15th Generation Toyota Crown (S220)

The Crown is not just the oldest-running Toyota nameplate in history but it's also the embodiment of the Japanese industry because while it was essentially a Japan-only luxury saloon, the components are world-class in every single way, making it a world-class luxury car without the world-class luxury price. With the advent of the 15th generation Crown, the legend is going beyond the bounds of being the living legend in Toyota's history.

2019 Toyota Crown

2019 Toyota Crown

Under the slogan of "Crown Beyond", this new 15th-generation Crown brings the oldest-running Toyota nameplate to new heights by delivering the future of drivability with the Japanese public in mind. First previewed in concept from last year's Tokyo Motor Show, the new Crown finally managed to whisk away from the ghastly face of the old model and instead, it dons the look of the Lupinrangers' helmets, in case you are wondering, while the back looks like the Mercedes CLS. Although being a mixed nuts luxury saloon, the Crown is ready for the future and because this is an all-new model, it's been given a new Crown emblem to match the latest regeneration and for the first time, the new Crown won't be donning the Royal, Athlete, and Majesta sub-monikers because the new model wants to be all one, truly a one-for-all masterpiece delivering a one-for-all commitment for its clients.

2019 Toyota Crown interior

2019 Toyota Crown interior

Step inside and looks like the new Crown is now donning the dual monitor approach as seen from modern Hondas, Subarus, and mostly the Nissan Skyline it's tackling head-on. The top screen is mostly for display purposes while the bottom screen is where you'll be taking control of such as radio, MP3, navigation, airconditioning, T-Connect, and many others. Apart from the twin monitors, the new Crown dons a new instrumental paneling, wireless charging dock, and heads-up display to make it more cutting edge, which is very fitting for a luxury saloon, and on the rear passenger side, it's now surprisingly roomier, even Boss Madam can get in and out without worrying. While the boot space can accommodate up to four golf bags, there are different ways to store your belongings depending on the variant. The one with the 3.5L V6 hybrid, for instance, has a luggage box compartment big enough to place top-secret objects on it, which is pretty suspicious for a car like this but still, you get the point.

I know this is sudden but the new Toyota Crown is the only Toyota that benefited from its new Connected Service. From the operator service, e-care, My Car Security, and ITS Connect, the new Crown is all about staying connected on the road ahead, no matter the circumstances.

2019 Toyota Crown

The new Crown comes with a choice of three powertrains ranging from the 2.0L 8AR-FTS turbocharged engine, the 2.5L A25A-FXS Dynamic Force petrol engine mated to an 88kW electric motor, and a Li-ion battery sourced from the Camry, and for a first from Toyota, the Multi-Stage Hybrid 8GR-FXS 3.5L V6 engine with two electric motors and lithium-ion battery, which is the same powertrain used on the Lexus LC500h and LS500h. The turbo model is mated to an 8-speed Super ECT while it produces 245PS of power 350Nm of torque and 12.4km/L of fuel economy based on WLTC Mode standards. The Camry-derived 2.5L A25A-FXS Dynamic Force petrol engine with Hybrid System, meanwhile, churns out a combined power output of 211PS of power and with the CVT (with the 6-speed manual mode on it) set, fuel economy is around 20.0km/L. Now, onto the 8GR-FXS 3.5L V6 engine with the Multi-Stage Hybrid system on it, let's have a refresher first.

This setup you're familiar with keeps in the bay with its planetary-type continuously variable transmission with the addition of a unique four-speed automatic transmission and with a manual mode set, the two gearsets act together to provide the effect of 10 gears, which sounds juicy but not fruity as such. Anyway, the Multi-Stage Hybrid system promises this variant to deliver a combined power output of 359PS and 16.0km/L of fuel efficiency, which is rather good for a range-topper and considering how many trips you can get through from chauffeuring Boss Madam from her workday to the trips to the Michelin starred restaurant at bay.

As you may know, the new Crown is the first Toyota to don the GA-L platform from the Lexus LC and LS and with this new platform as well as its reworked suspension and chassis setup, the new Crown is starting to become un-Japanese to drive and it's starting to match the handling capabilities its Euro rivals possess. Not perfect but it's relatively superior enough to leave a breeze on the open road like an electric fan in the roomy bedroom. I know this is sudden but little did you know that the new Crown was developed at the Nurburgring to deliver a driving experience unlike any other and that was the trivia for the night.

