Car Features - First Versions of Car Manufacturer Sites in the Philippines

On March 29, 1994, that was the first time the Philippines was connected to the world wide web. Throughout the years, from dial-up connection (just pray that no one would be calling) to DSL services to mobile data, the internet had became a part of the Philippine landscape on every aspect and it has extended to the automotive industry.

Car manufacturers used the internet as a tool on reaching potential customers as well as to promote their products. Apart from the manufacturers, car related services (from new and used cars to automobile accessories) have been using the internet as well as portals such as Top Gear Philippines and Autoindustriya. Nowadays, if you can't afford to buy yourself a domain, you can use the services of OLX and Facebook for a nominal fee.

So lets go back memory lane by visiting the first versions of car manufacturer site locally. Tracking them can be possible by accessing Wayback Machine by entering the url and choose the specific date you want to visit. Do take note not all manufacturers will be posted here, just the ones that we can retrieve. Please be reminded that since these are archived pages, not all features and photos would be available.

Audi Philippines - http://audi.com.ph

BMW Philippines - http://www.bmw.com.ph/

General Motors Philippines (Chevrolet, Opel, Subaru) - http://generalmotors.com.ph

Ford Philippines - https://www.ford.com.ph/

Honda Cars Philippines - http://hondaphil.com/

Version 1, December 2, 1998

Version 2, April 19, 2001

Isuzu Philippines - http://isuzuphil.com/

Intro page

Main page

Kia Motors Philippines - http://www.kia.com/ph/

Mazda Philippines - http://mazda.com.ph (under Ford Group Philippines)

Intro page, December 2, 2004

Main page, August 23, 2006

Mercedes Benz Philippines - http://www.mercedes-benz.com.ph/

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines - http://mmpc.ph/ (current site), http://mitsubishi-motors.com.ph/ (used in archives)

Intro page

Main page

Nissan (Universal Motors Corporation) - www.mynissan.com.ph

Nissan (Nissan Motors Philippines Inc.) - http://nissan.com.ph

Suzuki Philippines - http://suzuki.com.ph/auto/

Toyota Motor Philippines - http://toyota.com.ph/

Volvo Cars Philippines - http://www.volvocars.com/ph

Chevrolet Spark - Generation 3.2 (2013-2016)

CHEVROLET SPARK (2013-2016)

An update for 2013 gave the Spark some nips outside and inside. No changes were done when it comes to the engine and equipment.

See the overview of this Spark
See the Generation 3.1 model
See the latest model of the Spark

OWNERSHIP DETAILS	1.2 LT	1.0 LS
Years Offered	May 2013-2016	May 2013-2016
ENGINE SPECS
Engine	1.2 DOHC 16V I4	1.0 DOHC 16V I4
Horsepower	81hp @ 6,200rpm	67hp @ 6,400rpm
Torque	110Nm @ 4,600rpm	90Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel Type	Gasoline/93 Octane	Gasoline/93 Octane
Fuel System	Naturally Aspirated with Port Deactivation Manifold	Naturally Aspirated with Port Deactivation Manifold
Transmission	5-Speed Manual	5-Speed Manual, 4-Speed Automatic
Fuel Tank Capacity	35 Liters	35 Liters
DIMENSIONS
Length	3,640mm	3,640mm
Width	1,597mm	1,597mm
Height	1,549mm	1,549mm
Wheelbase	2,375mm	2,375mm
Curb Weight	939kg	939kg
Body Style	5 Door Hatchback	5 Door Hatchback
Engine/Drive Type	Front Engine/Front Wheel Drive	Front Engine/Front Wheel Drive
Seating	5	5
SUSPENSION & TIRES
Front Suspension	McPherson Strut with Side Load Compensated Strut Modules	McPherson Strut with Side Load Compensated Strut Modules
Rear Suspension	Torsion Beam with V Type Design	Torsion Beam with V Type Design
Front Brakes	Ventilated Steel Discs	Ventilated Steel Discs
Rear Brakes	Cast Iron Drums	Cast Iron Drums
Tires	155/70 R14	155/70 R14
Wheels	14 Inch Alloy	14 Inch Steel
SAFETY
Airbags	1	1
Anti-Lock Brakes	None	None
Traction/Stability Control	None	None
Other Safety Features	Battery Power Protection	Battery Power Protection
EXTERIOR
Fog Lamps	Standard	None
Other Exterior Features	Adds: Chrome Radiator Grille, Roof Rails, Rear Spoiler, High Level Stop Light	Rear Wiper
INTERIOR
Steering Wheel Adjustment
Steering Wheel Material	Urethane	Urethane
Seating Adjustment	Manual	Manual
Seating Material	Synthetic Leather with Premium Fabric Inserts	Fabric
Other Interior Features	Adds: None	60/40 Rear Folding Seats, 12V Power Outlet, LED Instrument Panel
CONVENIENCE FEATURES
Power Amenities	Steering, Windows, Mirrors	Steering, Windows (Front Only)
Climate Control	Manual	Manual
Audio System	AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA	1DIN AM/FM/CD
Speakers	4	4
Steering Wheel Controls	None	None
Alarm	Yes	Yes
Keyless Entry	Yes, with Immobilizer	Yes, with Immobilizer
NOTES
RIVALS	Hyundai Grand i10, Kia Picanto, Mitsubishi Mirage, Suzuki Celerio, Toyota Wigo

