Lexus is giving its RC and RC F sports coupes a “sonorous swan song,” finishing their run at the end of 2025. While the Japanese luxury brand does retain some passenger car models it mirrors the broader industry’s ongoing move to abandon passenger vehicles in favor of SUVs, CUVs and pickups.
Chevrolet
Back to Basics at a Very Downsized Detroit Auto Show
Once one of the most important auto shows in North America, if not the world, the annual Motor City event returned to its original January schedule after a brief summer run. But what has been renamed the Detroit Auto Show is a mere fraction of the size of what it was during its glory days. Headlight.News looks at what has happened — and why.
Electric Mustang Mach-E Outsells Ford’s Classic Coupe – and Is Anyone Really Surprised?
It may be the best-selling pony car on the market but the classic, gas-powered Ford Mustang coupe was outsold by the all-electric Mustang Mach-E last year. If anything, the EV gained significant momentum in 2024, something that one of Ford’s key competitors could take as encouragement as it launches its own, all-electric muscle car.
Simcoe Stepping Down, Nesbitt Becomes Only 8th Design Chief in GM History
If you want job security, it seems, you might hope to land the role as General Motors’ head of design. There’ve only been seven people to hold that position over the last century. But that exclusive club will soon grow to eight as Michael Simcoe steps down and hands his pens to GM veteran Bryan Nesbitt. Here’s more on the transition.
The Big Automotive Stories We Expect in 2025
The new year is likely to be a big year when it comes to the auto industry, especially with a new president coming into office who has signaled plans to scrap EV sales incentives and enact hefty new tariffs on imported auto parts and fully assembled vehicles. We’ve...
Tesla Sales Take First Full-Year Fall; Musk’s Politics Catch Some Blame
While EV sales growth has slowed down this past year, demand was still up by about 10% in 2024. And the numbers would have been even bigger were it not for Tesla. While still the market leader, it suffered a first-ever annual sales decline last year. A variety of factors were at play, including CEO Elon Musk’s increasingly polarizing politics. More from Headlight.News.
Jimmy Carter, Dead at 100, Had Major Influence on Auto Industry
He may have had just one term in the White House but it came at a critical time for the nation, as a whole, and for the auto industry, in particular. Former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away over the weekend at the age of 100 oversaw changes to automotive safety and emissions regulations. He was also in the Oval Office at a time of a major oil embargo, an assault by automotive imports and a time of reckoning for Detroit’s automakers – including the near collapse of Chrysler Corp.
14 Models Driving Off Into the Sunset as 2024 Comes to a Close
Ashes to ashes, dust to rust. The life of an automobile is fairly limited. And the same can be said for automotive nameplates. With only the rarest exceptions, even the most popular badges have finite lives, as the Ford Model Y and Volkswagen Beetle proved. With the arrival of the 2025 model year there are still more nameplates set to drive off into the sunset, the Chevrolet Malibu being just one of the best-known examples. Here’s a look at some other product lines we won’t see going forward.
Kia Looks at a Pickup, Other “White Space” Opportunities – But Trump is the Wild Card
It’s been a big year for Korean carmaker Kia, U.S. sales set to reach a new record. To keep momentum going it’s launching plenty of new products in 2025 and looking to enter still more “white space” beyond – a pickup one opportunity under study. But planning ahead is on hold until at least “January 21,” said the brand’s U.S. marketing chief, with the incoming Trump administration poised to address such issues as EV sale mandates and incentives, as well as tariffs on foreign-made vehicles.
A Week With: 2025 Chevrolet Equinox Activ AWD
For the past two years, Chevrolet’s been in midst of a revolution — at least when it comes to its SUV lineup. The automaker’s completely redesigned its sport-utility lineup to make it more cohesive. And now that they all look like they belong to the same company, it’s time to see how some of them drive — starting with the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox Activ AWD. Check out our review at Headlight.News.
Consumer Reports Has Some Big Surprises as it Hands Out its Annual Automotive Report Card
Ready to invest in a new car, truck or crossover? There are plenty of choices these days. But how do you know what’s right for you? Consumer Reports is offering a helping hand as it releases its Automotive Report Card. The annual study helps you figure out which brands and models are reliable, feature-loaded and fun to drive – and which products to steer close of. And this year’s report contains more than a few surprises.
Western Automakers Losing Ground in China; GM Takes $5 Billion Charge, May Close Plants
Not all that long ago, foreign manufacturers like General Motors, Ford and Volkswagen dominated the Chinese automotive market where, in some cases, they were making their biggest profits. Now, as domestic competitors like Geely and BYD gain traction, times have changed. On Wednesday, General Motors revealed plans to take more than $5 billion in charges to restructure its Chinese operations and is likely to close some of its plants there. But it’s far from the only international manufacturer struggling in the world’s largest automotive market.