Motoring Today Column

Mar 22, 2023

The coming month of April should be a happy one for vintage car owners and enthusiasts.

The implementing rules and regulations (IRR) forRepublic Act 11698 or the "Vintage Vehicle Regulation Act" of 2022 begin to take effect in the month.

Vintage car owners, especially members of the Manila Sports Car Club, have lobbied hard for the passage of the law.

In essence, RA 11698 allows vintage cars, as defined by the law, to be registered with the LTO and used on roads, without need to comply with such laws as Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 and the Seatbelt Use Act of the same year.

Vintage vehicles are also exempted from the prohibition on the importation, registration, and use of right-hand drive vehicles in Republic Act No. 8506.

Vintage car owners are not the only ones to benefit from RA 11698, according to Northern Samar 1st District Rep. Paul R. Daza .

The solon sees RA 11698 benefitting the local vintage car restorers.

Daza is quoted in published reports as saying: "Lessening their burdens to import vintage vehicles and parts will help them tap more international clients and expose the craftsmanship of the Filipino to the world."

More From China

In our previous column, we noted how Chinese automakers have made significant inroads into the local market, citing a couple of new brands.

Well, more are coming or have come and quite notably they are helping push the country further into the hybrid and EV era.

Green Great Wall

One Chinese automaker is making a return to country.Great Wall Motor is back with a new local partner, Luxuriant Automotive Group.

Great Wall will soon be joining the market with four models, including the Haval H6 and the Haval Jolion, which it describes as true hybrids capable of producing exceptional performance while enhancing fuel efficiency.

Said GWM Asean president Elliott Zhang during an event to announce GWM's return to the country: "In the future, GWM will continue to deepen our partnership with Luxuriant, with commitment to introduce intelligent, green & sustainable mobility experiences with advanced products & leading technologies, supportive to the upgrade of auto industry in Philippines."

By the way, and on personal note, we are happy to see Tonette Lee, someone we could say is a good friend of ours and other old-timers in beat, back in the thick of things as Marketing and Sales Director for Luxuriant Automotive Group .

Said Lee at the event: "Our market has never been more exciting, and we would like to contribute our share, especially in the area of green energy, towards sustainable driving at real world prices."

Jetour Auto

Going by the name alone, Jetour Auto doesn't immediately strike one as being a Chinese brand.

But Jetour is headquartered in the Wuhu Hi-tech Industrial Development Park on the bank of the Yangtze River China.

Jetour has signed a distribution agreement with a group that has taken the name Jetour Auto Philippines.

Jetour Auto International General Manager Jicai Chen expressed confidence of success in the Philippines, saying: "With our joint efforts, I believe the Jetour brand will grow very quickly and achieve great success in the Philippines."

Jetour Auto Philippines Managing Director Miguelito Jose, adds: "We are truly excited to join forces with a reputable and successful automotive group. We are committed to working together to provide our customers with the best possible experience, from sales to after- sales."

Established in 2018, Jetour already boasts of having sold more than 550,000 vehicles with cutting edge SUVs like the X70 and X90.

Jetour has already given motoring journalists the opportunity to test some of its vehicles, including a small EV that it calls the Ice Cream EV.

Jetour plans to officially and publicly launch its local lineup at theManila International Auto Show scheduled for April 13 to 16 at the World Trade Center.

It should interesting to see how the local market will react to the Ice Cream EV.

All New BMW X1

BMW fans should be excited by the arrival of the All New BMW X1.

SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp. has announced the availability of the newBMW X1 sDrive18d xLine which arrives with an SRP of P3,890,000 and a five-year warranty.

Tagged as a Sport Activity Vehicle, the BMW X1 is powered by a BMW Twin Power Turbo In-line 4-cylinder diesel engine that produces 150 hp and 350 Nm of torque mated to a 7-speed Steptronic Transmission with Double Clutch.

Happy Motoring!!!

For comments & inquiries:

(email) sunshine.television@yahoo.com

(website) www.motoringtoday.ph