Car Features - Top 30 Best Selling Vehicles of Thailand for 2016

Technically, the Thai market is the largest in the ASEAN region in terms of manufacturing and before, sales. However, after the worst floods that hit the country in 2011, the following year had seen a first time buyer scheme which boosted sales but had fallen since later on. What used to be a million cars per year back then, it now hovers at the 700,000+ range and is on the decline ever since. Compared to the Philippines, Thailand has fewer choices but moves a lot of cars and in this article, you will see what Thais mostly buy and you can make it as a comparison against our market.

We will also include how many units were sold in the Philippines for comparison purposes and how sales increased/decreased compared to 2015.

Out of the 12 months, let's look back on Thailand's best sellers. Watch out for out 2015 and 2014 Thai best seller feature article next month.

30. Mazda CX-3 
Thailand: 4,787 units sold, +262%
Philippines: 118 units sold

29. Honda Accord

Thailand: 5,416 units sold, -18%

Philippines: 132 units sold, +2%

28. MG 3

Thailand: 5,427 units sold, +177%
Philippines: No data available

27. Toyota Camry

Thailand: 5,909 units sold, -27%

Philippines: 414 units sold, -41%

26. Ford Everest

Thailand: 6,998 units sold, +41%

Philippines: 12,453 units sold, +152%

25. Mazda BT-50 Pro
Thailand: 7,052 units sold, -12%
Philippines: No data available

24. Mitsubishi Mirage
Thailand: 7,070 units sold, +63%
Philippines: 7,487 units sold, +25%

23. Suzuki Swift
Thailand: 8,032 units sold, -26%
Philippines: No data available

22. Toyota Hiace/Commuter/Ventury
Thailand: 8,541 units sold
Philippines: 19,913 units sold, +19%

21. Isuzu MU-X
Thailand: 8,855 units sold, -29%
Philippines: 12,657 units sold, +16%

20. Mitsubishi Attrage (Mirage G4)
Thailand: 9,005 units sold, -18%
Philippines: 12,880 units sold, +13%

19. Suzuki Ciaz
Thailand: 9,566 units sold, +160%
Philippines: No data available

18. Honda BR-V
Thailand: 10,153 units sold
Philippines: 717 units sold

17. Chevrolet Colorado
Thailand: 12,844 units sold, +10%
Philippines: No data available

16. Nissan Almera
Thailand: 12,944 units sold, +13%
Philippines: 3,176 units sold, +83%

15. Honda HR-V
Thailand: 15,570 units sold, -41%
Philippines: 1,897 units sold, +82%

14. Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (Montero Sport)
Thailand: 15,592 units sold, -18%
Philippines: 10,768 units sold, -7%

13. Nissan NP300 Navara
Thailand: 17,762 units sold, -8%
Philippines: 4,779 units sold, +15%

12. Toyota Corolla Altis
Thailand: 18,052 units sold, -14%
Philippines: 4,154 units sold, -11%

11. Honda Jazz
Thailand: 20,922 units sold, -3%
Philippines: 1,752 units sold, -12%

10. Toyota Vios
Thailand: 21,810 units sold, -38%
Philippines: 36,256 units sold, +9%

9. Honda Civic
Thailand: 22,385 units sold, +233%
Philippines: 2,500 units sold, +232%

8. Mazda 2
Thailand: 23,403 units sold, +23%
Philippines: No data available

7. Mitsubishi Triton (Strada)
Thailand: 23,584 units sold, -7%
Philippines: 3,965 units sold, -7%

6. Honda City
Thailand: 26,463 units sold, -20%
Philippines: 8,913 units sold, +2%

5. Toyota Fortuner
Thailand: 28,050 units sold, -10%
Philippines: 28,549 units sold, +81%

4. Ford Ranger
Thailand: 30,869 units sold, +29%
Philippines: 8,158 units sold, -3%

3. Toyota Yaris
Thailand: 36,684 units sold, +1%
Philippines: 1,645 units sold, +16%

2. Isuzu D-Max
Thailand: 120,009 units sold, +1%
Philippines: 3,966 units sold, +27%

1. Toyota Hilux Revo
Thailand: 120,444 units sold, 0%
Philippines: 12,405 units sold, +42%

Source:

• http://www.headlightmag.com/sales-report-december-2016/