Overall new vehicle sales held up in August thanks to the growing popularity of hybrids, which have served as a shield from increasingly troubling economic news.
General Motors
Once the Butt of the Joke, Hyundai Now Has the Competition Looking Over their Shoulders
Here’s how the upstart Korean automaker Hyundai, once seemingly destined to fail, has grown into the world’s 3rd-largest automaker and now has even Toyota and Volkswagen worried.
If New Vehicle Quality is Better Than Ever Why Are We Seeing Record Recall Numbers?
Stellantis is recalling nearly 1 million vehicles due to a backup camera problem. But it’s nowhere near the largest recall in a year that could set new records for safety-related issues. How can that happen at the same time research shows automotive quality reaching new highs?
China’s Automakers Are Faster, Leaner – But Do Burgeoning Problems Portend an “Extinction Event?”
Chinese automakers rolled out more than 600 new and updated vehicles during the 1st half of 2026. They’re fast and lean and hit record sales last year, and domestic brands like Geely and BYD are crushing foreign manufacturers like GM and VW. But they’re starting to have serious problems of their own, reports Headlight.News.
JD Power Finds New Vehicles More “APEAL-ing” Than Ever
If you’ve purchased a new vehicle lately chances are you’re extremely satisfied with what you drove home, reflecting improvements in design, features and quality. Porsche topped the charts in the latest JD Power APEAL study – but there were some surprises. For one thing, electric vehicles outperformed all other powertrain technologies, reports Headlight.News.
GM Q2 Earnings Beat Expectations as Barra Ups Full-Year Forecast
Despite a billion-dollar decline, largely due to EV write-offs, General Motors beat Wall Street’s earnings forecast for the second quarter – and raised its full-year guidance, Headlight.News reports.
Honda Exiting U.S. EV Market – But May Add New Plant to Double Down on Hybrids
Honda will end production of the Prologue, its only remaining battery-electric vehicle offered in the U.S., at the end of the 2026 model year. The move caps a frantic retreat by a company that, not long ago, wanted to become a dominant player in the American EV market. Now it’s shifting focus to a complete line-up of hybrids – and may build a new U.S. plant to produce them. More from Headlight.News.
Hazardous Air from Canadian Forest Fires Stirs Up Labor Unrest in Auto Plants.
As heat and smoke from unchecked Canadian wildfires settled over auto plants from Flint, Michigan southward through Detroit to Toledo, employee complaints about unsafe working conditions has skyrocketed – complaints compounded by heat wave.
Buick, Chevrolet Set to Bring Back Sedans – and Others May Follow
Sedans. Remember them? They once overwhelmingly dominated the American automotive market. Today, they’re little more than afterthoughts for most buyers – and have been dropped from the line-up by a number of brands. But several manufacturers appear ready to bring sedans back. Look for new entries from both Buick and Chevrolet – and possibly Ford — reports Headlight.News.
Demand for High-Mileage Hybrids, EVs Help Keep June Auto Sales Afloat
Sales of electrified vehicles helped keep the industry afloat in June and during the second quarter, with Korean brands, in particular, delivering record sales numbers. More from Headlight.News.
VW May Cut 100k Jobs, Close Four Plants, in Biggest-Ever Restructuring
Volkswagen is preparing what may become the largest restructuring in its nearly 90-year history, a move that could see as many as 100,000 workers lose their jobs as four German plants close. The move is blamed on its weakening position against domestic Chinese brands like BYD and Geely, reports Headlight.News.
The Era of Automotive Globalization is Dead
Stagnating demand in Western markets, the end of the ‘global car,’ and the cost of electrification present automakers and suppliers with a triple conundrum, says AlixPartners’ annual report on the state of the auto industry.