HYBRID LUXURY, MG STYLE
Head Games: The 2026 Helmet Standards Explained
EDITORIAL TEAM
IRA V. PANGANIBAN Editor-in-Chief
ANJO PEREZ Executive Editor
NEIL PAGULAYAN Managing Editor - Print
JACOB OLIVA Managing Editor - Digital
EGGAY QUESADA Editor-at-Large
OLSON CAMACHO Technical Editor
RONNIE TRINIDAD Visual Technical Director
ADRIAN RAYNES IT and Digital Consultant
MATT PRIOR | KRIS LIM | BINKY SIDDAYAO Columnists
JOHN REY SAN DIEGO Staff Writer
WILLIAM HERRERA | LUIS GERONA | RANDY PEREGRINO Contributors
BONG BOADO | KEITH MARK DADOR | LOUIE CAMACHO
MARK QUESADA | RANDOLPH DE LEON
ARNOLD RIODEQUE | BOBS JEROME | MEMERT MONTELOYOLA Photographers
RAYMUND RAVANERA Graphic Design
SPECIAL THANKS TO
SAIC Motor Philippines, Inc.
Felix Jiang President
Karl Magsuci Vice President for Operations
Steven Zhu Deputy Director for Marketing Department
Uzzi Asuncion Marketing Head for PR and Events
Arnel Tiong Marketing Head for Communications
Jun Cajayon Director of Sales and Business Development
Maiko Viar Manager for Market Intelligence
Yen Infantado Advertising and Digital Officer Raz Munarriz PR and Events Officer
EDITORIAL TEAM
ANJO PEREZ Editor-in-Chief
RICA SISON, JOSEPH BAUTISTA, LARA CAMACHO Contributors
WILLIAM HERRERA, NEIL PAGULAYAN
MARK QUESADA Photographer
JOHN REY SAN DIEGO Staff Writer
RAYMUND RAVANERA Graphic Designer Contact us at info@wheelsph.com
Wheels Magazine is published monthly, a registered trademark of Asian Media Ventures, Inc. in cooperation with Gulf News. Copyright 2015.
IN MEMORIAM
Alan Ranch Sevilla • Earl Manalansan • Dino Ray Directo III • Edward Dangan II
The original car magazine, published since 1895 ‘in the interests of the mechanically propelled road carriage’
Editor Mark Tisshaw
Editor-in-Chief Steve Cropley
Magazine Editor Rachel Burgess
Acting Managing Editor James Attwood
Digital Editor Murray Scullion
Editor-at-Large Matt Prior
Deputy Editor Felix Page
Road Test Editor Matt Saunders
Deputy Road Test Editor Richard Lane
Road Tester Illya Verpraet
News Editor Will Rimell
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The views and opinions expressed within Autocar PH magazine are not necessarily those of Haymarket Media Group Limited or those of its contributors.
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The views and opinions expressed within Autocar Magazine are not necessarily those of Asian Media Ventures, Inc. or those of its contributors. While every care has been taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information herein, or any consequences arising from it. In case of all product reviews, judgements have been made in the context of the product based on Philippines prices at the time of review, which are subject to fluctuation and only applicable to the Philippines market.
Car Insurance 101 for First-Time Car Owners
Whateverynewdrivershouldknowbeforehittingtheroad
KENNETH M. DEL ROSARIO
THE EXECUTIVE DRIVE
The Power Behind the Plug
Bob Palanca and BYD’s
EV Breakthrough
Unforgettable Adventures and Epic Scenic Escapes
"And as BYD continues its rise, it is powered not only by innovation — but by the steady drive and lifelong love of a man who never stopped believing in what cars could do for people."
IRA V. PANGANIBAN
A GR-eat Leap Forward
Inside Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Bold New Flagships, the GR GT and GR GT3
" Toyota’s intent is clear: it wants a GT3 race car that is fast enough for professional teams yet approachable enough for gentleman racers."
R T rototype pecifications
Toyota’s flagship road-legal racer stretches 4,820 mm long, 2,000 mm wide, and stands just 1,195 mm tall, with a 2,725 mm wheelbase. Its entire structure is built around Toyota’s first all-aluminum space frame, reinforced with strategically placed castings and carbon-fiber panels to keep projected weight at 1,750 kg or below. Weight distribution sits at an ideal 45:55 front to rear, aided by the rear transaxle, centrally mounted battery, and optimally placed fuel tank.
Under the hood is a newly engineered 3,998 cc, twinturbo V8, using an 87.5 × 83.1 mm bore and stroke, a drysump system, and a hot-V turbo layout to keep height as low as possible. Power passes through a carbon-fiber torque tube into a new 8-speed automatic transmission with a wet-start clutch. For total system performance, Toyota is targeting 650 PS or more and over 850 Nm of torque, assisted by a rear-mounted electric motor integrated into the transaxle.
The suspension uses a low-mounted doublewishbone setup with forged aluminum arms at both ends, tuned with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires sized 265/35ZR20 front and 325/30ZR20 rear. Brembo carbonceramic discs provide stopping power. Toyota projects a top speed beyond 320 km/h, confirming the GR GT’s role as a true flagship.
