Isuzu Philippines (IPC) sure knows how to celebrate a major milestone. On its 20th anniversary, the company hosted a formal gala and unveiled 20 vehicles with new engines. Included in the updates are new Euro 4-compliant mills for the D-Max and the MU-X. Dubbed the Blue Power Technology engines, they're said to "provide maximum engine output, cleaner emissions, superb fuel economy and engine durability." All Isuzu vehicles available in the country will be powered by this new engine technology. Under the hood of the D-Max and the MU-X is the 4JJ1-TCX turbodiesel powerplant. It now has more horses at 175hp and more grunt at 380Nm. The face-lifted MU-X is now equipped with a six-speed transmission for both its manual and automatic variants. Other handy driver-assist features include auto-leveling headlights, hill start assist, and hill descent control. Its 8-inch screen entertainment system with USB link has text-to-speech navigation. The D-Max gets these features without the auto-leveling headlights, but it does get extra USB ports for those women people who always forget to keep their gadgets charged. Along with these new features and greener engines come a price bump, and we'll let you know their pricing soonest. "We are hoping, yet we are confident, that the Philippines will continue to patronize the brand with these substantial changes that we have introduced," said IPC president Hajime Koso said. So, who's checking out the new D-Max and MU-X at the nearest Isuzu dealership? ARTICLE BY TOP GEAR PHILIPPINESNow we know what it looks like, but no, that isn't an all-new FJ Cruiser. At least we can take solace in the fact that the vehicle you see above isn't a fan-made render, but an actual concept set to be displayed at this year's Tokyo Motor Show. It's a concept compact crossover called the XBEE (or cross-bee), and Suzuki's bringing it to Tokyo next month along with a handful of other creations. But for FJ-related reasons, this one's our favorite of the bunch. The XBEE will be showcased in three distinct variants: the regular XBEE, XBEE Outdoor Adventure, and XBEE Street adventure. One's for nature, one's for the city, one is for those who can't decide, and we'll leave it up to you to guess which is which. Not much else regarding this vehicle yet, though Suzuki does say it'll be compact, boast rough road drivability, and feature a spacious cabin. We're excited. For those looking for concept a little less likely to make it into production, there's the Suzuki e-Survivor. "A compact SUV of the next age" Suzuki calls this one, and a mix of the ever lovable Jimny and Suzuki Vitara. It's lightweight and features all-electric four-wheel drive. Lastly, there's are a pair of "tall miniwagons" called the Spacia. You can catch all these and more when they take to the Tokyo Motor Show next month. ARTICLE BY TOP GEAR PHILIPPINESBoys and girls, it’s our first look at an all-new Mitsubishi Evo. A sentence that, 10 years ago, would have had the internet comments section in an immediate frenzy. There’d be debates about how much more power had been wrung out of a two-liter turbo engine, how much the rear wing had been extended by, and just how much fun we’d all have pretending to be rally drivers when we got a go in the thing. Either in real life or on a games console. This time though, it’s different. The seemingly endless battle in the '90s and '00s between fast Subaru Imprezas and Mitsubishi Evos, um, ended. You can still buy an STI-badged Subaru, but its spec sheet has been stagnant for years. Fast Lancers, meanwhile, are dead and buried. The e-Evolution Concept, as Mitsubishi has named the car teased above, will be at next month’s Tokyo Motor Show. We're told it mates Mitsubishi’s latest four-wheel-drive electric setup with artificial intelligence “under a low-slung, highly aerodynamic SUV Coupé shape.” Which leads us to conclude it’s a sportier, sexier, cleverer version of the really quite popular Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, a car that launched as a pioneer but now finds itself increasingly surrounded by plug-in SUV rivals. Will it be a proper performance car, though? Well, you could argue those old Evos were very good at channeling new tech, and as highly turbocharged performance cars, were well ahead of the curve. Perhaps the e-Evolution’s ethos isn’t a million miles away. But does it have to be an SUV? “The e-Evolution Concept signals the start of anexciting new era that will see long-term growth and sustainable development for the brand,” says Mitsubishi. To achieve those things, it kinda has