, Ken was born in the U.S., but spent time living in Singapore and Hong Kong. Working for Ford for three years, he saw how innovative Nissan design was when the American carmaker got their hands on the Nissan Murano and Infiniti FX. A month later, he joined Nissan.

Now that Ken’s in charge of LCV design—focusing on body-on-frame SUVs and pickup trucks, he feels that at the core, the “Nissan DNA” plays a very central role. He equates this to being technologically advanced, with careful attention to detail. However, when talking about Nissan’s LCV DNA—it’s all about “go anywhere,” and being “unbreakable.” His challenge therefore is to mix them in a recipe that honors the brand’s heritage while making it still segment-appropriate.

One perfect example is how Ken’s eyes were changed when designing the 2020 Patrol. He says, “I’ve discovered how strong the following is, how loyal and passionate our customers are. If we take the Patrol, our research trips to the Middle East show us how high the customer’s perception is—it may even be higher than how we at Nissan perceive it internally. That is very encouraging and motivating.”

“It’s very important to be in touch with our regions, and LCVs touch on very interesting markets. Coming from the passenger car world to LCVs, there are markets I’m familiar with and also new ones. Our design team is already quite in tune with the markets, because we visit and have satellite studios. We’re in deep communication with the product planning community, which also has satellites in all key markets. That’s the fun, when we get to take inspirational trips that touch the market and customers.”

Nissan’s global design team isn’t so big, but they’re highly efficient, working with a strong global collaboration between the carmaker’s other design studios in the U.S., Europe, China, Latin America, Thailand, and Japan. Whichever design is chosen though, the regional studios still talk to each other, and exchange information, ultimately resulting in a vehicle that the customer is expecting.

“As senior design director, my role is to inspire the design team—and, as the title says, to set direction. The most important part is finding the right direction for design, especially in the very beginning, and that the product finishes well. I would compare the process to an airliner taking off and landing. Takeoff and landing are extremely important, but the middle part is when the team is expected to work quite autonomously to find the design. For my own job, it’s a matter of understanding global markets, design trends, customer expectations, and just simply the sense of aesthetics, and bring everything together to guide the project in the right direction,” concludes Ken.

TAG Heuer is the Title Sponsor of the Porsche Esports Cup

TAG Heuer, which already supports Porsche in the Formula E series, is the new title sponsor of the Porsche Esports Cup, the single-make electronic sports racing championship Porsche initiated with iRacing in 2019. iRacing is the leading provider of realistic online racing simulators.

“After joining forces in the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team this season, we are excited to now extend our successful collaboration further into the Esports world,” announced Stéphane Bianchi, CEO of the LVMH Watchmaking Division and CEO of TAG Heuer.

The executive explained TAG Heuer is an avantgarde watchmaker with historic ties to the track, and thus sees Esports as a fantastic new platform in which to showcase the brand’s values. He added the move is also a way to support a “dynamic and passionate community in the world of motor racing, where competitiveness comes alive in the digital age.”

“We are looking forward to providing an unmatched Esports experience together with Porsche and iRacing, and seeing the world’s elite road simracers push their limits,” Bianchi said, noting “both the TAG Heuer and Porsche brands are “masters of challenges, innovation and precision.”

The 2020 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup will feature the introduction of multiple tracks to the championship. It kicked off with a pre-season test at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last March 28.

Last year, Josh Rogers won the championship in an exciting final duel against Maximilian Benecke. Sebastian Job and Mitchell de Jong placed third and fourth. These four top drivers return to the series this year, alongside 36 other new and returning competitors.

Kjell Gruner, Vice President for Marketing at Porsche AG, said; “Esports racing offers such an emotional Porsche experience to many fans of our brand, and the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup is our most important virtual racing series. After a very successful premiere in 2019, we are now about to start the second season with a strong partner at our side.” He added that Porsche and TAG Heuer are “already a great team in Formula E.”

“Now TAG Heuer, as a brand with heritage, is helping to further establish the most aspirational competition in Esports racing.”

Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup Schedule

• Round 1 - Circuit Park Zandvoort (May 2, 2020)
• Round 2 - Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (May 9, 2020)
• Round 3 - Donington Park Circuit (May 23, 2020)
• Round 4 - Circuit de la Sarthe (June 13, 2020)
• Round 5 - Nurburgring Nordschleife (July 4, 2020)
• Round 6 - Silverstone Circuit (July 18, 2020)
• Round 7 - Road Atlanta (August 1, 2020)
• Round 8 - Brands Hatch Circuit (August 15, 2020)
• Round 9 - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (August 29, 2020)
• Round 10 - Autodromo Nazionale Monza (September 19, 2020)

Honda Cars PH Welcomes New President

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. welcomes Mr. Masahiko Nakamura as its new president, effective April 1, 2020. He will replace Mr. Noriyuki Takakura who will transfer to Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (HATC).

Since 2016, Mr. Nakamura has held deputy general manager positions in various divisions at the Honda Motor Co., Ltd. headquarters in Japan, gaining expertise in sales, business strategy, and marketing. Overall, Mr. Nakamura has more than 30 years of experience in Honda automobile operations.

The new HCPI top executive looks forward to sharing his expertise with the local team as he hopes to steer Honda’s automobile business through a challenging and evolving automotive landscape.

Geely Donates 20,000 Surgical Masks to Department of Health

Geely Holding Group, through the foundation of its chairman, the Li Shufu Charity Foundation, has donated 20,000 pieces of surgical masks to the Department of Health in a bid to support the medical front liners in battling the coronavirus pandemic.

The rising number of COVID-19-related cases has placed the entire Luzon under an Enhanced Community Quarantine and the whole Philippines under State of Calamity. Hospitals are now appealing to the government and private sectors as they ran short of medical supplies and personal protective equipment which health workers and front liners desperately need to attend to COVID-19 patients.

Geely and Li Shufu Charity Foundation, through Sojitz G Auto Philippines (SGAP), join more companies that have donated and made pledges to help the government battle the coronavirus disease.

Giving close attention to the country’s fight against COVID-19, Geely Holding Group has expressed its commitment to support the Philippines in every way possible by providing medical supplies that are urgently needed for the pandemic disease prevention and control.

As countries race to end the global coronavirus pandemic, Geely Holding Group is looking forward to seeing the Philippines and the world win this battle very soon and bring every single person’s life back to normalcy.

Volvo Celebrates Best Decade Ever Under Geely Ownership

Volvo Cars has its eyes firmly set on the future as it celebrates the 10-year anniversary of its acquisition by Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely).

The company has seen a complete transformation of its business under Geely ownership, changing from a purely European firm to a truly global and strong player in the premium car market, racking up record sales, revenues, and profits along the way.

As it looks back on one decade and ahead towards a new one, Volvo Cars will build on this foundation as it aims to become a leader in electrification, autonomous drive, and new mobility models, while forging ever closer cooperation with its sister brands under the Geely umbrella.

In the coming years Volvo Cars aims to establish itself as a leader in electrification and by 2025, it wants half of its global sales volume to consist of fully electric cars, with the rest hybrids. These cars will be part of a new generation of Volvos based on SPA2, the successor to its successful modular vehicle architecture.

It also aims to establish millions of direct consumer relationships through new forms of mobility, and it expects to play a leading role in the safe introduction of autonomous drive technologies.

These and other ambitions have been made possible and credible thanks to the establishment of a sustainable and profitable business model over the past decade, providing Volvo Cars with a solid platform for further growth.

Following its separation from Ford Motor Company in 2010, Volvo Cars and Geely mapped out a new future for the Swedish brand, based on a few fundamental building blocks: technical independence, a global manufacturing footprint, a strengthened brand identity, and arms-length governance by Geely.

Starting in 2014 with the XC90, the company completely renewed its product portfolio with a range of brand-new SUVs, sedans, and wagons. All new models are based on the Volvo-developed SPA modular vehicle architecture or on the CMA modular architecture, co-developed between Volvo and Geely.

