The United Auto Workers says any new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada should include quotas on imports, while boosting wages of Mexican workers and providing American workers a chance at the American Dream. Read the story at Headlight.News.
Car Culture
Stellantis in the Fastlane: Who Were the Winners and Losers?
Being bigger isn’t always better. Stellantis has 14 separate auto brands which can be difficult to support after last year’s big losses. Under the new Fastlane 2030 turnaround plan, the automakers is keeping them all – but some brands fare better than others. Headlight.News looks at the winners and losers.
Stellantis Lays Our Global, $70 Bil Turnaround Plan – But It’s the U.S. it’s Betting Big On
Aiming to reverse a series of setbacks to sales and earnings, Stellantis Thursday unveiled a $70 billion turnaround plan that will see it launch more than 60 new vehicles by decade’s end. But while markets from Europe to Africa to Asia should benefit, the Fastlane 2030 program depends disproportionately on two U.S. brands: Jeep and Ram. Headlight.News has more.
No Longer Locked in the Bargain Basement, the New Seltos Shows Why Kia is a Brand to Reckon With
It started out as a nearly invisible, “cheap and cheerful” brand. Today, Kia is one of the fastest-growing brands on the U.S. market and challenging not only competitors like Nissan but its own Korean sibling Hyundai. The redesigned 2027 Kia Seltos is a reason why.
Headlight News Podcast for the Week of 5-18-26
On the Headlight News podcast this week, we look the rise of hybrid sales and the moves by Honda and Mazda to meet demand. We also cover the looming shortage of base oils due to the conflict with Iran. Finally we review the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz SRT. Check out the podcast, give us some feedback.
A Week With: 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness
Subaru found itself caught with nothing to offer during the initial years of the SUV boom back in the 1990s. To compensate, the marque raised the ride height of its Legacy station wagon and billed it as the Legacy Outback — the “World’s First Sport Utility Wagon.” Now the brand has a “proper” ute in the 2026 Outback Wilderness and it’s unclear if it was necessary to make the change. Get the answer in our review at Headlight.News.
America’s Falling in Love With Hybrids — And It’s Not Just About Saving Fuel Anymore
If the word, “hybrid” brings to mind an awkward little vehicle sacrificing space, comfort and anything close to the “fun-to-drive” factor for better fuel economy you might be in for a shock should you check out the latest hybrid offerings. Get the story at Headlight.News.
Hyundai’s Metaplant: Automation Station in the Age of AI
The city of Savannah is known for history — and, perhaps, ghosts — but low-slung, sleek industrial buildings that lay alongside a highway outside nearby Ellabell tell a more modern story. Those buildings make up Hyundai’s new Metaplant. The plant seems to represent the future of manufacturing — a future that’s even more automated than what we see now. Get the story at Headlight.News.
A Week With: 2026 Kia K4 Hatchback GT-Line Turbo
Kia built its first car in 1974, some 30 years after the company was founded. Nineteen years later, the company launched its first model in the United States: the Sephia. It was a decent, if something of an ordinary car — a word that cannot be applied to any of the marque’s offerings. A good example of this is the Headlight.News review this week: the 2026 Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo Hatchback.
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.
Get a First Look Inside Ford’s Universal EV Program
Ford will soon launch what it bills as a revolutionary, low-cost, long-range EVs. We get a 1st inside look at the Universal EV project.
Headlight News Podcast for the Week of 5-4-26
On the Headlight News podcast this week, we look at tough April new vehicle sales numbers. We also examine the latest threat of raising tariffs on EU vehicles, plus we reviewed the 2026 Mazda CX-5 and more. Check it out at Headlight.News.