to be a crossover of some description. If that really must be the case, let’s cross all our fingers and toes it's miraculously inspired by the Mitsubishi Pajero Evo. NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made. ARTICLE BY TOP GEAR PHILIPPINESThe world can’t have enough rear-wheel-drive sedans with turbo V6 power, right? Here’s the latest challenger to the likes of the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class: Meet the Genesis G70. Europeans might be scratching their heads right now, but Americans will be nodding knowledgeably and saying “Of course, the latest project from Hyundai’s premium offshoot, aiming to leapfrog Lexus and Infiniti”. The G70 is aiming at Korean, US and Russian markets first, slotting in beneath the G80 and G90 sedans in the Genesis lineup, just like BMW offers a 3-, 5- and 7-Series to choose between. And first off, it looks rather handsome. Check out that front wing vent, the AMG-style wheels, and how short the overhangs are. Maybe it’s not as gorgeous as an Alfa Romeo Giulia, but a Jaguar XE looks quite dated all of a sudden. Audi designers might be having a wry look at the enormous front grille right now. Pity half of it is actually blanked off to hide the front anti-collision and cruise control radar, but that’s par for the course among rivals, too. Underneath the G70, if you were to break out the angle grinders, you’d find the same rear-drive platform as the Kia Stinger. The engine lineup is shared too: You can have a 2.0-liter gasoline, a 2.2-liter turbodiesel, or a 3.3-liter turbo V6 with 350hp. But this isn’t supposed to be a cannibalization that’ll accidentally chomp the Stinger. The Kia is meant to be the sporty one, and the Genesis is the more luxurious one. It has more soundproofing, and you can spec diamond-quilted upholstery inside. Fine, but there are also red brake calipers and gaping oval exhausts on the G70 Turbo Sport. Wonder if Kia’s pleased about that. Inside, there’s plenty of European influence. A BMW-style tablet infotainment screen, an Audi-esque dash sweep, and more knurled switches than you can shake a Bentley brochure at. Doesn’t look like there’s much Hyundai parts-sharing going on either. There’ll be no wagon or coupe: Like the Giulia or XE, the G70 is a standard sedan, and Genesis says this is the third and final in its range. Next priorities are SUVs as well as adding electric and hybrid models to the lineup as Genesis aims to start pinching premium German marque sales worldwide. Top Gear UK will be grabbing an early drive in the G70 soon. In the meantime, let us know if you reckon it deserves a place among the old guard below. ARTICLE BY TOP GEAR PHILIPPINES*Note: The image above was taken in Japan. The current Nissan X-Trail has been in the country for around three years. A facelift surfaced overseas back in June, and it didn't take Nissan Philippines(NPI) long to bring it to local dealerships. Ladies and gents, the new X-Trail has arrived. The biggest changes to this compact crossover are to its on-board tech. This is the first vehicle in the Philippines that's equipped with the largest range of Nissan's Intelligent Mobility features. This includes a 360-degree monitor for easier navigation, sensors that detect movement around the vehicle, blind spot warning, forward collision warning with intelligent emergency braking, rear cross traffic alert, and the 4x4-I System which automatically adjusts power distribution based on road conditions. Design-wise, the new X-Trail boasts a redesigned front fascia with integrated foglamps and LED daytime running lights, new 19in wheels, a fin-type antenna, and a newly integrated sunroof. Inside, there are new finishes on the door and instrument panel, plus new designs for the shift knob, center console, and steering wheel. “The Nissan X-Trail offers enough room for families and groups who love to go on road trips, says NPI president and managing director Ramesh Narasimhan. “With Nissan Intelligent Mobility, our customers can enjoy each adventure as they drive safe and sound. We want them to treat the new X-Trail as a partner that looks out for them so they can have a fun and hassle-free time on the road.” The Nissan X-Trail is available in both 4x4 (P1,728,000) and 4x2 (P1,399,000) variants. Available colors include Premium Corona Orange, Marine Blue, Pearl White, Gun Metallic, and Diamond Black. It's available in all Nissan dealerships starting this month. ARTICLE BY TOP GEAR PHILIPPINESDetails at last on the new Suzuki Swift Sport! Revealed with one lonely picture and no tech data, we