Its new model portfolio has proven to be a global success, delivering six consecutive sales records and record profits—in 2019, Volvo Cars sold more than 700,000 cars for the first time in its 90+ years of existence.

The company also expanded its manufacturing and R&D network across the globe: while it started out with two manufacturing plants and an engine plant in Europe, it now has four additional manufacturing sites and an R&D center in China, as well as a car plant in the United States.

A rejuvenated Volvo brand and design, focusing on premium proportions and embodying a Scandinavian identity unique in the automotive industry, has also driven the company to new heights and firmly established it as a fully-fledged alternative in the premium segment.

Happy 70th Anniversary, Volkswagen Kombi

Known as the Volkswagen Bulli, Kombi, Type 2, or even simply the “hippy van,” the famous people carrier is celebrating its 70th anniversary. Since it rolled off the Wolfsburg production line, there have been six generations and over 13 million sold.

Revealed as a hand-built panel van prototype in 1949, the T1 eventually launched as a rear-engined panel van, passenger van, and eight-seat bus with the engine and gearbox shared with the Volkswagen Beetle. In 1951, the iconic “Samba” model was revealed with all-round windows and folding sunroof. Production moved from Wolfsburg to Hannover in 1956 while some were even produced in Brazil. By 1967, around 1.9 million people had purchased the T1 with its “splittie” windscreen, making it a global success.

With the T1 forging its name as something of a cultural icon in the “flower power” era, the successor had a lot to live up to. The T2 took the utility of the van on a step further with a new front end and air intake grille. A sliding door was now standard, and the pop-up roof camper version became an instant hit with globetrotters. During its run, 2.14 million vehicles were built at the Hannover plant although production continued until 2013 at the Volkswagen plant in Sao Paulo, breaking the record for longest production period.

In the modern era, Volkswagen also offered the T4 under its then distributor in the 1990s. Known as the Caravelle, this generation marked a technical revolution wherein it switched to a front-engine, front-wheel drive design for the first time. This enabled it to offer more engine choices and even better handling.

Now, coinciding with its anniversary, Volkswagen announced that a zero emissions version of the MPV will be launched very soon. Shown as the ID BUZZ CARGO concept, it’s said to arrive in the next few years and will join alongside the ID.3 electric hatchback and ID.4 SUV. For now, eClassics in cooperation with the German automaker, has come up with an EV conversion for the T1 and T2 generation vans. With this, it swaps its original motor for a near-silent electric motor shared with the ID.3 with double the horsepower and torque than the original. Moreover, plans are underway for VW

Mazda Just Won Its 9th Red Dot Design Award

Mazda won its eighth and ninth Red Dot Design award in the KODO design era with the CX-30 and MX-30 SUV. It joins the all-new Mazda3, MX-5 RF, MX-5, CX-3, Mazda2, Mazda6, and previous generation Mazda3 in gaining recognition at the annual design awards.

Founded in 1955, Red Dot is one of the world’s largest design competitions. The product design winners, selected this year in 48 categories including cars & motorcycles, have earned the right to use the Red Dot symbol, an international seal of excellence.

“The winners of the Red Dot Award have proved that they have created excellent products worthy of winning an award,” says professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of Red Dot. “The products won over the jury not only through their aesthetics, but also thanks to their incomparable functionality. With their designs, the award winners are setting new standards in their industry.”

The Mazda CX-30 is the second production model created with the latest evolution of the KODO design philosophy—artful design, rooted in traditional Japanese aesthetics. The honing of every element according to the ‘less is more’ principle has resulted in clean, beautiful surfaces on the CX-30 and brought an entirely original look to the compact crossover SUV segment.

Meanwhile, though retaining the beautiful, hand-crafted forms of KODO design, the styling of the Mazda MX-30 represents an exploration of a more modern aesthetic which focuses on the futuristic values and lifestyles that are beginning to emerge.

