--- title: "Honda Just Had Its Best July Since Before the Pandemic: TDS" description: "Welcome to *[The Downshift]()*, or TDS for short, *The Drive’s* morning news roundup serving the biggest automotive headlines from around the world." date: "2026-08-04" modified: "2026-08-04" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/honda-just-had-its-best-july-since-before-the-pandemic-tds" categories: - "News" - "The Downshift" tags: - "compact" - "CR-V" - "honda" - "suv/crossover" --- # Honda Just Had Its Best July Since Before the Pandemic: TDS ![Honda CR-V on production line]() *\VCG via Getty Images\* Welcome to *[The Downshift]()*, or TDS for short, *The Drive’s* morning news roundup serving the biggest automotive headlines from around the world. *The Downshift* summarizes news items in a few sentences, with links to other sites to get the deeper story. Here’s your bulletin for Tuesday, August 4, 2026. 📈 American Honda just had a record-setting month, with sales across Honda and Acura brands up 12.8%, and Honda's sedans specifically up 35.7%. Overall, sales for both makes reached 124,553 units, and you have to go back to 2019 to find a better-performing July for the company. *\[[Honda]()\]* ✋ Some of Aston Martin's creditors have reportedly threatened legal action against the automaker after discovering that part of the company's new debt financing scheme led by BlackRock subsidiary HPS is contingent upon the brand licensing its name out. *\[[Reuters]()\]* 🏭 Volvo will lean on local production of its XC60 SUV to significantly boost production output at its Charleston, South Carolina plant. The automaker current builds 30,000 vehicles annually there, and the XC60 is expected to raise that number by another 20,000. *\[[Automotive News]()\]* 🚙 Meanwhile, although Volvo's global sales sunk another 4% through May and July, U.S. performance surged with the third consecutive month of double-digit increase. *\[[Reuters]()\]* 🔋 We sadly will miss out on the reborn Audi A2 just like we did the original, which is especially unfortunate because the automaker says it's the most efficient vehicle it has ever produced, achieving 4.85 miles per kilowatt-hour in preliminary testing. It's worth stipulating that this is under the WLTP criteria, which certainly tends to be more forgiving than the EPA's, but with an extremely low drag coefficient and other range-extending innovations, it still sounds very promising. *\[[InsideEVs]()\]* 🌍 Tesla has enjoyed strong uptake in certain European markets, and deep plunges in others, per new data. July registrations for its EVs climbed in France (86%) and Denmark (52%), while sinking in Norway (97%), Spain (81%), Italy (77%), Portugal (69%), and Sweden (60%). *\[[Reuters]()\]* *Got a tip or feedback for TDS? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()