Lively and quiet the new Crown maybe but because this is the most technologically-advanced Crown ever built, it dons the second-generation Toyota Safety Sense featuring Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Full-Speed DRCC, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beam, and Lane Tracing Assist, and more. Little did you know that the new Crown is the first Toyota to have a Parking Support Brake and Rear Camera Detection.

The new Crown starts at 4,606,200 Yen (around $46,100/Php2,300,000 + tax) and while this is competitively priced against expensive European imports, it's considered to be more costly to own than the Camry but still, even though the new Crown is not as enjoyable to drive compared against the best from Europe, the new platform, tech, powertrain, and the interior is worth a revelation to salivate with and in the case of men aged 35 and above, the new Crown is starting to become the feel-good luxury saloon for their very good years. It may be made only for the Japanese public but the rate of near-perfection is worthy of being a world-class luxury car without the world-class price.

Available colors: White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Precious Silver, Precious Galena, Black, Precious Black Pearl, Dark Blue Mica, Yogasumi Dark Red Mica Metallic, Kurenai Rich Red Crystal Shine Glass Flake, Akaneiro Orange Metallic, Hisui Armina Jade Metallic, Hekirui Dark Blue Mica Metallic, and Sora Pure Blue Metallic.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota Corolla Sport (E210)

Toyota is no stranger to compact hatchbacks since the Corollas of the Showa era, the Allex, the Runx, the WiLL VS, the Blade, and the Auris because in times a saloon is not enough to trickle down their fancies, a good-looking five-door hatchback is always there for critical purposes like practicality, usability, and fun factor. With the advent of crossovers, a normal hatchback is starting to lose shape but slightly ruling over against the diminishing sedan race in some manner. For their latest attempt to make a compact hatchback, Toyota brought in the Corolla nameplate to the rescue for their newest hatchback served as the replacement to the Auris.

2019 Toyota Corolla Sport

This is the all-new, first-ever, Corolla Sport and while this is a great pleasure to have the Corolla nameplate back in hatchback, something that hadn't been done since the Runx of the last decade, the new Corolla Sport promises to be the stylish and most technologically-advanced small car ever made.

First and foremost, let's observe the design and looks like they've gone overboard on the front styling, giving a more intimidating stare like a Pierrot intimidating bystanders in a middle of the purge, and while it looks downright scary for an innocent-looking hatchback of that size, the rearview can be downright mistaken for an Opel Astra, one of the key competitors of its class. Horrifying the styling may be, the Corolla Sport is more than enough to be slapped as a rental car the next time you rent one and scare the animal crossings away while dealing with some unexpected shortcuts.

2019 Toyota Corolla Sport interior

2019 Toyota Corolla Sport interior

While the exterior design is as frightening as a traitor jackknife, the interior looks like it came from the C-HR, with a few numerous retouches of course. Although driver-focused in spirit, the Corolla Sport is surprisingly as roomy as the old Auris it replaces, and in some models, the sport seats at the front add a nice touch to it. In some models, the Corolla Sport comes with a fancy instrumental panel, heads-up display, heated seats, heated steering wheel, an optional sat-nav, and more. For the first time, the Corolla Sport is the first of Toyotas to allow LINE users to check their car's progress via LINE My Car Account.

2019 Toyota Corolla Sport

Running on an earful TNGA-C platform, the new Corolla Sport delivers a very promising driving feel and fuel efficiency the best match for a new kind of hatchback. Couple that with the front MacPherson strut and rear double-wishbone suspension, Active Cornering Assist, and Adaptive Variable Suspension, the result is a much rewarding dynamics that equates itself to expensive European imports. It may not be as perfect as the Euro rivals but the Corolla Sport gives them more time to enjoy their driving pleasure at work or at play, especially on the weekends.

