Cars
GAC Puts MPVs Back in the Family Picture
For years, the midsize SUV has been the usual family-car choice in the Philippines. It offers seven seats, a taller driving position and the flexibility to handle school runs, weekend trips and long drives.
GAC Philippines believes the MPV deserves another look.
Its expanded lineup now covers three approaches to family transport: the gasoline-powered GN6, the E8 HEV hybrid and the GN8 PHEV Executive plug-in hybrid. Each has a different price point and powertrain, but all focus on passenger comfort, cabin flexibility and the practical demands of carrying people every day.
The GN6 serves as the entry point at an introductory price of P1.198 million for reservations made until 30 September. It uses a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine and has a third row that folds flat into the floor, opening up to 1,100 liters of cargo space. A 360-degree HD camera and advanced driver-assistance systems also help drivers handle tighter roads and parking areas.
For families ready for electrification without relying on charging, the E8 HEV is offered in GL and GX variants. Introductory prices are P1.778 million and P1.918 million, respectively. Its 2.0-liter hybrid system gives it a claimed range of more than 1,000 kilometers on a full tank.
The E8 HEV also shows where MPVs can have an advantage over many SUVs. It has a low step-in height, spacious three-row seating and, on the GX, power-sliding doors that make loading children or assisting older passengers easier. Its Magic Storage seating system has 18 configurations, including a Tea Break Mode that turns the rear area into an outdoor lounge setup.
At the top of the range is the GN8 PHEV Executive, priced at P3.338 million during the introductory period. It pairs a 2.0-liter turbo plug-in hybrid system with a claimed combined range of up to 1,032 kilometers.
Its second-row captain’s seats have power leg rests, ventilation and massage functions. The GN8 also uses Zero Breeze Air Conditioning, which distributes cool air through more than 1,600 micro-vents, and it connects with the GAC app.
GAC said it has delivered more than 880,000 MPVs globally since building its presence in China’s premium people-mover segment in the 2010s. That experience is evident in the lineup’s focus on access, seating comfort and a cabin that can change from passenger space to cargo room as needed.
The company supports its local customers through 30 dealerships, a local parts warehouse and two years of free roadside assistance. The GN6 comes with a five-year or 150,000-kilometer warranty, while the E8 HEV and GN8 PHEV Executive have the same basic coverage plus an eight-year or 150,000-kilometer warranty for their power battery, motor and motor control unit.
Toyota has raised its full-year profit forecast after a weak yen, cost reductions and stronger hybrid sales helped offset the impact of the Middle East conflict and tougher competition in China.
Japan’s biggest automaker now expects net income of ¥3.25 trillion for the financial year ending 31 March 2027, up from its May estimate of ¥3 trillion. The new forecast is still below the ¥3.8 trillion it earned in the previous year.
Toyota also lifted its operating-income outlook to ¥3.4 trillion from ¥3 trillion, while it expects revenue to reach ¥54 trillion, a 6.5-percent increase from the prior year.
The revision came shortly after Japan and the United States jointly intervened in currency markets to support the yen. The Japanese currency had dropped to its weakest level against the dollar since 1986 before recovering last week.
A weaker yen raises Japan’s import bill, particularly for oil and raw materials, but it also increases the value of overseas earnings when converted back into yen. It can also make Japanese-made vehicles more competitively priced abroad.
For Toyota, the benefits helped cushion disruptions caused by the Middle East war. The conflict has raised material costs and made shipping to the region more difficult.
Toyota executive Takanori Azuma said its usual route through the Strait of Hormuz had become unavailable, forcing shipments to take the much longer route around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. The detour doubled logistics lead times.
The carmaker is now developing other routes, including transferring vehicles before the Strait of Hormuz and moving them by land into Middle Eastern markets.
Toyota reported first-quarter net income of ¥1.5 trillion, up 75.6 percent from a year earlier and above market expectations. Revenue rose 10.4 percent to ¥13.5 trillion.
Operating income, however, declined 8.8 percent to ¥1.1 trillion. It was Toyota’s fifth consecutive quarterly decline in operating income.
Hybrid sales, currency effects and cost-cutting measures helped soften the pressure from the Middle East situation, the company said. Yet its global vehicle sales still fell 2.8 percent in the first half of calendar 2026, with sales in China dropping 17.1 percent.
The China decline comes as local manufacturers continue to gain ground. BYD recently entered Japan’s kei-car market, putting the Chinese electric-vehicle giant in more direct competition with Toyota, Nissan and Suzuki.
Toyota also announced a ¥1-trillion share buyback programme. Its shares nevertheless fell nearly two percent in Tokyo trading on Tuesday.
Toyota Motor Philippines will hold Race Weekend 3 of the 2026 Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippine Cup at Batangas Racing Circuit in Rosario, Batangas, on August 15.
The event will be the championship’s first visit to the country’s oldest permanent car racetrack. Admission is free, while the races will also be shown live on the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippines Facebook page.
Drivers will compete across the Super Sporting, Sporting and Legacy classes using Vios one-make race cars. The Tamaraw class will return with the Tamaraw one-make race car introduced this season.
Batangas Racing Circuit’s technical layout will give competitors a different challenge as they adjust to a new venue.
TMP Senior Vice President for Marketing Sherwin Chua-Lim said the circuit will test the drivers while introducing the racing series to more car enthusiasts.
“Our aim at Toyota Gazoo Racing has always been to provide opportunities for racers to test their limits for better and to bring racing closer to different car communities,” Chua-Lim said.
The race cars will continue using low-carbon fuel blends introduced during the previous round. The Vios race cars will run on E20, which contains 20 percent bioethanol, while the Tamaraw entries will use B5 fuel with a five percent coco-biodiesel blend.
TMP said the program supports the study of lower-carbon fuels and their possible wider use. It also seeks to contribute to energy security and the development of local biofuel supply chains.
TMP First Vice President for Corporate Affairs Josephine Villanueva said racers gave positive feedback on the performance of the blended fuels under demanding track conditions. Toyota will continue studying their feasibility for future motorsports events.
The race weekend is supported by partners including GT Radial, Petron, Denso and the Toyota Gazoo Racing Academy.
BDO Unibank is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a nationwide raffle that gives customers a chance to win five Toyota Ativ Hybrid cars and 250 SM Gift Passes.
The BDO 50th Anniversary Raffle runs from August to December 2026 and is open to eligible clients of BDO Unibank and BDO Network Bank.
New customers may join by opening a qualified deposit account, completing a one-time online registration and maintaining the required balance. Existing clients can earn entries by adding to their deposits and registering online.
The raffle has five draws. Customers who qualify in August can win one of 50 SM Gift Passes worth P5,000 each during the first draw on 14 September.
Another 50 gift passes will be awarded on 14 October to customers who qualify in September.
The next two draws will add hybrid cars to the prizes. Customers who qualify in October can win one Toyota Ativ Hybrid and one of 50 gift passes on 14 November. The same set of prizes will be awarded to November qualifiers during the 14 December draw.
All eligible entries earned from August to December will be included in the grand draw on 14 January 2027. Three Toyota Ativ Hybrid cars and another 50 SM Gift Passes will be given away during the final draw.
BDO introduced the raffle as a thanksgiving program for clients who have supported the bank during its first five decades.
The bank has served Filipinos through different stages of their financial lives, from opening an account for a first salary to saving for a home, education, business or retirement.
Financial habits have changed considerably during that period as mobile apps and online services made many banking transactions available without a branch visit. Customers have also started saving for a wider range of goals, including emergency funds, travel, investments and small businesses.
BDO said it will continue adapting its services as customer needs and banking habits change.
