Tesla reported its second annual sales decline on Friday – a dip made worse by the fact that the Texas-based automaker also slipped to second in the global EV sales race, ceding its crown to China’s aggressive upstart BYD. Headlight.News has more.
Paul Eisenstein
The Top Auto Stories of 2025
Trump, tariffs and trade barriers. EVs disconnected. Autonomy and hackers. Elon Musk’s very good/very bad year. And affordability. Oh, yes, 2025 brought a series of significant developments to the automotive market. Here are the top 5 stories from the past year as picked by Headlight.News editors.
Gone But Not Forgotten? Some of These Discontinued Models May Yet Stage a Return
Even the most popular vehicles eventually succumb to shifting market conditions. And there are plenty of products that fail to connect with buyers in the first place. Here’s a look at the nameplates that won’t survive into 2026 – though several of these just might make a comeback in the not-too-distant future. More from Headlight.News.
Jaguar Will Be Out of Production for the Next Year
The last Jaguar F-Pace rolled off the line at the automaker’s Solihull assembly plant, marking the end of an era and the start of what could be the riskiest moves the British automaker has undertaken in the better part of a century. When Solihull resumes operations it will mark the start of Jaguar’s transition to an all-electric automotive brand. More from Headlight.News.
Ford Builds its Last Escape – But What Will Replace it?
The last Ford Escape has rolled off the automaker’s assembly line in Louisville, Kentucky. That leaves a gaping hole in Ford’s line-up. But what will replace it? Headlight.News has the story.
First Drive: 2026 Nissan Pathfinder
Squaring off against some of the industry’s most popular three-row SUVs, the Nissan Pathfinder gets a number of updates for the 2026 model year that includes upgraded technology and a more rugged look, backed by an upgraded Rock Creek package for those who want improved off-road capabilities. Headlight.News headed to Nashville to get a first drive of the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder.
Buzz Kill: VW Says it Won’t Offer the 2026 EV Microbus in the U.S.
Volkswagen has decided not to offer the 2026 ID.Buzz microbus in the U.S., citing weak “market conditions” for the unexpected move. But it says it is “excited” about bringing back the all-electric van in 2027. Headlight.News has more.
Nissan Set to Double Nismo Performance Line-Up – 10 Models on Tap
As it rolls out its latest revival plan, Nissan is shifting focus from cost-cutting to product, and there’s a renewed emphasis on performance in the works. The second-largest Japanese automaker plans to double the number of Nismo models developed as part of a collaboration with the company’s racing team. More from Headlight.News.
Ford Making Major Shift in EV Strategy, Taking Nearly $20 Billion in Charges
Ford Motor Co. is tearing up its EV plans, killing its all-electric F-150 Lightning, shifting focus to bring more hybrids, E-REVs and low-cost EVs to market. It also plans to shift production at its massive BlueOval City complex in Tennessee from EVs to gas pickups, and repurposing the batteries produced at plants in Kentucky and Michigan for non-automotive markets. Get details about this breaking story at Headlight.News.
Automotive Inflation Rages as Carmakers Pass on More of Trump Tariff Costs
Expect to pay more for that new Porsche next month, the German automaker advising dealers it will start passing on more of the cost of the tariffs Pres. Donald Trump has put in place on imported autos. Porsche isn’t alone, however, a growing number of brands are raising already record-high prices to cover those new duties, even on domestically made products due to the cost of imported parts and components, reports Headlight.News.
Rivian’s About to Let You Drive Pretty Much Anywhere Hands-Free
Rivian owners who like to drive hands-free will discover they can travel a lot further than they expected later this month. The EV start-up plans to increase from 150,000 to 3.5 million the number of miles its autonomous driving system can operate on. And, starting late next year, it plans to go even further with the release of the new R2 model which will be Rivian’s first to permit hands-free/eyes-off driving. According to CEO RJ Scaringe, there’s yet more to follow.
First Drive: 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid – Combining Power, Efficiency, Luxury in One Package
The Hyundai Palisade made an auspicious debut six years ago, taking things to a new level of roominess, style and features for the Korean carmaker. A second-generation version of the crossover takes things to new levels – especially with the launch of a first-ever Hyundai Palisade Hybrid. Headlight.News had a chance to check out the 3-row gas-electric package and here’s our review.