The Corolla Sport is powered with a choice of 1.2L 8NR-FTS turbocharged engine and a 1.8L 2ZR-FXE engine mated to an electric motor and nickel metal battery, the same choice of engines as found in the outgoing Auris it replaces. Thanks to the TNGA-C platform, their fuel efficiencies got improved slightly with the hybrid variant delivering 30.0km/L of fuel economy while the turbocharged variants get up to 16.4km/L, all based under the now relevant WLTC Mode standards, which is very nice, but not as nice as the CVT it comes with. Although the turbo one has a Super CVT-i, which is typical by normal city car standards, there's a 6-speed manual variant that will get you noticed because this is not your kind of 6MT. A first in Toyota, the first-ever 6-speed intelligent manual transmission works in tandem with different drive modes, delivering a no-shock gear change as smooth as fabrics.

Because the Corolla Sport is the most technologically-advanced small car ever made, it's been given the second-generation Toyota Safety Sense with new active-safety technologies and capabilities that enhance protection. These features are Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Full-Speed DRCC, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beam, and Lane Tracing Assist, among many others.

The new Corolla Sport starts at 2,138,400 Japanese Yen for the turbo model while the hybrid starts at 2,419,200 Japanese Yen. With such a reasonable price, some would get a head start for this new Toyota hatchback, although some would need to wait for the manual variant to arrive because that combo really appeals to the speedo boys and looks like Toyota's on the roll now with the first-ever Corolla Sport. While the Corolla Sport is downright intimidating for a normal hatchback and the CVT is nowhere near good to live with, the handling pleasure, the tech, and the packaging really made the Corolla Sport a worthy contender in this category and they're really on to something with this one. Well, let's wish the new Corolla Sport good luck on its maiden trip.

Available Colors: Super White II, White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Attitude Black Mica, Blackish Ageha Glass Flake, Scarlet Metallic, Oxide Bronze Metallic, and Cyan Metallic.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation

FIFA WORLD CUP RUSSIA 2018 - June 25, 2018

FIFA World Cup Russia 2018

Uruguay taking on the unbeatable Russians at Samara while Volgograd welcomes a Saudi-Egypt duel, Spain vs. Morocco at Kaliningrad, and Iran takes on Portugal at Mordovia Arena. That's the 12th day of the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018.

Beginning in Samara, and in an unexpected turn of events, the might of the Russian team has fallen by Uruguay at the score of three points, probably because of an accidental own goal by Cheryshev. Now that's a story worth filling in the headlines. Anyway, moving on Volgograd, Saudi Arabia managed place 3rd at Group A after a 2-1 win against Egypt, with a last-minute strike worth savoring. At Kaliningrad, it's a topsy-turvy encounter that resulted in Spain qualifying for the Round of 16 as Group B winners after a 2-point draw with Morocco. And in Mordovia, a thrilling battle between the Iranians and the Portuguese ended in a 1-point draw but Portugal still stands.

The next match will see Australia taking on Peru at Fisht Stadium while Denmark takes on France at Luzhniki Stadium, Nigeria vs. Argentina at St. Petersburg, and Iceland vs. Croatia at Rostov.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Koreas hold talks on connecting railways

North and South Korea held talks on connecting the railways that run across their border, a physical link that would transform the relationship between the two sides of the divided peninsula.

The discussions, the first on the issue for 10 years, took place in the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone.

A rail line already exists from Seoul to Pyongyang and on to Sinuiju on the Chinese border, originally built by Japan in the early 20th century, long before the Korean War and decades of division.

Linking up the two systems — and modernizing the North’s aging rail infrastructure — would give trade-dependent South Korea a land route to the markets of China, Russia and on to Europe.

But doing so would represent a fundamental change on the peninsula: there has been no direct civilian communication between the two Koreas since their division was sealed by the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War — not even post.

Despite the diplomatic warming on the peninsula, with summits between the North’s leader Kim Jong Un and both the South’s President Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump of the US, Pyongyang remains under heavy sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes.

Any practical steps would only become possible after such measures are eased, South Korea’s chief delegate Kim Jeong-ryeol acknowledged as he set off for the meeting.

“But we can thoroughly research and study various projects we can pursue after the sanctions are lifted,” he added.

During an earlier period of rapprochement the South built a gleaming station at Dorasan, just south of the Demilitarized Zone, with platforms marked for non-existent services to the North’s capital.