Mazda Says They Can Turn Internal Combustion Engines Carbon Neutral

Despite the automotive industry’s love for electrification, Mazda thinks that the internal combustion engine still has a lot of give—at least until the next 20 or so years. As part of its Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030 long-term strategy, the Japanese carmaker is aiming to reduce its “Well-to-Wheel” emissions by 50 percent of 2010 levels by 2030, and to 90 percent by 2050.

Expecting that internal combustion engines combined with some form of electrification will still account for some 95 percent of the vehicles it produces in 2030, and that liquid fuel will remain dominant in the automotive industry until at least 2040, Mazda is considering a renewable liquid fuel essential to drastic CO2 reduction.

With that, Mazda is now researching into biofuels that are grown from microalgae. When burnt, algae biofuel only releases CO2 recently removed from the atmosphere via photosynthesis as the algae grew making cars close to, if not, carbon neutral.

Microalgae biofuel has numerous positive attributes as a renewable liquid fuel. Algae fuels can be farmed on land unsuitable for agriculture, can be grown with minimal impact on freshwater resources, can be produced using saline and wastewater, have a high flash point, and are biodegradable and relatively harmless to the environment if spilled.

Improving productivity and reducing costs are fundamental to the widespread future availability of algae biofuels. To that end, Mazda is lending its technical support to the combination of research into genome editing by Hiroshima University and plant physiology by the Tokyo Institute of Technology which is intended to lead to a breakthrough in these areas.

As part of the “Well-to-Wheel” initiative, Mazda has developed a multi-solution approach to reduce overall CO2 emissions without any compromise to driving pleasure and performance to its vehicles. Ingenious Skyactiv technologies such as i-Stop and Cylinder Deactivation are available, while there’s also the Skyactiv-X Spark Controlled Compression Ignition (SPCCI) petrol engine.

Mazda is also introducing EVs to regions that generate electricity from clean energy sources or restrict certain vehicle types to reduce air pollution. Their first full EV is the Mazda MX-30.

Honda's Design Recognized at Red Dot 2020 Awards

Honda’s gotten its design mojo back and proving it are three awards at the Red Dot awards including the highest honor—the Red Dot: Best of the Best.

Receiving the Red Dot 2020 for Smart Product Design as well as Red Dot 2020 Best of the Best Car Design is the first-ever Honda e—Honda’s first-ever full electric vehicle. Designed for urban environments, the Honda e was recognized for its signature front and rear LED lights and its glass charging port cover set in a unique black concave panel.

Before making its debut as a production vehicle, the Honda e was recognized as Best Concept Car in 2017 by the Car Design Awards.

Meanwhile, another Honda—this time its CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP motorcycle also received recognition in the Smart Product Design category highlighting its “design without compromise” approach. In particular, the jurors recognized its best-in-class drag co-efficient thanks to learnings from the MotoGP.

The CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP was designed with an innovative new approach in which Honda R&D’s digital simulation experts, clay modelers, and styling sketch designers worked with a continuous, almost simultaneous feedback loop to create the maximum effect in the shortest possible development time.

The annual Red Dot awards honor excellence across product, brand, and communication design from international businesses. The winning products are decided by a judging panel comprised of 40 international experts who test, evaluate, and discuss each entry.

Honda has a long history of success in the automotive section of the Red Dot awards, among the most prestigious and sought-after awards in the world. Other recent successes include the Honda S2000 in 2001 and Civic in 2006 for “Red Dot: Best of the Best,” and European Accord Tourer in 2008 and Insight in 2009 for “Red Dot”.

The Latest Lego Technic Set is the "Fast and Furious" Dodge Charger

The latest Fast and Furious move may have been delayed until 2021, but fans of the movie franchise (and muscle car afficionados) can still get a piece of with Lego’s newest Technic line kit: the 1970 Dodge Charger driven by Dom Toretto in the film series.

