Sales of new vehicles remained steady in May. But despite conventional wisdom that the battery-electric market is dying, buyers showed renewed interest in electrified models, including EVs and hybrids. Headlight.News has more.
Toyota
Dogfight Coming in the Midsize Truck Market
Once given up for dead, the midsize pickup segment is booming — but faces a real battle as more players get set to enter the game. Get the story at Headlight.News.
Toyota Scraps Plans For All-Electric LF-ZC Flagship
Toyota’s scrapped plans for the LF-ZC, the sedan that was set to serve as the new Lexus flagship. The move, Toyota said, reflects “fluctuations in market demand and the workload associated with vehicle planning and manufacturing,” and marks a sharp turnaround in EV strategy by the Japanese automaker’s new CEO. More from Headlight.News.
Iran War Oil Crisis May be Adding $700 or More to Your Annual Fuel Bill
Three months after the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes on Iran, fuel prices are hovering in the mid-$4.00-a-gallon range. And that’s hitting the average American motorist hard in the pocketbook. Tthose driving gas-powered vehicles can expect to pay an extra $706 a year for fuel should the war drag on and gas prices hold at current levels. Headlight.News has more.
Honda Idling Ridgeline Production Until 2028 – Blames Emissions Issues Rather Than Slow Sales
Honda will temporarily idle production of its midsize Ridgeline pickup later this year, though it plans to relaunch the truck in new form for the 2028 model year. The automaker blames trouble meeting new emissions rules. But skeptics say the truck has failed to generate the sort of sales numbers the automaker had been hoping for. More from Headlight.News.
A Week With: 2026 Toyota Camry SE Nightshade
Toyota’s decision to stick with sedans a decade ago when other makers fled the segment didn’t guarantee a better version of its mainstay Camry — it was the brand’s history of constant improvement that ensured the 2026 Camry would be excellent. A week in the Camry SE Nightshade confirmed that to be true. Go to Headlight.News to check out our review.
Review: 2027 Kia Seltos is a Little Wonder
Since its rolled into the market in 2019, the Kia Seltos has become one of the Korean carmaker’s major product lines. But, in a highly competitive segment, it needed some major updates to keep momentum building. As Headlight.News discovered during a drive adventure in South Korea, the second-generation 2027 Kia Seltos comes through. Here’s our review.
Toyota Looking to Build New $2 Billion Assembly Plant in Texas
Call it a “whale” of a plan. Documents filed with Texas regulators show Toyota is ready to build a new, $2 billion assembly line alongside its existing truck factory in San Antonio. But the automaker is first seeking financial support from the state for what it has codenamed “Project Orca.” More from Headlight.News.
When Your EV Sounds Like a Race Car: Lexus TZ is Just the Latest to Add Performance “Exhaust” Notes
The new Lexus TZ draws power from a pair of electric motors and a 96 kWh battery pack. But slip behind the wheel and you might think there’s a V-10 under the hood. The new crossover is the latest EV to let motorists fire up the sounds of a high-performance internal combustion engine. More from Headlight.News.
Lexus Bucks the EV Trend, New TZ Will its Third All-Electric Model for the U.S.
While most automakers are cutting back on their EV plans, Toyota Motor Co. is ramping up. And it’s taken the covers off the latest addition, the Lexus TZ set to become the luxury brand’s third all-electric model. Headlight.News has more.
Hybrid Sales Set Record, Propped Up Weakening U.S. Auto Market
Hybrid sales set a record in April, accounting for about one in seven new vehicles sold by U.S. dealers – in the process helping prop up an otherwise weakening overall market. By year-end that could reach one in five, and it’s not just fuel prices driving the surge in hybrid demand. Headlight.News has more.
April Brought Gloomy Auto Sales, as Well As Showers
Car sales headed downward in April as gloomy economic news spawned by rising oil prices and higher inflation took the edge off the excitement of the traditional spring buying season. More from Headlight.News.