Zigwheels weekly wrap: Oct. 12-16

MANILA: Last week was nothing short of eventful, with several model launches, dealer expansions, and a few promos thrown, here and there. But not all news is good news. We also covered recalls that affect locally-sold units. 

Of course, we also have our fair share of global launches, as well as local auto and moto initiatives—among others. 

That said, here is the abridged version of last week’s biggest news stories. 

Other stories: Omoda, Jaecoo Motor PH introduces new digital solutions to vehicle owners, dealerships Denza to launch God’s Eye in Europe for Z9 GT, but what about PH? VinFast PH opens pre-order books for VF8 ahead of Nov. 2026 launch

Local launches 

Honda City, Civic 

Delivering a much-awaited refresh, Honda Cars Philippines Incorporated (HCPI) has updated the City and City Hatchback nameplates. 

Both models don a refreshed fascia comprised of new lights, grille, bumper, and functional air dams. Aside from a set of new wheels, blacked-out door handles, and cameras on its side mirrors, the vehicles also get a clear-lensed taillamp. 

The cabin packs a new infotainment system, while the dashboard gains a textured trim. Lastly, the seats lose the red suede upholstery and are replaced with red piping. 

As for the Honda Civic, the hybrid RS variant has been fitted with the S+ Shift feature, which was only available on the Prelude. 

The new Honda City starts at P998,000, while the City Hatchback has an entry-level price of P1.238 million. Finally, the updated Civic stickers for P2.08 million. 

Toyota Tamaraw MPUV 

Toyota Motor Philippines previewed the newest addition to the Tamaraw lineup—the modern public utility vehicle (MPUV) variant.  

Displayed at the marque’s manufacturing facility in Santa Rosa City, Laguna, and will soon make its first public appearance at the 2026 Philippine International Truck Summit. 

Powertrain features were not reported, but we can assume it will use the company’s 2.4-liter diesel-powered engine with a six-speed automatic transmission to make 149 horses and 400 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque. 

Other Toyota Tamaraw body styles available are: 

• Utility van
• Cargo van
• Dropside
• Aluminum van
• Patrol car
• Refrigerated van
• Telecommunications van
• Ambulance 

Tesla Roadster 

While not exactly a launch (at least not yet), Tesla Philippines has opened reservation books for the Roadster. 

Reservation fee is P350,000, but an additional P3.15 million will be due within 10 days. 

Of note, the nameplate made waves on the wide web for its launch where it showcased its limited-release “thrust,” touted to provide additional forward momentum via cold-gas thrusters mounted on the rear of the car. 

Per Tesla, this enables the vehicle to accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in just one second. 

It also wowed with its “rocket” feature, which allows the car to “fly” with the use of cold gas. 

Honda Click160 

Jumping into the local motorcycle segment, the two-wheeler arm of HCPI has provided the Click160 with some mild updates. 

New to the city scoot is its new set of fairings with carbon-style trims, red-colored wheels, and three new color options. It also received a new two-toned leather seat, combined with the model’s characteristic wide, spacious step board and a new W-shaped grab bar for its pillion passenger. 

While it retained its powertrain, the brand stated that it underwent minor improvements. 

Dealer expansion 

VinFast E-Motorcycles 

VinFast E-Motorcycles has opened new outlets and is now 36-dealer strong, quickly gaining traction from its initial 21 locations. 

The 36th facility is operated alongside New Nemar, who also runs its Batangas dealership. 

It covers 125.30 square meters and combines product display, charging solutions, and technical services in a single space. There, customers can have direct consultation, learn about the “one-minute battery swap” solution and home-charging options, and test ride the Evo, Feliz II, and Viper. 

Relatedly, VinFast E-Motorcycle dealer owners can take advantage of a program that allows them to take advantage of financial incentives of around P3.7 million for each qualifying new electric motorcycle showroom opened in the Philippines.    

Suzuki  

Suzuki Philippines Incorporated also pushed through its expansion efforts by updating its Suzuki Auto Manila Bay dealer. 

Located at One Wheels Condominium, Block 3, Lot 3, CBP1 Subdivision, Barangay 76, Pasay City, it offers vehicle sales, servicing, and spare parts support, allowing customers to access both vehicle purchasing and after-sales services in one location. 

Isuzu 

Isuzu Philippines Corporation has moved its Urdaneta dealer to a new location. 

Operated by Inteco, its new home can be found near the Urdaneta exit of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. With a 145-square-meter showroom and a 1,481-square-meter service area, the building can display up to two light commercial vehicles and one commercial vehicle. 

Promos of the week 

Last week, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) rolled out a new promo that lets car buyers enjoy up to P230,000 savings for the Zenix Q hybrid vehicle. In addition, cash savings were also available for select models. 

HCPI, too, launched a promo of its own promo in partnership with PSBank. The two offer a zero percent interest rate for select models of the Honda HR-V, City, and BR-V. 

Recall 

Some models sold locally have been part of recalls issued by their respective manufacturers. 

For one, TMP has issued a service campaign for the Urban Cruiser. It was noted that some 17 units of the electric crossover—produced between November 27, 2025, and April 11, 2026—suffered a software flaw in the Integrated Display System. 

As such, the affected portion’s software, where the average power consumption (average energy efficiency) calculation logic is incorrectly displayed.  

On the other hand, its sibling, the Suzuki e-VITARA, is not affected by the recall. Per the company: “any similar concerns involving the batch of units being retailed in the country, should they have arisen prior to their arrival in the Philippines, have already been addressed.” 

Lastly, the BYD Shark seems to have sunk into deep waters after a spare tire lifter assembly issue has caused a recall to be issued against the nameplate. 

In New Zealand, the same issue has been deemed: “a hazard to other road users and potentially cause serious injury or death.” 

Global buzz 

In other stories, the Xpeng X9 scored a five-star rating at a test held by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP). Broken down, the multi-purpose vehicle earned a score of 91 percent for crash protection, 91 percent for post-crash safety, 82 percent for crash avoidance, and 56 percent for safe driving. 

ANCAP also performed tests for the GAC Aion UT, which had impressive numbers—scoring 90 percent in crash protection, 88 percent in post-crash safety, 74 percent in crash avoidance, and 68 percent in safe driving. 

Meanwhile, the Audi Q7 was subjected to tests by the European New Car Assessment Program. It also finished with notable scores, like a perfect 100 percent in post-crash safety. 

We also covered a bunch of global releases, such as the all-new Hyundai Tucson N-Line. Per the South Korean carmaker, the fifth-generation model features exclusive exterior and interior design elements and can be had with either a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine, a 1.6-liter hybrid powertrain, or a 1.6-liter plug-in hybrid powertrain. 

BMW also unveiled the latest iteration of the Concept 7 Protection. The prototype is an armored luxury sedan designed to provide a lower level of ballistic protection than the production BMW 7 Series Protection while retaining the comfort and driving characteristics of a regular 7 Series. 

BYD, too, presented the Atto 8 sport utility vehicle. Equipped with the second-generation Blade battery, it is capable of “flash charging,” which juices up the automobile in under 10 minutes. Its electric powertrain is capable of producing approximately 455 horsepower and 365 Nm of torque. 

Lastly, GAC unboxed the Aion UT Cross, which is basically the rougher brother of the Aion UT. 

Also read:

ZW weekly wrap: Aug 24-28

Zigwheels weekly wrap: Aug. 17-21

Zigwheels weekly wrap: Aug. 10-14

Connect with us through our various social media pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZigWheelsPhilippines

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zigwheelsph/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zigwheels

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ZigWheelsPhilippines/