Lexus arrived on the scene in 1989 with two new vehicles ready to compete in the luxury world: the LS and the ES. Flash forward nearly four decades and the ES not only survives, it thrives and the brand is making sure it continues to do so with the new model for 2026. Headlight.News got some time behind the wheel and can confirm it’s still among the best offerings in the segment in our First Drive.
Ferrari officially pulled the covers off the Luce, its first-ever battery electric vehicle. Despite some kind words from Pope Leo, however, the reaction to the $640,000 was largely unflattering. Is this the product that brings the house of the “prancing pony” crashing down? Headlight.News has more.
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.
This week on the podcast, we cover news from Stellantis, Volkswagen’s revival of the ID. Buzz, Ferrari finally building an EV, the Luce, and we review the 2026 Toyota Camry SE Nightshade. Check it out.
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.
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.
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.
Stellantis and Jaguar Land Rover signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore “opportunities to collaborate on product development” – though the MOU is specifically focused on the U.S. market. The announcement comes a day before Stellantis is set to announce a broad new strategy that will focus its efforts on just four key brands, leaving some observers wondering how an alliance with JLR would fit in. Headlight.News has more.
Volkswagen is bringing back the ID.Buzz. It pulled the all-electric microbus from its 2026 lineup due to slow sales. VW isn’t yet revealing prices for the 2027 model year but plans to offer a more interesting mix of trims, including a retro-inspired Tourer. Not looking to wait? You can get some great deals on 2025 leftovers.
Honda reported its first loss in seven decades, largely due to major cuts in its EV program. But the automaker plans a major ramp-up of its hybrid line-up, its CEO revealed. Mazda is following a similar strategy, albeit on a smaller scale, as Headlight.News reports.
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.
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.