Ready to invest in a new car, truck or crossover? There are plenty of choices these days. But how do you know what’s right for you? Consumer Reports is offering a helping hand as it releases its Automotive Report Card. The annual study helps you figure out which brands and models are reliable, feature-loaded and fun to drive – and which products to steer close of. And this year’s report contains more than a few surprises.
Not all that long ago, foreign manufacturers like General Motors, Ford and Volkswagen dominated the Chinese automotive market where, in some cases, they were making their biggest profits. Now, as domestic competitors like Geely and BYD gain traction, times have changed. On Wednesday, General Motors revealed plans to take more than $5 billion in charges to restructure its Chinese operations and is likely to close some of its plants there. But it’s far from the only international manufacturer struggling in the world’s largest automotive market.
The steady shift toward electric vehicles may not hit home harder than with Dodge, America’s best-known muscle car brand. Now, the brand changes gears officially, kicking off the marketing campaign officials hope will make old-school fans of the gas-guzzling, rubber-burning muscle car that electric muscle cars are a thing. Check out the push for the new Dodge Charger Daytona at Headlight.News.
Almost a month after confirming plans to launch a rotary-powered sports car based on its Iconic SP sports car, Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro has offered more insight into what it expects to bring to market – and it means the eventual vehicle might be both smaller and more powerful than originally expected, especially for the U.S. market.
November ended on a high note, at least from an automotive perspective, with sales of new vehicles delivering solid year-over-year gains for those brands that have so far reported their numbers for the month. And several Japanese and Korean brands ended November with new sales records.
Workers at Volkswagen’s German operations walked off the job Monday. The 120,000 members of trade union IG Metall took to the streets to protest the automaker’s plans to pair back its home market operations, a move that could see it shutter as many as three assembly lines.
Despite the pictures of Jaguar’s Type 00 concept leaking before the debut, the all-electric vision provided the iconic British brand with a chance to make a statement. And while Jaguar officials seem confident about this new direction, it’s clear it will take others longer to share that confidence. Get details at Headlight.News.
A Delaware judge has again rejected the $56 billion payout for Tesla CEO Elon Musk, even after shareholders voted to reinstate the package earlier this year. But even if the ruling is upheld, the South African-born entrepreneur and confident to President-elect Donald Trump is expected to remain the world’s richest man.
President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed 25% tariff on all goods form Canada and Mexico, plus on all Chinese imports could wind up costing automakers as much 17% from their annual earnings. The estimate comes from a new study from S&P analysts. Check out the story at Headlight.News.
With CEO Carlos Tavares resigning “with immediate effect,” and no successor in sight, Stellantis could face even more trouble trying to resolve the problems that saw its sales, earnings — and stock price tumble so far this year. The lack of a chief executive officer also comes at a time when the Euro-American automaker is set to launch an assortment of critical new products, including the first all-electric Jeep and Ram models aimed at the U.S. market.
President-elect Donald Trump again affirmed his plans to levy a 25% tax on all imported goods from Mexico and Canada. The constant threat has many worried about massive price hikes for new vehicles while others point to Trump’s reasoning for the tariffs and call it a negotiation ploy. Get details at Headlight.News.
If the Trump administration moves forward with plans to end federal EV tax credits California Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to activate state rebates to help maintain the state’s role as the biggest market for battery-electric vehicles. But there’s a catch: the governor plans to initiate a market cap that would likely exclude the state’s best-selling EV brand: Tesla.