Toyota Motor Philippines has just unveiled the newest Corolla Altis. There are five models to choose from including the company’s first hybrid variant in the country.

The new Altis comes with a fresh exterior and what sells it most are the pair of headlamps that wrap around its body. A large black grille adds weight to the front fascia and is then flanked by accented fog lamps.

Going around will also reveal an updated look. The taillights have been tweaked with added character in them — check out that strip of red light piercing through the trunk lid.

Inside, it carries a more straightforward approach with fewer frills and decorations. There’s a floating touch display right at the center and a simple layout for the climate control’s buttons and knobs right under it. A tri-spoke steering wheel is then mounted with buttons for media navigation and cruise control.

The top of the line variants get leather seats, an eight-way power-adjustable seat for the driver, reverse camera, and parking sensors.

It’s also got a lower center of gravity so you feel more confident taking on curves with a bit of speed. And in order to further improve visibility for the driver, the windshield has been increased and the A-pillars were made slimmer.

For a Corolla Altis with an internal combustion engine, it gets a 1.6-liter Dual VVT-i engine mated to either CVT or a six-speed manual transmission. If you’re choosing the hybrid variant, however, you get a 1.8-liter engine and an electric motor. Combined, they have an output of 121 horsepower.

Focusing more on the 1.8 V Hybrid variant, it has a set of features that further improve safety for the everyone inside the vehicle. It boasts a pre-collision system, lane tracing assist, dynamic radar cruise control, and more using a camera mounted at the top of its windshield.

It also comes with different driving modes like Eco, Normal, Sport, and EV that makes it run purely on electricity.

Pricing for the new Corolla Altis follows:

• 1.6 E MT — PhP 999,000
• 1.6 G MT —  PhP 1,045,000
• 1.6 G AT — PhP 1,115,000
• 1.6 V CVT — PhP 1,185,000
• 1.8 V Hybrid CVT — PhP 1,580,000

The lineup is available in different colors, namely: Attitude Black, Red Mica Metallic, Silver Metallic, Freedom White (for G and E variants), Celestite Grey Metallic (for HEV, V, and G variants), and White Pearl (for HEV and V variants).

The flagship killer that everyone’s been waiting for has finally arrived in the Philippines.  The Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro is now available in the country and it should shake up the midrange price segment.

Powering the phone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. It sports a 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a screen-to-body ratio of almost 92 percent. On the front is a 20-megapixel pop-up selfie camera while the rear has a triple camera setup. It consists of an IMX586 48-megapixel lens, a 13-megapixel wide-angle lens, and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom.

If you think it looks familiar, it’s because it was first announced elsewhere in the world as the Redmi K20 Pro.

Pricing and availability

The Mi 9T Pro will be available for pre-order starting September 6, 2019 on Lazada and September 7 at Mi Authorized Stores.

It will come in two configurations. The 6GB+64GB will retail at PhP 18,990 while the 6GB+128GB version will retail at PhP 20,490. It will come in four colors: Flame Red, Glacier Blue, Carbon Black, and Pearl White.

Official sales on Lazada will start on September 9 and will roll out at Mi Authorized stores on September 14.

Yes, you read that right. Lazada announced a bunch of new features and offerings ahead of their 9.9 discovery sale. Chief of which is a helicopter ride.

Teaming with Ascent, the Helicopter ride the first e-commerce exclusive helicopter flight experience in the Philippines. You can choose to either hover over Metro Manila or Tagaytay. Check out the base pricing below along with the slashed price for the 9.9 discovery sale.

Lazada Helicopter Ride

New time-saving features

If flying’s not your thing or it’s just simply outside your budget, there are other new features that can help you save both your time and your money. And that’s always a good thing.

Pre-Sale Solution

We all know how crazy fast the items go once sale day hits. Lazada knows this and is offering you a way to get first dibs on items you really, really want. To get a head start simply order the item, place a 10% non-refundable deposit, settle the balance within the validity period, then wait for your order to arrive at your doorstep.

It’s important to note that this is only available on selected items as the feature is still under testing. It was first introduced in Malaysia and the company is hoping it gains traction in the Philippines.

Bills Payment

No need to leave your home to settle those pesky bills. If you’re the type who hasn’t set up online payment, Lazada is making it easy for you. You can now pay for your Meralco, Maynilad, Manila Water, Albay Power & Energy, Davao Light, VECO, Metropolitan Cebu Water and Prime Water bills on the Lazada app.

That’s not all, you can also get up to PhP 300 cashback when bills are paid using the Lazada Wallet from now until November 2019.

Additional Collection Points

If, like me, you’re not really sure where you’ll end up at any given point of the day, then you’ll find this super helpful. The list of Lazada authorized collection points have been expanded and spread-out all-over Manila in select SM Malls and GrowSari branches. Just add to cart and select pickup instead of delivery when you shop checkout your items. You can check out the full list here.

Lazada Loans

When you badly need an item or few items but just don’t have the cash on hand, Lazada is also giving you a… well, a hand. In partnership with BillEase, pera247 and TendoPay, you can now apply for a loan for of anywhere between PhP 500 to PhP 50,000.

All you need to do is complete the application process and submit all needed requirements. Once approved, the loan amount will be credited to your Lazada Wallet which you can use upon checkout. There will be one to 12 months repayment options.

Don’t know yet what you’re buying on Lazada’s 9.9 Discovery Sale? Check out our best smartphones list for some help: Premium | Upper Midrange | Midrange | Budget

Happy Shopping!