Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.
Dense, short, and quick, TDS gathers the latest automotive headlines from around the globe and puts them in one place. Stories are summarized in a single sentence accompanied by a link for those seeking more information.
🚨 We are launching something new today and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. Keep your eyes peeled and check the site during the middle of the day for what we’ve been quietly working on in the background.
The first cup of coffee is in hand and it’s below zero outside. Let’s get into it.
🚘 What I’m driving: Spending time with the 2026 Honda Ridgeline Trailsport and have quickly realized how slow the infotainment system moves, particularly with Apple CarPlay, and it’s frustrating.
😬 General Motors CEO Mary Barra told employees during an all-hands meeting, “I can’t explain why the decision was made in Canada,” regarding the country allowing the import of cheap Chinese EVs this year, but that “it becomes a very slippery slope.”
💸 Kia said that U.S. tariffs cost it $2.3 billion last year as profits drop.
📈 BMW is trying to ramp up production as quickly as possible as demand for the new electric iX3 exceeds expectations.
💰 General Motors is forecasting higher profits in 2026 after taking hits from its EV pullback, but the automaker’s also ending the third shift on January 30 at its Oshawa plant as planned, which will lay off about 700 unionized workers; looking forward, GM’s also working to reduce the cost of its electric vehicles beyond just using less expensive batteries.
💪 Mercedes-Benz AMG teased a new extreme CLE coupe variant, said to be the brand’s next limited-production car as part of the “Mythos” series; a twin-turbo flat-plane crank V8 is expected to sit under the hood.
🔋 Lucid just made the first prototype of its upcoming mid-size SUV, which is expected to be called Earth.
💡 Peugeot’s CEO is planning to reinvent one of the world’s oldest carmakers.
✒️ Porsche appointed a new head of design, Tobias Sühlmann, who could shake up the automaker’s future.
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