ROCK AND ROLL OVER. Cops of the summer capital now drive around in these all-terrain vehicles, part of its modernization drive. But police officers still have no weapon against second-hand smoke. (Photo by Vincent Cabreza of INQUIRER Northern Luzon Bureau)
By Agence France-Presse
BRUSSELS — New car sales in Europe slumped 14.5 percent in October, the European automakers association ACEA announced Friday, as the global financial crisis plunges the region into recession.
The figures marked the sixth consecutive monthly fall in new car registrations which were also down 5.4 percent for the 10 months to October.
“Reflecting the financial and economic crisis, new car registrations have now decreased for six consecutive months,” the association said in a report.
By Edd Snyder
THE financial storm that has swept across the globe since late summer has touched virtually every segment of the economy. It has hit millions of homeowners and affected thousands of small businesses as well as major corporations and even sovereign governments.
It has had a devastating effect on the auto industry, which has encountered a sales slump unlike any other in more than two decades and 2.5 million jobs in the U.S. are at risk.
The financial crisis is affecting the auto industry because the car business runs on credit, and the credit markets are not functioning as normal.
INQUIRER.net executive editor Leo Magno takes the 2009 Ford Escape for a spin. In this review, he discusses the smaller, more economical SUV that costs more than P1 million.
By Fung Yu
Contributor
Author’s Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Adobe Flash 9.0 or above is required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 2.0Mb each. Yellow ‘hotspots’ are clickable.
SO I got an invitation from Honda Cars Philippines a while back to test drive the all new Jazz for 2 days in picturesque Ilocos Norte. My first thought was to clear my schedules, refresh my memories of Ilocos, and pray that we’ll have fair weather during those days. Alas, I guess I didn’t pray hard enough.
Having seen the 2008 Honda Jazz in the recent 2nd Philippine International Motor Show, I can say it is indeed a beauty. The new Jazz expresses dynamism and a super-forward looking form that you can readily see at a glance. The new body structure conforms to a variety of design requirements, including safety and spaciousness. This is a car that merges seemingly contradictory traits to genuinely enhance people’s lifestyles; the design is sporty yet spacious; performance is powerful yet efficient; utility is compact yet capacious, comfortable yet versatile.
Among the new exterior features of the all-new Jazz are: the push-lift fuel lid that is synchronized with the door lock; the larger side-view mirrors providing 30 percent more visibility (as compare to the old Jazz); a wider 80-degree angle rear doors that open for easier loading and unloading; bigger front and rear lamps that provide more distinctive styling.
As one enters the Jazz, you immediately notice the spaciousness of the interior, couple that with the wider glass area and larger front windshield makes you feel almost boundless. The cockpit is an awe-inspiring 3D design with large-diameter meters of sculpted surface and hairline accents; this exudes in a sporty and advanced feeling that contributes to enhanced visibility. One notable new feature in the dashboard is the fuel consumption meter; a first for small cars, this instantaneous and average reading of fuel consumption provides a LCD display of fuel utilization that translates to better economical driving.