The 1,100-piece Lego Technic set features several moving parts such as wheels, suspension, supercharger induction system, and steering. There’s even a flip-down prop stand that puts the Charger into a wheelie stance just like in the first movie. The model is more than 15 inches long according to Lego.

Lego says its now available for pre-orders on their website right now with shipments (assuming this lockdown’s done by then) to start by April 27. It will also be made available for sale at selected retail outlets, but expect some delays given the current situation.

Metro Pacific Follows SMC's Lead, Makes Tollways Free for Medical Front Liners

Two days after San Miguel Corporation announced that medical front liners can use its tollways for free, Metro Pacific Corporation has now followed suit.

Metro Pacific which operates the NLEX, NLEX Harbor Link, SCTEX, Cavitex, CALAX, and C5 South Link are now toll free for all medical personnel. With that, medical personnel will need to present their PRC License Card to get a specially-tagged RFID sticker.

It’s currently available at two locations: the Balintawak Toll Plaza Customer Service Center and the Cavitex Service Center (before the Parañaque Toll Plaza) starting today, March 30 from 8:30 AM to 4 PM.

Both San Miguel Corporation and Metro Pacific Corporation promise to have more RFID installation locations soon.

Suzuki and Kia are Offering Extended Warranty, PMS Coverage

Suzuki and Kia have now joined other carmakers in offering extended warranty coverage and preventive maintenance service grace period in light of the COVID-19 pandemic gripping the Philippines.

In accordance with the Philippine government direction to mitigate COVID-19, Suzuki Philippines has ordered all its dealerships—automobile, motorcycle, and marine products to suspend its operations under further notice.

In light of that decision, the Japanese carmaker is extending warranties expiring during the period of Enhanced Community Quarantine by three months granted that owners follow the Suzuki standard warranty policy. This covers motorcycle, automobile, and marine product customers. For units due for PMS during the quarantine period, Suzuki Philippines is likewise granting a special servicing extension of three months.

Meanwhile, Kia’s new distributor, Ayala Automotive is offering a 30-day extension after the lifting of the Enhanced Community Quarantine for expiring warranties, while PMS grace periods are extended by 15 days.

The 2020 Hyundai Accent Goes High-Tech (w/ 14 Photos)

After teasing the world with the first images of the refreshed 2020 Accent two weeks ago, Hyundai has now released all the details surrounding its sub-compact sedan.

The launch, which was supposed to have been done at one of the Accent’s most important markets, India, was scrapped due to the government’s lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 there. So instead, Hyundai opted to release all the information online.

Known as the Verna in India (and also in Hyundai’s home market of Korea), the 2020 Accent gets a redesigned frontend that uses more geometric patterns and lines. The new cascading grille is now larger—shaped similarly to the ones seen in the new Sonata and Elantra, new side view mirrors with LED turn signal repeaters, and at the back, a rear bumper with a built-in diffuser and LED taillights. On higher-end variants, LED headlights with daytime running lights are standard, as are diamond-patterned 16-inch wheels with 195/55 R 16 tires, while the turbo swaps the dark chrome grille for a high-gloss black one along with a twin-tip muffler design at the back.

Inside, the 2020 Accent gets improved touchpoints with more chrome, and two available color schemes—two-tone beige-and-black or all-black for the turbo. New for this update include new gauges with a full-color 4.2-inch multi-function display, a larger 8-inch infotainment screen with a 6-speaker Arkamys system, Qi wireless charging, passive keyless entry with smart trunk function, auto-dimming rearview mirror, vented front seats, and automatic climate control with built-in ionizer and rear vents.

For this refresh, Hyundai has given the Accent three possible engine choices. It starts off with a 1.5-liter normally-aspirated 4-cylinder engine with 115 horsepower and 144 Nm of torque. Moving up, there’s a 1.5-liter U2 common rail direct injected diesel with 115 horsepower and 250 Nm of torque. Finally, there’s a 1.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with 120 horsepower and 172 Nm of torque. All engines can be paired with a 6-speed manual, but the normally-aspirated gasoline gets a CVT, the diesel a 6-speed automatic, and the 1.0-liter turbo a 7-speed dual clutch with paddle shifters.