worried the new Swift Sport might be hiding some secrets. But no. It's lighter and more powerful than the last car. The new one ought to reach infatuation, if it lives up to these specs… First off, it weighs just 970kg. That’s a massive 80kg saving versus the last Swift Sport, which already felt like it would blow away in a stiff breeze. Though the new one's 40mm wider, Suzuki says its new platform is the key to cutting out chub. Not bad, since the engine has sprouted a turbocharger. Yes, pray silence for the passing of the last naturally aspirated hot hatch. And when you eye the specs and see the new Swift Sport’s 'Boosterjet' 1.4-liter turbo engine develops 136hp--just 2hp more than before—you might feel a tad cheated. Fear not. You don't need more power when the cabin has more red highlights than a Paramore concert. That's got to be worth 50hp. Happily, torque is now a chunky, Toyota 86-busting 229Nm--up by over 69Nm—and dished out lower down the rev range. This lighter, heartier Swift ought to feel properly punchy for a small car. Suzuki's still not released acceleration times or top speed, though. But the engine is probably quite light, because it appears to defy gravity altogether in the image Suzuki has provided. Anti-gravity engines? That's a world-first in our book. The suspension's had a thorough workover, with stiffer anti-roll bars and wider-spaced wheel bearings. Because nerdy changes equal big B-road smiles, hopefully. The wheels are 17-inchers, wearing another controversial feature: bigger rubber. Yep, tires are 40mm wider front and rear, which slightly sets out scrappy handling fun alarm bells off. Let's hope Suzuki has kept the last car’s brilliantly approachable balance, instead of just concentrating on growing up. The tech spec list is seriously mature—you can have adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning assist, anti-crash braking and a driver drowsiness alert. Drowsy? In one of these? We doubt it… ARTICLE BY TOP GEAR PHILIPPINESThe Toyota FJ Cruiser is a vehicle that you either love or hate, period. Fans will point to its retro-inspired styling and rugged capabilities. Detractors, meanwhile, will point out that it's weird to look at, heavy to drive, cramped, and ridiculously impractical in every conceivable way. Regardless of which camp you're in, though, it's always a bit sad to see a popular nameplate get the axe. Yup, it's finally happening to Toyota's unique SUV. While the Japanese carmaker ended its American production a few years ago, it's now doing so at home as well. Feast your eyes on the 'Final Edition' variant of the FJ Cruiser. The changes to this version are mostly aesthetic, with a beige color scheme permeating throughout to really capture that nostalgic feel. The exterior, seat upholstery, and center cluster trim all get the beige treatment. Black coating is also added throughout the exterior and interior, and underneath are new 20in aluminum wheels and side steps. It kind of looks like the off-roaders of old—beefy control panel buttons and all. Don't get your hopes up, though, because this edition will only be sold in Japan. We've known about the FJ Cruiser's demise for some time now, but the reality still stings for its fans. What's your fondest memory of Toyota's quirky SUV? ARTICLE BY TOP GEAR PHILIPPINESNissan has refreshed its 370Z sports car for 2018. Yeah, it’s another blink-and-you’ll-miss-it type affair. Most changes are aesthetic, such as blacked-out door handles and a new rear bumper. There are also tinted headlights and rear lights, previously only available on Nismo models. Perhaps the 19in alloys and metallic red paint will be easier to spot. Inside, ‘GT versions’ of the new car gets Nissan’s premium infotainment system as standard. This means a seven-inch touchscreen featuring satnav and a reversing camera. Under the hood, its 3.7-liter V6 still produces just over 320hp, allied to your choice of a six-speed manual or seven-speed auto. Just like before. However, the single mechanical change comes in the form of a new high-performance clutch developed in conjunction with EXEDY. We’re told the new clutch reduces driver pedal effort and provides “even greater levels of gear change precision and comfort”, especially when coupled with Nissan’s rev-match system dubbed ‘Syncro Rev Control’. The 370Z Nismo remains the same. Prices for this 2018 ‘standard’ Zed are cheaper than a four-cylinder, EcoBoost-engined Ford Mustang in other markets. Which one would you pick? ARTICLE BY TOP GEAR PHILIPPINES |
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