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Nissan is presenting in Geneva the facelifted Juke Nismo RS which has gained a bit more power. If you will recall, the “regular” Juke was displayed in the 2012 Philippine International Motor Show, which was said to be launched that year. The Juke turned out to be a joke, as the model introduction did not materialize.

In Geneva, showcased alongside the regular Juke facelift, the hotter Nismo RS derivative carries over the same styling tweaks but more importantly packs an extra punch from its 1.6-liter DIG-T turbocharged gasoline engine. Output of the motor has increased by 18 HP (13 kW) and 20 Nm (27 lb-ft) to 218 HP (160 kW) and 280 Nm (379 lb-ft).

Moreover, the 2WD variant will be offered as standard with a mechanical limited-slip differential while the size of the front disc brakes has increased from 296mm to 320mm. The list of updates continues with rear ventilated disc brakes, tweaked spring and damper settings along with a strengthened body structure and optional Recaro bucket seats.

It should be noted the torque increase is available on the version equipped with a manual six-speed manual gearbox, while the AWD version has torque vectoring and an Xtronic transmission with an eight-speed manual mode and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Nissan has also modified the exhaust system which now delivers a sportier soundtrack as a result of the muffler’s larger diameter.

Back home, the Nissan Juke seems to have been erased from memory, with the launch of two new models. Recently, the motoring media has been receiving invites for the launch of Nissan Sylphy and Altima this Friday, March 7, courtesy of the “new” Nissan Philippines. Based on the dealers’ teasers in their Facebook account, the units should be available in the showrooms by March 10. Watch out for the full features and specifications here soon.

The prophecy that Apple will invade all aspects of our life seems to be getting truer than ever – the technology giant has officially unveiled their CarPlay system ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

Described as a “smarter, safer and more fun way to use [the] iPhone in the car,” the CarPlay system will enable users to make calls, listen to music and access Maps via Siri or the car’s native interface. The system can also read messages aloud and allow the driver to dictate a response.

CarPlay will be available as an update to iOS 7 and will work with the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5.

The system will initially be supported by Ferrari, Mercedes and Volvo but will eventually gain support from BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota. Chrysler also issued a statement saying “Our companies are focused on iPhone and iPod compatibility testing with Chrysler Group’s current Uconnect Systems, and we continue to discuss and explore technologies that can further enhance the driving experience and keep drivers focused on the road.”

Clearly missing in the list is Volkswagen. We wonder – is the German carmaker a Microsoft or Android fan to disregard this feature?

According to Apple’s vice president of iPhone and iOS Product Marketing, Greg Joswiak, “CarPlay has been designed from the ground up to provide drivers with an incredible experience using their iPhone in the car.” He went on to say “iPhone users always want their content at their fingertips and CarPlay lets drivers use their iPhone in the car with minimized distraction. We have an amazing lineup of auto partners rolling out CarPlay, and we’re thrilled it will make its debut this week in Geneva.”

Whatever the case may be, we hope this technology reaches our shores too, and soon.

Digital rearview mirrors have largely been relegated to concepts and race cars like the Audi R18, but Nissan is looking to change that with their new “Smart rearview mirror.”

Set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show, the Smart rearview mirror is being billed as the “world’s first LCD monitor that not only provides clear rearward visibility under various conditions but also allows the driver the ability to switch between the LCD monitor and the traditional rearview mirror, depending on the driver’s preference.”

The system uses a high-resolution rearview camera and an LCD monitor that projects the image over the traditional rearview mirror. If the driver isn’t impressed with the techno-wizardry they can just flip a switch and convert back to the traditional setup. However, Nissan says the digital rearview mirror provides a wider and clearer view than the standard mirror. The company also says the digital mirror overcomes obstacles such as tall rear seat passengers and luggage.

According to Nissan Executive Vice President Andy Palmer, “[The] Smart rearview mirror will give our customers the best possible view no matter how tall the passengers in the back seat, or the road conditions. It also offers the possibility of new and exciting designs for our upcoming models because Smart rearview mirror is an alternative to a very wide rear window for good visibility. We’ll have the flexibility to create new shapes, and to further improve aerodynamics for better fuel efficiency.”

The Smart rearview mirror will become a dealer option in Japan this spring and Nissan will introduce it globally in 2015. With “new” Nissan Philippines starting operations today, we wonder if this will ever make it here.