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.
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.
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.
While the tight regulations and tariffs for the U.S. market are causing some Chinese automotive manufacturers to rethink their plans to stablish plants in Mexico, GAC Motors officially announced it will assemble cars south of our border, as part of its global One GAC 2.0 strategy. Details at Headlight.News.
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.
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.