At least a half-dozen brands will be making news at this week’s New York International Auto Show, products such as the next-generation Subaru Outback and Kia EV4 among the mix. We may even get a few surprises. Here’s what we already know is on the list of debuts.
Tariffs continue to dominate the auto industry, manufacturers around the world struggling to figure out formulas that will minimize the impact on consumers – and U.S. sales – while avoiding budget-busting new costs that could send their balance sheets deep into the red. Here are some of the latest developments.
Mazda can’t “swallow” the tariffs it will face under Pres. Donald Trump’s new trade sanctions. While plans have yet to be finalized, it is likely to spread tariffs costs out in a way that will minimize the impact on “price-sensitive” products, such as its entry line, the CX-30, global CFO Jeff Guyton said. Even then, the automaker expects to take a big hit to sales, he forecast. Here’s more of the details.
When Hyundai rolled out the newly updated all-electric Ioniq 6 recently, it talked about “more refined curves” and other updates. Those updates not only include the Ioniq 6 N Line variant, but there was also just a mention of the coming performance-oriented Ioniq 6 N. Headlight.News has details. Check out the story.
Britain’s Jaguar Land Rover will “pause” vehicle shipments to the U.S. in the wake of Pres. Donald Trump’s broad tariff plans on imported autos and auto parts. The automaker said it is working out a plan “to address the new trading terms.” JLR’s announcement follows moves by brands including Hyundai, Kia and Volkswagen to adjust U.S. market strategies as the industry faces a substantial increase in vehicle prices. Headlight.News has the latest.
Hyundai said it will temporarily refrain from passing on to consumers any additional tariff costs as part of a new “Customer Assurance” program. That could add up to thousands of dollars on a new vehicle as a result of the new tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump this week. But the program runs only through the beginning of June. Other automakers are weighing their own plans which, for VW means making it clear to buyers why they’ll soon pay more for their vehicles. Headlight.News has more.
Tesla shareholders breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday morning, word leaking out of the White House suggesting CEO Elon Musk will soon give up his controversial role as the head of the Trump administration’s Dept. of Government Efficiency. Then, Tesla released its first-quarter sales numbers, global deliveries falling three times further than what Wall Street anticipated. Its stock rebound in reverse, a growing number of investors and analysts now wonder whether Tesla and its CEO can recover from the hit they’ve taken.
Sales of new vehicles in the U.S. climbed sharply during March as buyers rushed to get in their orders before the tariffs clamp down on the automotive trade. The threat of a recession is also expected to weigh on an industry sensitive to economic trends going into April.
With thousands gathered in protest at dealers around the world over the weekend, Tesla wrapped up what is expected to be a weak first quarter, the automaker watching sales dwindle as opposition grows to CEO Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration – as well as his increasingly vocal shift to the political far right. Headlight.News has the latest.
The automotive tariffs going into effect next months could add thousands, even tens of thousands, of dollars to the cost of new vehicles. But Pres. Donald Trump raised the threat that he might punish manufacturers who pass tariff costs on to consumers. More from Headlight.News.
Hyundai Motor Group plans to invest $21 billion for a variety of U.S.-based projects, including steel production and the expansion of its U.S. automotive production to 1.2 million vehicles annually. That more than doubles what the South Korean has invested since entering the U.S. market in 1986. More from Headlight.News.
General Motors and Hyundai are said to be in talks that would lead to significant product sharing in the pickup and commercial EV van segments, according to a new report. Such a move would expand on the alliance the two automakers recently announced focusing on hydrogen fuel-cell technology. More from Headlight.News.