On the eastern side of the peninsula, railways could connect South Korea’s port city of Busan to Europe via the North and Russia.

Kim and Moon agreed to “adopt practical steps towards the connection” of the railways at their first summit in April.

Moon has also shared his vision of linking the inter-Korean lines to trans-Siberian railways offering a route to Europe, saying it would bring “huge economic benefits” to Seoul and Pyongyang as well as Russia.

But freedom of movement for North Korean civilians could threaten the grip on power of the ruling Workers’ Party, which imposes tight controls on the population.

The rapprochement on the Korean peninsula was triggered earlier this year when Kim decided to send athletes, cheerleaders and his sister as an envoy to the Winter Olympics in the South.

Source: AFP

Let's Do The News! (June 26, 2018)

- The inter-tropical convergence zone will continue to bring down rains showers and thunderstorms over Luzon and Visayas. According to PAGASA, the ITCZ will bring light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms over Metro Manila, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Sorsogon and Masbate. Thunderstorms are very likely in the afternoon or evening that could trigger flash floods over low-lying areas and landslides over mountainous areas.

- President Rodrigo Duterte has formed a three-man committee to hold dialogue with leaders of the Catholic Church and other groups in the wake of his controversial attacks about the Catholic faith. The President has designated Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella, and EDSA People Power Commission member Pastor Saycon to lead the dialogue with the Church groups.

- Megaworld is opening their second Savoy Hotel in the 25-hectare Newport City in Pasay City on June 28th. Savoy Hotel Manila is Megaworld’s second hotel under its homegrown Savoy brand. The first Savoy Hotel opened in Boracay Newcoast last year while another Savoy Hotel is expected to open in Mactan Newtown next year.

- The death toll from the Vietnam floods has risen to 15.

- CMA CGM founder, Jacques Saade, died at the age of 81. “Jacques R. Saade dedicated his life to CMA CGM. A true visionary and unique entrepreneur, he made his business a world leader in the maritime container transport,” a company statement said in announcing his death on Sunday.

- The US Supreme Court ruled that Texas does not have to redraw the boundaries for the state's congressional districts, a victory for Republicans and a defeat for challengers who said the lines were drawn at the expense of minority voters. The court's 5-4 ruling ends nearly a decade's worth of legal battles over new maps for congressional and state legislative districts following the 2010 census, which gave the state four new seats in the U.S. House of Representatives because the population of Texas had grown by more than 20 percent. Meanwhile, the SCOTUS declined to take up the North Carolina gerrymandering case of Rucho v. Common Cause today. Instead, the Court invoked the reasoning it used last week in remanding a pair of gerrymandering cases from Wisconsin and Maryland which directed lower courts to determine whether plaintiffs met the technical requirement of having “standing” to sue.

- Jaguar pays tribute to the lifting of the Saudi women driving ban with a lap of honor at a circuit in the Arab state with Assel Al Hamad behind the wheel of the Jaguar F-Type.



- In honor of the Bentley Bentayga's Pikes Peak record for SUVs, which was in 10:49.9 with Rhys Millen behind the wheel, they've unveiled the Pikes Peak Limited Edition featuring a special Radium exterior color in honor of the record-breaker. Only 10 units will be made.

Bentley Bentayga Pikes Peak Limited Edition

- Check out the list of actors and actresses who will be getting their Hollywood Walk of Fame next year.

TTFN!!!

Jeep Cherokee KL - 2019 minor change

About many years ago, Jeep revived the Cherokee nameplate as their newest midsize crossover that slots below the flagship Grand Cherokee and while it promises to be a modern take on the classic icon, the looks that are similar to one of the bad guys from Pikmin rather spoils the taste. With the 2019 minor change, it promises to be the best Cherokee yet. Let's see what this new one got...

2019 Jeep Cherokee

The Jeep Cherokee is now on its 2019 minor change and for this minor change, there are some key changes occurred to keep one of the best-selling crossovers in America even better than before. First off, the design and at last, the Bulborb-esque front face is gone and the front is now reminiscent of the Grand Cherokee. That's good news but that's not the end of it because they've reshaped the wheels and the rear lamps to make the new Cherokee even better-looking than before.

