July is set to be a windy month in terms of car introductions, as several nameplates have announced their returns.
Toyota Lite Ace returns
First of all is the return of a familiar Toyota nameplate, the Lite Ace. The Lite Ace was last sold in the Philippines in the 1990s, as a compact van. This time, the panel van and pic up will be launched ahead of a passenger van.
Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) will reveal the all-new Lite Ace at a display at the Farmers Plaza activity area at the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City. The van will be shown in various body types meant to show its ability to haul people and / or goods. We hope one of them will be the favorite of Japanese car catalogs, the flower van.
The fifth-generation Lite Ace is expected to use a 1.5-liter inline-four gasoline engine, generating 97ps and 134Nm, with drive going to the rear wheels. The Lite Ace with van body is expected to measure 4045mm length x 1665mm width x 1900mm height, making it extremely compact. The truck version will measure 4275mm long. The cab-over-engine body locates the engine underneath the front seats. Wheelbase will be 2650mm. The vehicle was developed with Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu.
The display will be from July 15 to 17, 2022. Toyota will be introducing the Lite Ace with the option of a weekly payment scheme under Toyota Financial Services, as well as dealer packages that will help minimize operational cost. The all-new Lite Ace will start at P570,000.
“The launch of the All-New Lite Ace will bring us even closer to fully realizing our goal of Mobility for All,” said Sherwin Chualim, TMP First Vice President for Vehicle Sales Operations. “With TMP’s entry into this new vehicle category, we aim to empower and enable more Filipino business owners, whether they’re just starting or looking to expand. Our goal is to help them progress and maximize income through a Toyota vehicle that’s simple to acquire, reliable to use, and easy to maintain.”
Honda celebrates 50 years of Civic with new Type R
Honda celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Civic with the announcement of an all-new Type R. July 12, 1972 marked the line-off ceremony for the “car created for citizens and cities.” The groundbreaking sedan and hatchback marked several firsts, such as being the first vehicle to conform with the 1970 U.S. Clean Air Act. Its Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion (CVCC) allowed the Civic to burn fuel cleaner and more efficiently, without the need for a catalytic converter.
Honda will hold the world premiere of the all-new Civic Type R on July 21, 2022. The Type R brand itself celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Its first use was on the legendary NSX Type R.
Meanwhile, the 11th-generation Honda Civic promises the enthusiastic handling coupled with comfort and efficiency that has been its hallmark. The new Civic includes Honda Sensing active safety driving suite. Honda Sensing includes collision mitigation braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and lead car departure notification.
Ford Ranger and Everest now available for reservation
Ford Philippines has already opened its order the books for the all-new Ranger pickup and Everest SUV. Online reservation for the new Ranger and Everest is possible on Ford’s website. A customer can select their preferred model, drivetrain, transmission and color. A refundable payment of P10,000 via PayPal, credit card, or debit card account will be needed to reserve. They will then receive regular updates via text or email on the vehicle’s delivery date.
The next-generation Ranger will have eight variants ranging from the 2.0L Turbo XL 4×2 MT at P1,198,000 all the way to the 2.0L Bi-Turbo Wildtrak 4x4AT at P1,875,000.
The Everest will be available in five variants, from the 2.0L Turbo Trend 4×2 AT at P1,799,000 to the 2.0L Bi-Turbo Titanium+ 4×4 AT at P2,495,000.
“The availability of our online reservation portal is another testament to how we are enhancing the Ford ownership experience by making it easier and more convenient for our customers to know more about and purchase our vehicles,” shares Mike Breen, managing director, Ford Philippines. “Our customers have become more digitally-savvy over the past years, so we want to take their car-buying experience to the next level by leveraging an online platform that they can easily access to purchase their Ford vehicles.”
Ford will be demonstrating the all-new Ranger and Everest at its Ford Island Conquest series of test drive programs. The first event will be on July 29 to 31, 2022, a day after the public launch of the all-new Ranger and Everest.
