The Volkswagen ID. Buzz took top honors as the North American Utility Vehicle of the Year on Friday morning during a ceremony marking the start of the annual Detroit Auto Show. As for the other winners? Headlight.News has the full story.
Hybrids
A Week With: 2025 Volvo XC90
Even with the extended model cycles manufacturers are employing these days, 10 years in production — with but minor changes — is a pretty long time. That the second-generation Volvo XC90 has reached this milestone and remains one of the most desirable models in its class, speaks well to the brilliance of the XC90’s basic design. Find out more in our review of the 2025 Volvo XC90 at Headlight.News.
Chrysler Planning New Car and SUV Based On Halcyon Concept
A new report suggests that struggling Chrysler might pull a rabbit out of its hat with a new report suggesting the brand is getting a new car and SUV based on the Halcyon concept. Stellantis and its dizzying array of brands can be a very daunting thing for customers...
Hyundai CEO Jose Munoz Says Friendship Between Trump and Musk Is Positive For Carmakers
Hyundai CEO Jose Munoz is not concerned about the friendship between Trump and Musk and says it can benefit all automakers as analysts predict gloomy times are coming.
Ram Pickup Toppled by Toyota’s RAV4, Parent Stellantis Was the Big Loser of 2024
If you’re wondering just how bad things got for Stellantis last year, consider the fact that its Ram pickup fell off the podium, losing its traditional third-place position in the U.S. sales race – behind the Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado – to Toyota’s RAV4 SUV. Overall, the Euro-American automaker was one of only two manufacturers to report a decline in sales in 2024 and faces serious challenges to turn things around in 2025.
A Week With: 2025 Toyota Prius PHEV XSE
Here’s an interesting bit of trivia; while Toyota’s Prius is the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, it’s not the first of its kind to be offered in the United States. That honor goes to the 1999 Honda Insight. But Toyota’s perfected it, and the 2025 Prius PHEV XSE continues that legacy of excellence. Check out Headlight.News’ review.
Q&A: Gary Shapiro: High-Tech Autos Take the Stage at CES 2025
Computers, TVs, drones, “smart” appliances, digital cameras. If those are the things you think of when someone mentions “consumer electronics,” you’re not alone. But you should add automobiles to the list as, these days, they’re starting to look more like smartphones on wheels. Indeed, high-tech “mobility” is one of the big topics at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. To get a sense of what we can expect at CES 2025, Headlight.News spoke to Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, the trade group sponsoring the annual event.
The Vehicles We Liked the Best in 2024
The editors at Headlight.News spend hundreds of hours behind the wheel, or wheels in this case, of new vehicles talking about everything from how fast they accelerate to what kind of safety tech they feature to just how pretty are they? From those hundreds of vehicles, we’ve curated a list of the vehicles we enjoyed the most in 2024. Check them out.
The Biggest Automotive Stories of 2024
Oh, what a year it was. 2024 took saw a number of predictable stories top our coverage on Headlight.News, but the year also saw some surprising twists and turns — like the planned merger between Honda and Nissan – that no one likely would, or could, have predicted 12 months ago. There was some good news for consumers, and some bad. Some automakers made out like bandits, while others are now struggling with an uncertain future. Here are the 2024 stories that our editorial team found most compelling.
Q&A With: Stephan Winkelmann, CEO Automobili Lamborghini
A conversation on the future of Lamborghini in the face of electrification and troubles at parent company Volkswagen Group with the sports car brand’s CEO Stephan Winkelmann.
VW, Union Agree to Unprecedented 35,000 Job Cuts
In an unprecedented compromise, Volkswagen reached an agreement with its German labor union to cut as many as 35,000 jobs in Germany – though the automaker agreed not to order immediate layoffs or plant closures and dropped a demand for 10% wage cuts. The move avoided a mass walkout by members of the IG Metall union but is billed as a way to curb VW’s bloated labor costs, among the industry’s highest.
Honda to Take Lead in Planned Merger with Nissan
Honda and Nissan will merge under a new holding company, the automaker’s announced, confirming months of rumors, with the smaller of the Japanese automakers effectively taking control of the new alliance. Mitsubishi, which was rescued by Nissan in 2016, has yet to decide whether to become part of the alliance. And Renault, which bailed out Nissan in 1999, plans to determine what role it may have going forward.