Nissan Opens School for SUV Owners

Twenty members from Club X, an organization of X-Trail enthusiasts, had their own day on October 25 at the SUV Safety School and graduated with honors. Their participation brings to a total of over 60 graduates of this off-road safety-driving course—the first of its kind in the country.

“We are thankful for the commitment and the opportunity for our club and for all X-Trail owners with the SUV Safety School,” says Ken Lim Uy, president of Club X. “No manufacturer we know has done something of this scope or magnitude for their customers. We thank Nissan Motor Philippines Inc. for providing this special day for Club X.” Read more

Major, Indepedent Oil Firms Implement Big Price Rollback

Major and independent oil players rolled back prices of diesel and gasoline early morning of 30 October 2008.

The latest oil firm to reduce its prices is Unioil Petroleum Philippines, which according to its general manager Chito Medina-Cue, will cut back the cost of diesel by P6 per liter and gasoline by P2.50 per liter effective 2 p.m. Thursday.

“This is the biggest rollback in the history of the Philippines so far. This is bigger than the others,” he said. Read more

DirectLink Insurance Marks 10th Year Anniversary

As the first of its kind in the Philippines, Direct Link, once a fresh marketing concept for affordable motorcar insurance, has already a decade of service under its belt-signifying its leadership in offering modern, and convenient guidance and safety on the road.

The company first broke ground in the industry on Oct. 29, 1998 when it introduced telephone-based marketing operations through a highly computerized call center to attend to the needs of private car owners. This type of direct selling breaks the traditional way of getting insurance through middlemen, where commissions are imperative. With Direct Link’s entry in the car insurance industry, it unraveled the possibility of acquiring premiums that are much cheaper than what was being offered in the insurance market at the time.

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DOTC to Impose Stricter Sanctions Against Erring PUVs

The Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC) has imposed stricter sanctions against public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and companies involved in road accidents, an official said on Tuesday.

Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Thompson Lantion said the directive of DoTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza was to immediately suspend the license of any PUV driver involved in a road accident, particularly those resulting in deaths.

At the same time, the LTFRB should immediately issue a cease and desist order against the PUV company involved, Lantion added. Read more

Team Motor Image Pilipinas Off to Impreza Challenge!

Motor Image Pilipinas has formed the 10-man team that will represent the Philippines to the “MediaCorp Radio Subaru Impreza Challenge” – The Regional Face-off” in Singapore this November. The team is composed of the top ten survivors of the Manila leg of the Impreza Challenge held from October 10 to 12 at the Greenhills Shopping Center. The Impreza Challenge is an endurance competition where the top 10 qualifiers will be sent to Singapore where they will have the chance to win a brand new Subaru Impreza WRX 2.5 Turbo.

The Subaru Impreza Challenge was started by Motor Image Enterprises in Singapore in 2002 where contestants gear up to battle the harsh weather elements and body fatigue in their ultimate goal of winning a brand Subaru Impreza. With their right palms firmly placed on the palm decals located strategically on the Subaru Impeza cars, hundreds of contestants embarked on their endurance journey where they were only allowed a 5-minute break once every 6 hours. Read more

Car Loans Rise as Philippine Auto Industry Grows

Car loans climbed in June as the local automotive industry continued posting sales growth amid the perceived economic downturn.

Data from the central bank showed that automobile loans (ALs) stood at P79.1 billion as of end-June, 3.3 percent higher than the loans extended for car purchases at the end of the first quarter. Read more

MMDA Bans Armored Vans from Yellow Lanes

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Sunday reiterated that the yellow lanes on EDSA (Epifanio delos Santos Avenue) are off-limits to armored vans which carry cash from banks or other establishments.

MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando said that drivers of armored vehicles were among the most frequent violators of traffic rules, often citing security as an excuse. Read more

Congress to Probe Why Oil Firms Not Giving Bigger Rollbacks

Speaker Prospero Nograles wants the House of Representatives’ committee on energy chaired by Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo to look into the profits of oil companies.

“If the oil companies are using the deregulation law as their excuse for imposing unreasonable prices, we will also use the provisions of the deregulation law which empowers Congress to exercise oversight over these firms,” he said. Read more

The New Mazda BT-50 will Unleash the “Playful” in You

Looking at its sleek exterior design, the new Mazda BT-50 gives one an impression that it is not just your ordinary pick-up.

The new Mazda BT-50 combines both roughness and style that Mazda vehicles are known for. It exudes the Zoom-Zoom spirit – that feeling of liberation when you let yourself be tapped into the sheer emotion of motion. Read more

Local Automakers to Cut Investments if Ban on Used Car Imports is Lifted

Philippine car companies may halt future investments and stop expansion plans after Manila was reported to have seriously considered allowing the entry of used vehicles.

The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) reiterated its position, expressing disapproval for the reversal of Executive Order 156, which prohibits entry of used vehicles, except for ambulances, firetrucks, and hearses. Read more

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