Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.
Tight, light, and right, TDS gathers the latest automotive news bubbling around the globe and places it in one spot. Stories are summarized in a single, sometimes long, sentence along with a link for those seeking more information.
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The first cup of coffee is gone, so let’s get into it.
🚘 What I’m driving: The refreshed 2026 Subaru Solterra is in my garage this week and so far it’s been rather efficient averaging 3.5 mi/kWh in mixed suburban driving despite the chilly fall Minnesota temps.
🇯🇵 Nissan’s new CEO, Ivan Espinosa, is thinking about the IDx concept from 2013 and said, “I think (a car like the IDx) will serve many purposes,” noting it would help express the brand while having the potential to appeal to a younger demographic; the CEO also said he would love to bring back the Silvia.
🚨 Toyota recalled 54,631 Sienna Hybrid minivans due to second-row seat rails that may be welded improperly.
🧐 Subaru teased a pair of STI-branded concepts headed to the Japan Mobility Show later this month with one featuring a gas powertrain and the other an EV said to represent the future of the performance scene.
🪫 The 2026 Alfa Romeo Tonale arrived with a tweaked front end, a new grille, and only a turbo-four with the death of the plug-in powertrain after just two years.
💰 Mate Rimac is in discussions with Porsche to buy out the German automaker’s share of the Bugatti Rimac joint venture with the aim of closing the deal by next year.
💸 Stellantis is making a $13 billion bet on the U.S. with massive capital investments in multiple assembly plants, five new vehicles, 19 product updates, and the expansion of U.S. production by 50% in the next four years.
🚗 Mitsubishi is expanding its lineup with both a new EV, which appears to be a slightly reworked Nissan Leaf, and a new “off-road-focused” model.
🔋 Rivian announced a software update that will bring plug-and-charge capability and real-time information for both the Electrify American and Ionna charging networks.
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