Let us get one thing straight. So much happened in 2023 that it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that took place in the motoring industry. In other words, making a recap article will make it as long as a novel.

Among all the motor shows, the rumors, the glitzy launches, and the mess-ups, here are a handful of notable cars that were launched this year.

We start with electric cars, the current trend in the Philippine automotive market. As usual, luxury stalwarts brought in offerings like the Lexus RZ, the BMW iX3, and the majority of the Mercedes-Benz EQ lineup (under new distributor Inchcape) since price isn’t an issue for their clientele.

South Korean offerings such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 6, and the Kia EV6 round up the higher end of the EV spectrum, but new mass-market Japanese EVs like the Toyota bZ4X are still to be brought in officially.

Thankfully, tax cuts brought down the prices of existing models, and there are a handful of brands slowly lowering the barrier of entry.

Notable examples include the MG 4 and the BYD Atto 3, both of which can be had for under P1.8 million even for their top-end trims. Even the delectable Jetour Ice Cream can be purchased for P699,000.

Next up is the hybrid segment, a space dominated by Toyota. Sure enough, the company came out swinging by launching the highly anticipated Zenix HEV, and the Yaris Cross HEV is turning out to be incredibly popular with buyers.

But the market leader isn’t the only one in the space as the Honda CR-V e:HEV RS is a preview of the automaker’s unique hybrid system, and Chinese automaker GWM has a proper hybrid in the Jolion and the H6.

Without getting into the mess of the controversial hybrid and mild-hybrid classifications from the Department of Energy, the most exciting crossovers to enter our market this year are the Mazda CX-60 and CX-90 with their defining in-line-sixes—a rarity as automakers shift to smaller engines and electric motors.

Of course, there was a whole host of other models, such as the Subaru Crosstrek, the Geely GX3 Pro (which was sadly overshadowed by its brand controversy), and the ever-popular second-generation Ford Territory.

An honorable mention goes to the Volkswagen Tharu, being the brand’s first new model locally in a long time. GAC also launched a pair of sharp-looking crossovers in the Emkoo and the GS3 Emzoom.

We’re glad to see the resurgence of minivans like the Hyundai Custin. The ever-prevalent Toyota Alphard and its luxurious sibling, the Lexus LM, drop their gas-guzzling V6s in favor of electrified four-bangers.

For those who still want reasonably sized cars, the second-generation Toyota Wigo led the charge. Most of its compatriots were heavily refreshed, but an honorable mention also goes to the Nissan Almera, which introduced the NissanConnect app, showing that the age of connected cars is upon our market.

BMW had a very busy year in our country, nearly refreshing its entire lineup and introducing a whole plethora of new models.

Want a “super SUV”? There’s the XM. If you prefer more traditional luxury, the 7-Series came in sedan form and even had a choice of an all-electric variant. The X1 (U11) was there for those who wanted a small crossover.

Finally, the 3-Series (LCI) arrived as expected, but it was a pleasant surprise from the automaker to introduce the Touring variants, which included the M3 Touring. Of course, the M2 also made its way to our shores.

Got the cash to splash? Under Velocità Motors, Ferrari got a new distributor, and the Purosangue leads the charge for the Prancing Horse.

But Japanese performance shone through this year as well, with the highly anticipated Honda Civic Type R (FL5), the Nissan Z, and the controversial GT-R refresh reaching our territory. Sadly, Toyota didn’t show up with a GR Corolla, but we can dream, can’t we?

Wrapping up our annual list is the Ford Ranger Raptor, a performance-oriented pickup truck that everyone was obviously waiting for.

A whole bunch of other cars was previewed toward the end of the year, and we can’t help but get excited. So here’s hoping that 2024 turns out to be an electrifying year ahead.