For safety, all variants now get dual SRS airbags, ABS with EBD, and rear parking sensors as standard equipment. On the higher trim models, it gets 6 airbags, stability control, front parking sensors, rear parking camera, tire pressure monitoring system, and rear disc brakes.

The 2020 Accent (Verna) has gone on sale in India with prices starting at 817,867 Indian Rupee (~ P 554,850) and tops out at 1,407,871 Indian Rupee (~ P 955,155.52). With India serving as the Philippines’s source of Accents, it’s just going to be a matter of time when it makes it to the local market as well.

Ex-BMW Guy is Kia's New Interior Design Chief

Another key appointment over at Kia is Jochen Paesen who will now serve as Vice President of the carmaker’s Interior Design Group. Paesen will be based at the Kia Design Center in Namyang, Korea and will report to Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Kia Design Center.

Paesen will oversee the development of the brand’s future interior design. In particular, his presence will strengthen the brand’s capabilities in interior design for a range of future electric and electrified vehicles. The appointment is part of Kia’s wider efforts to capitalize on the design opportunities presented by electrification.

He brings with him almost two decades of experience leading major interior design projects across volume, premium and start-up brands. His most recent role was Senior Design Director for Interior Design at NIO, where he led a global team of designers in Munich, Germany, and established an interior identity for the brand prior to its market entry. He previously spent much of his career at BMW Group, and was credited with designing the 2009 BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics concept car and the BMW i8 Roadster. He also worked alongside Mr. Habib on a number of design projects in the early stages of his career.

The Kia Design Center in Namyang, Korea is at the heart of Kia’s global design network. Overseeing all aspects of the brand’s designs, from conceptualization and modelling to styling and development of color and materials, the design headquarters works closely with the company’s regional design centers in China, Europe, and the U.S.

Isuzu PH Helps Hometown of Biñan and Santa Rosa by Providing Front Liner Transport Needs

Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) joins other automakers in providing for the transportation needs of the country’s healthcare and frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19 particularly in their adaptive hometown of Biñan, Laguna.

Two Isuzu D-Max units pickup trucks one mu-X SUV were lent to authorized representatives of the Biñan local government, while three Isuzu light commercial vehicles were delivered as well to help support front liners in the area.

Isuzu also lent one mu-X and one NLR PUV to Medical City in Sta. Rosa, Laguna as well, which will be used as the Medical City's front liners’ service. IPC still continues to reach out to other hospitals to address their mobility problems.

“As the world, including the Philippines, faces an unprecedented health crisis threatening countless lives, our healthcare workers and front liners—the doctors, nurses, medical researchers, hospital and clinic technicians, and other staff—have risked their own lives to help stop the pandemic, while caring for those who have contracted the disease. And they have been performing such selfless work tirelessly, without letup. With these vehicles, we at IPC hope that our dedicated and enduring heroes in the hospitals would find comfort and safety in their transport. Through our vehicles, we can help them fight the virus more effectively,” says IPC President Hajime Koso.

Isuzu PH's Mobile Medic Can Still Service Isuzu Vehicles in Essential Sectors

Isuzu Philippines Corporation is assuring its customers that during this period of Enhanced Community Quarantine, its mobile service—Isuzu Mobile Medics is still online.

The mobile repair fleet is still active, and is being used to make sure that Isuzu vehicles part of essential services are kept running during the duration of the Luzon-wide Enhanced Community Quarantine. Owners, operators, and drivers can still avail of expert and experienced Isuzu service wherever and whenever they are needed.

“The Isuzu Mobile Medic is an onsite emergency servicing and is essential for Isuzu vehicles to continue operating uninterrupted in the government, armed forces, utility companies, logistics, and healthcare sectors,” Mr. Koso added.

For bookings, contact Customer Relations through customer-relations [at] suzuphil.com.

