Cars
Toyota owners gather for a weekend of heritage
Toyota Motor Philippines gathered local Toyota car clubs, collectors and aftermarket shops for the three-day Toyota Legacy Experience at Eton City Square, a weekend that put the focus on the owners who have kept the brand’s older and newer models active on the road and in their communities.
The event brought together enthusiasts from model-specific groups such as Hilux Club Philippines, Land Cruiser Club of the Philippines and FJ Cruiser Owners Philippines, as well as the broader Grupo Toyota community. Their vehicles ranged from modified pickups and SUVs to restored and customized cars, reflecting the different ways owners have made Toyota part of their lives.
Hilux Club Philippines started in 2011 as a small group of owners and has since grown into one of the country’s active Toyota communities. Off-road trips and camping remain central to the club, but its members also organize outreach activities and travel with their families.
JC Diaz, a core member of the club, said the Hilux initially drew him in, while the friendships made him stay.
“Hilux Club Philippines is more than just a group of Hilux owners,” Diaz said. “We enjoy off-roading, camping, helping communities, and spending time together as friends and families.”
Club head Twyford Ong said the group’s activities extend from trail drives to helping communities. He said it is rewarding to see members form friendships, include their families and use their vehicles for a useful purpose.
The Land Cruiser Club of the Philippines also showed how a vehicle can become part of a family story. Club head Gerald Lim grew up around Land Cruisers, beginning with the 40 Series driven by his father. The family later owned models including the LC 70 FRP, BJ44 and 80 Series.
Lim said the Land Cruiser has come to represent reliability and resilience in his family. Through the club, it has also become a tool for charitable work and for reaching communities during calamities.
“I hope the next generation carries this legacy forward by understanding that a Land Cruiser is built for a purpose,” Lim said. “It is to explore the world, protect the family, and extend a helping hand to communities in need.”
For FJ Cruiser Owners Philippines, the club serves as a place where members exchange technical advice, maintenance tips, modification ideas and travel experiences. Francis Edward Ayala said its value comes from the relationships among owners as much as the vehicles themselves.
Grupo Toyota, meanwhile, connects owners across the brand’s lineup. Member Robert Tan said the group’s bond has developed through years of gatherings, outreach work and collaboration with other clubs.
Toyota also included aftermarket shops at the event, recognizing their role in maintaining, restoring and personalizing vehicles. Together with the clubs and collectors, they help keep older Toyotas running while giving newer models their own character.
The Toyota Legacy Experience showed that the brand’s history in the Philippines is not limited to the cars it has sold. It also lives in the people who drive them, repair them, take them on trails and pass them on to the next generation.
XPENG will formally enter the Philippine market in September through a public launch event that will also introduce its first two local models, the X9 and L03.
The Chinese electric vehicle company said the event will give Filipino consumers their first close look at the brand and its plans for intelligent mobility. Details on the venue, activities and registration will be released through XPENG Philippines’ social media pages.
XPENG will operate through XPENG Philippines, a direct subsidiary that will handle local sales, marketing, distribution and retail operations. The company said the arrangement supports its long-term plans in the country.
The XPENG X9 will lead the initial lineup. The seven-seat electric vehicle is positioned as the brand’s flagship model, with a premium cabin, technology features and space aimed at families, business leaders and professionals.
It will be joined by the XPENG L03, an SUV coupe that combines contemporary styling with the company’s software-led vehicle systems and in-car technology.
Local specifications, variants, pricing and availability for both models will be disclosed at the September launch.
Founded in Guangzhou in 2014, XPENG develops electric vehicles along with its own advanced driver-assistance system, in-car operating system, powertrain and electrical architecture. It has expanded into more than 60 countries and regions, with over 380 overseas stores across Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Oceania and Latin America.
The Philippines will become part of that wider expansion as more EV brands look to establish a local presence. For now, XPENG’s September event will provide the first clear view of the vehicles and business structure it plans to bring to Filipino buyers.
VinFast Marikina has expanded into a full-service dealership center, giving electric vehicle owners in Marikina and nearby areas access to sales, maintenance, repairs, spare parts and charging facilities in one location.
The 500-square-meter site at 8 Mayor Gil Fernando Avenue in Sto. Niño opened in May through VinFast’s partnership with Xentro Motors OPC. It has now been upgraded into a 1S Plus facility, a designation that covers sales, service and spare parts support.
The showroom carries VinFast’s battery-electric vehicle lineup, while its service section has three working bays, including one with a vehicle lifter. It also has tools intended for the brand’s EV models, a parts warehouse and charging equipment for customers.
VinFast said the facility can handle preventive maintenance, general repairs, detailing, body repairs, insurance claims and renewals. Owners can also source maintenance components, mechanical and suspension parts, body panels, coolants and brake fluids from its inventory.
Two wall chargers are installed inside the dealership, while six charging stations are available outside. The site gives VinFast owners in Marikina and Eastern Metro Manila another place to recharge as well as have their vehicles checked or repaired.
VinFast Philippines CEO Rhomel Franco said the upgraded facility is intended to make ownership support more accessible for customers in the eastern part of Metro Manila.
“VinFast Marikina reflects our commitment to making electric mobility more accessible while giving every VinFast owner the confidence that reliable support is always nearby,” Franco said.
Xentro Motors OPC CEO Noel Ignacio said the dealership responds to demand for a more complete EV service option in the area. Xentro Motors is supported by XRC Mall Developer Inc. and operates within a wider network in North and South Luzon.
The Marikina facility is part of VinFast’s growing local network, which now has 36 locations nationwide. The company said more openings are planned in Fairview, Cagayan de Oro, Pasay, Batangas City and Kawit, Cavite.
VinFast is also offering ownership programs such as battery subscription, a resale value guarantee and free charging through the V-Green network until 31 March 2029.
The showroom is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Its service center operates Monday to Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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.