2019 Jeep Cherokee interior

2019 Jeep Cherokee interior

Apart from the revised exterior, the interior has been slightly revised from top to bottom as well. Drivers will notice the revised dashboard, new color themes, updated Uconnect system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and the increased cargo capacity, proving that the interior is now better than before, giving them more ways to make use of it whether trips to the thrift shops, to Leavenworth, to Oregon, or any points of interests they see fit for this five-seater crossover that works to haul your mates from work during the long weekends.

2019 Jeep Cherokee

The biggest change for this 2019 minor change is the addition of the all-new, direct-injected 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with engine start-stop feature that shuts the engine off when stopped at a set of lights and then starts again to set off. This engine comes with a dual overhead cam (DOHC), dual independent camshaft timing, and a cooled exhaust gas recirculation, resulted to 270 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, while mated to a standard 9-speed AT.  That sure has a lot of power to push the Cherokee further and this powertrain can really upset boring Japanese crossovers who don't value fun to their portfolio because there's so much to love about a turbocharged Cherokee. Apart from the new turbocharged engine, the Cherokee can still be fitted with a 3.2-liter Pentastar V-6 or a 2.4-liter PZEV Multiair2 Tigershark I-4 engine, all fitted with a 9-speed AT.

Being a Jeep, the 2019MY Cherokee still promises to be a workhorse for the American family, either on or off the roads, be it on the streets of New York or the Colorado Rockies. In most models, the Cherokee can be fitted with different kinds of Jeep Active Drive system and in the case of the Jeep Active Drive Lock in some models like the Trailhawk, the locking real differential and Selec-Terrain traction control system brings out the Cherokee's party piece when getting through different kinds of road conditions, especially when things get rough. No crossover of that size has even gone through the beaten path as the Cherokee's and that's some questions get information from this. Apart from its off-road capabilities, the new Cherokee comes with over 80 available safety and security features such as ParkSense Parallel/Perpendicular Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control-Plus, Forward Collision Warning-Plus, and LaneSense Lane Departure Warning-Plus, SOS button, Electronic Stability Control, Electronic Roll Mitigation, Blind-spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Path detection, ParkView rear backup camera with dynamic grid lines and eight standard air bags. Not bad for a crossover but sometimes, for speedo boys, those features rather lose their tastes, in case you're wondering.

The 2019MY Cherokee starts at 23,995 US Dollars and that's about the same pricing as the old JK Wrangler, which is almost as great to own as a legendary offroader but don't compare these two just yet because the Cherokee is almost as good as today's Wrangler in terms of ruggedness and regardless of what vacation plans you're laying on the table, the new Cherokee can get the job done with almost no strings attached. Is this the Cherokee you want?

Photo: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

A few years ago, Universal Pictures reopened Jurassic Park with a fresh new take on the classic dinosaur flick called Jurassic World and while it doesn't live up to the predecessors' taste, it remains a monster to watch. Fast forward to today and the Jurassic experience is now pushed to the biggest level in this gut-wrenching sequel to the monster hit.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Demanding that the Jurassic World film is not enough to bring back the roar of Jurassic Park films, Fallen Kingdom promises to be a monstrous summer flick that will push the dinosaur frenzy to the core and what a film it is. Following the sudden volcanic eruption that spells the end of dinosaurs, Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) managed to save the remaining dinosaurs but following their rescue mission, the two uncovered a shocking conspiracy that brings the world back to chaos unheard since the dawn of civilization.

Dinosaurs ravaging the cities, the suburbs, even zoos, Fallen Kingdom has transformed from a monstrous flick into a an ultimate experience that brings out fear to its primitive core, witnessing Jurassic World unlike any other as humankind cowered themselves in fear as the dinosaurs are going to retake control of the planet and although this is downright scary, this sequel really does come alive in a way its predecessor flicks couldn't done before. Such monstrosity gives Fallen Kingdom a chance to become one of the best films of the summer season and by putting all of the signature Jurassic elements in a city setting, this monster flick is back and it's now the baddest, most terrifying, Jurassic flick ever made.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5