For other Isuzu owners though, their 45-strong dealer network is offering a 30-day grace period on all scheduled Periodic Maintenance Service, while all Isuzu vehicles whose warranty coverage will be lapsing within the quarantine period will also be given a 30-day warranty extension.

Honda Automobile (China) Will Cease to Exist by April

After the closure of its assembly plant in Santa Rosa, Laguna, as well as the plant that makes the Civic Type R, Honda is continuing to consolidate its global manufacturing footprint with the announcement that Honda Automobile (China) will cease to exist by April.

Honda’s first Chinese automobile production plant dedicated for export, Honda Automobile (China) will now be folded into GAC Honda Automobile—a joint-venture between Honda and Guangzhou Automobile Group.  As a result of this merger, Honda Automobile (China) will now officially be renamed, Guangzhou Development District Factory of GAC Honda.

Under its new name, the plant will begin producing Accord for the China domestic market starting in April, while continuing to produce and export the City model for the Mexican market.

With the addition of the 50,000-unit production capacity of this plant, GAC Honda will now be able to produce 770,000 units annually.

Subaru PH Offers Warranty, PMS Extensions As Well

With the closure of all their showrooms and service centers nationwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Motor Image Pilipinas, the exclusive distributor of Subaru vehicles in the country has made the decision to extend PMS and warranties.

In a statement, Motor Image Pilipinas says:

“All previously scheduled Periodic Maintenance Servicing (PMS) and warranties that will expire within this period [of Enhanced Community Quarantine] shall be given a 30-day extension but will still be subject to validation under our Standard Warranty Guidelines.”

Motor Image Pilipinas’s move echoes other carmakers which have offered warranty extensions and PMS grace periods anywhere between 15 to 70 days after the lifting of the Enhanced Community Quarantine.

Ford PH Lends Out Transit Vans as Healthcare Front Liner Shuttles

Ford Philippines is deploying its Ford Transit vans to help transport medical and healthcare front liners amid the Enhanced Community Quarantine that saw the suspension of public transportation in Luzon.

“We are one with the nation in recognizing the important contributions of medical front liners, our modern-day heroes, whose roles are very critical during this COVID-19 pandemic,” shares PK Umashankar, managing director, Ford Philippines. “With the Ford Transit, we are able to assist in their mobility needs so they can provide the much-needed medical care as soon as possible.”

Ford partnered with Lifeline for a lend out of the Ford Transit for the entire duration of the quarantine period to transport medical front liners to Lifeline's various points of dispatch (LIFEPODS). Points of dispatch are standalone ambulance stations spread across Metro Manila that house the ambulance, equipment, and crew.

Lifeline is the largest private ambulance and pre-hospital provider in Metro Manila that offers 24/7 emergency quick response ambulances, doctors on call, and patient transfer services.

Ford has also lent another Ford Transit van to Asian Hospital in Muntinlupa City for the duration of the quarantine period to shuttle medical workers from various pick-up points in the city to the hospital and then back to designed drop-off points. The lend out will allow the medical front liners to get to Asian Hospital faster and more conveniently to facilitate medical service delivery.

The automotive company is also looking to lend its Ford Ranger pickup trucks to partner-organizations to help transport food, supplies, equipment, and other essential goods.

Kia Appoints New President to Accelerate EV, Self-Driving Car Efforts

Kia Motors Corporation will have a new president. Ho-sung Song, currently Kia’s Head of Global Operations Division will take over on April 1.

In his new capacity, Mr. Song will spearhead the advancement of “Plan S,” the company’s mid- to long-term strategy aimed at progressively establishing a leadership position in the future automotive industry. The plan includes a shift away from traditional internal combustion powered vehicles to pure electric ones as well as strides in autonomous driving technology.

Part of Kia’s concrete goals under “Plan S” is to have a full line-up of 11 battery electric vehicles by 2025, achieve a 6.6 percent of the global EV market (excluding China), while also having 25 percent of its global sales from eco-friendly vehicles.

Kia says Mr. Song’s extensive experience across the automotive value chain as well as his expertise in overseas operations will be tremendous assets in the company’s transition to future businesses.