R T rototype pecifications
Built to full FIA GT3 regulations, the GR GT3 has slightly different dimensions at 4,785 mm in length, 2,050 mm in width, and 1,090 mm in height. It shares the same fundamental architecture as the GR GT, including the aluminum space frame and twin-turbo V8, though tuned specifically for endurance racing, balance-ofperformance rules, and customer-team usability.
The GR GT3 retains a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with a low-center-of-gravity double-wishbone suspension system, motorsport-grade cooling solutions, and a cabin optimized for quick driver changes. Toyota confirms that many structural engine components and chassis elements are shared with the GR GT to unify development and allow consistent handling behavior between the road and race variants.
Because the car requires official homologation, final figures including power output, curb weight, and aero load will be adjusted once FIA certification begins. However, Toyota stresses that the GR GT3 inherits all the core development principles of the GR GT—low weight, high rigidity, advanced aerodynamics, and the relentless pursuit of driver confidence at the limit.
ANJO PEREZ
Redefining refinement in the hybrid era
HYBRID LUXURY
,
MG STYLE
THE NEW HS HYBRID+ RAISES THE BAR
Roof Rails
Door Cladding
Side Mirror Mounted 360 Camera
Digital Matrix LED Headlights
“This is MG’s most refined and technically advanced hybrid SUV yet.”
225/55 R19
Bridgestone Alenza Tires
Rear LED Taillights
User Selectable Functions
Luxurious Dark Themed Ergonomic Interior
USB-A Ports and 12V Power Socket
Virtual Driver’s Display
Drive select Knob and Qi Wireless Charger
Door Mounted Tweeter
Rear Air Vents and USB-C Ports
Rear Seat Armrest with Cup Holders
MG Pilot ADAS Front Camera
360 and Rear View Camera
Three-point Seatbelts for Three Rear Occupants
SPECIFICATIONS
Vehicle type: compact crossover SUV
Engine: 1.5L Turbocharged In-line 4 Cylinder
Power: 143 ps (105 kW)
Torque: 230Nm (169 lb-ft)
Electric Motor: Permanent Magnet Synchronous
Power: 196 ps (146 kW)
Torque: 340 Nm (184 lb-ft)
Combined power: 224 ps (165 kW) and 340 Nm of torque
Transmission: 2-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (EDU Gen 3)
Front Suspension: Independent MacPherson Strut
Rear Suspension: Multi-link
Front Brakes: Ventilated Disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
Steering: Electric Power Steering
Length: 4,670 mm
Width: 1,890 mm
Height: 1,665 mm
Wheelbase: 2,765 mm
Cargo Capacity: 441L (Rear Seat Up)/1,291L (Rear Seat Folded)
Fuel Tank capacity: 55 liters
RANDY PEREGRINO
Panoramic Sunroof
Spacious Cargo Area
ROAD TEST
Comparo: JETOUR X70 Lightning i-DM vs Chery Tiggo rEV
Two seven seatelectrifiedSU sprovingthatmodernh brids are no real contenders
Unforgettable Adventures and Epic Scenic Escapes
eil agula an and ohn e San iego
Design: Two SUVs with very different personalities
Cabin Quality and Comfort: Spacious vs. Premium
n the Road: ooth electrified power for both SUVs
Technology and Safety: Two modern approaches
Range and Efficiency: Where electrification really shines
Value for Money: Two convincing packages
Final Verdict
What Toyota Is Bringing Home
The2025JapanMobilityShowgaveaglimpseofToyota’snext generation—frommodularworkhorsestohybridicons—and muchofitseemsboundforPhilippineshores.
Unforgettable Adventures and Epic Scenic Escapes
Akio Toyoda, Chairman of the Board, Toyota Motor Corporation
“When Toyota stages a show in Tokyo, the rest of Asia watches — and the Philippines listens closest.”
Toyota Philosophy “Toyota’s future doesn’ t abandon its past — it refines it, electrifies it, and rebuilds it for a new kind of mobility.”
IRA V. PANGANIBAN
The Comeback Year: Icons and Innovations Arriving in 2026
Classicnameplatesreturnwithmodernpowertrains,whilenew hybridsandEVshintatwherePhilippinemotoringisheadednext.
Unforgettable Adventures and Epic Scenic Escapes
“ Hyundai’s baby SUV grows up — boxier, bolder, and built to fight in one of the country ’s most competitive segments.”
JOHN REY SAN DIEGO
Hidden in Harajuku Discovering Ken Okuyama’s Kode 57
AquietTokyostudio,alegendarydesigner,andoneoftherarest coachbuiltFerrariseverimagined—thisisautomotiveart, Japanese style.
JACOB OLIVA
The Secret Gems of Okazaki
InsideMitsubishi’ssecretmuseum,whereacenturyof craftsmanship,innovation,andrallygloryquietlyliveon
JACOB OLIVA
Elevance Mitsubishi Redefining the Modern Adventurer
Aforward-thinkingSUVthatproves adventure and refinement can share the same road
Unforgettable Adventures and Epic Scenic Escapes
JACOB OLIVA
Wheel Nut Retainers
Brake Function to Prevent Left-turn Collisions
NEIL PAGULAYAN
W heel Detachment Prediction early-Detection System
Pre-Crash Brake System
Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
