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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This week, the Headlight News podcast covers Nissan’s newest turnaround plan, the four new offerings from Infiniti, BMW cutting the iX, and a new way to find the cheapest gas prices near you. Give us a listen.
Let by CEO Ivan Espinosa, senior Nissan officials spent nearly an hour Thursday morning outlining a grand plan meant to move beyond the massive cuts it was forced to make over the last few years. It calls for a smaller, more focused product portfolio, new powertrain technologies, more tech features, a leaner product development and manufacturing system – and growth in the key markets of the U.S., Japan and China. Headlight.News has more.
Breaking News: Nissan will streamline its vehicle line-up, even while adding more powertrain options, CEO Ivan Espinosa announced during a Tuesday morning news conference on Tuesday morning Tokyo time. The strategy, dubbed “Mobility Intelligence for Everyday Life,” will also see the second-largest Japanese automaker put more emphasis on “AI-defined vehicles.”
Nissan is getting ready to roll out an all-new version of its best-selling product line. But it will be taking a big risk with the 2027 Nissan Rogue. It’s not just the fact that the compact SUV will be offered solely as a hybrid for at least the first year, but the fact that this will be Nissan’s all-new e-Power technology which takes a radically different approach from the hybrids currently on the road. Headlight.News has more.