Prior to his current position as Head of Global Operations, Mr. Song has been successful in a wide array of leadership roles, ranging from President of Kia Motors Europe, and Head of Kia Motors Corporation Export Planning Group.

Mr. Song will replace Han-woo Park who will stay on in an advisory role within Kia. Park may possibly get the role of CEO in the automaker.

Mitsubishi PH Helps Santa Rosa's COVID-19 Efforts

As its way of recognizing the efforts of Filipinos, particularly at its hometown of Santa Rosa City, Laguna, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) lent out L300 shuttle units through the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

These two L300 units were provided to DOTr to assist in the servicing of health workers, support staff, and other front liners from Sta. Rosa City in Laguna to Muntinlupa City and vice versa during the Enhance Community Quarantine period.

An additional two L300 units were lent to the local government of Sta. Rosa City to transport the city’s front liners within the area.

Each unit will be allowed to carry 10 passengers, including the driver, to observe the social distancing rule being implemented.

“Mitsubishi Motors acknowledges the sacrifice being done by our frontliners. From the people in the medical field, our uniformed personnel, food and service crew, security guards and other support personnel, we salute your bravery, selflessness and dedication in protecting our communities from this virus.” as shared by MMPC President and CEO, Mr. Mutsuhiro Oshikiri

Medical Front Liners Can Use SMC Tollways for Free

San Miguel Corporation is waiving toll on all its expressways for medical front liners working tirelessly to save lives in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

Through its SMC Infrastructure, the company said the following toll roads will be free of toll for all health care professionals for the duration of the Enhanced Community Quarantine: STAR Tollway, South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), Skyway, NAIAX, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX).

“This is the least we can do to show our appreciation and gratitude for our doctors and nurses’ who are working under extremely challenging circumstances to save lives. Considering the sacrifices they make on a daily basis, this is a small gesture. But nevertheless, we hope it helps make life a bit easier for them, and remind them that what they do for all us is deeply appreciated,” said SMC President Ramon S. Ang.

To avail of the toll-free privilege, medical personnel need to secure a special RFID sticker from SMC Tollways, or have their existing RFID sticker converted.

These may be availed at temporary booths the company has set up, initially, at the Shell Magallanes gas station and the NAIAx toll gate, from 8 AM to 7 PM.

Medical practitioners only need to present their PRC license card. An SMC tollway personnel will install the toll-free RFID stickers on their vehicles or convert their existing stickers to toll-free stickers.

The company said it will make the toll-free RFID stickers available at other major locations soon.

“We hope that with this program, our medical front liners would have one less thing to worry about,” Ang added.

Earlier, SMC also announced that it opened priority lanes at the SLEX to help ensure the unimpeded flow of essential goods such as medical supplies and equipment as well as food and raw materials.

The company is also undertaking a massive, nationwide effort to provide free rubbing alcohol to medical practitioners in hospitals as well as other vital agencies and institutions.

Under Ang, the company is also distributing food donations to vulnerable communities affected by the quarantine, as well as hospitals all over Metro Manila.

Land Rover Just Donated a Bunch of Defenders for Fight Against COVID-19

Motoring media events are being canceled left and right due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. One such canceled event is the all-new Land Rover Defender 110’s international ride and drive event. However, instead of idling these units though, Land Rover actually put them to good use.

Land Rover deployed a fleet of 2020 Defender 110 intended for media-related activities to support their partner agencies such as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in their fight against COVID-19.

The Red Cross has been a partner of Land Rover’s go-anywhere SUV since 1954, and was actually selected as one of the agencies that helped shakedown the all-new Defender. At the time, the Defender was deployed in the United Arab Emirates where it helped reach remote Red Cross and Red Crescent bases.

Land Rover’s decision to donate these media units come at a difficult time for the car brand which has actually stopped production at its facilities until the week of April 20. In spite of that, they remain committed in any way they can to help in the fight against the coronavirus.