Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.
Tight, light, and right as they say in the biz, TDS unites all the morning’s automotive headlines that matter so you can get caught up with what’s going on in the world. Stories are summarized in a sentence or two, with links.
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🔚 The Tesla Model S and X are finally ending production, CEO Elon Musk has confirmed, and that’s not an April Fools’ joke. Musk said as much on X, and the company’s website backs it up, as InsideEVs has reported; right now, you can only view inventory for Tesla’s first two models, instead of placing an order. Additionally, the CEO had hinted at the models’ discontinuation during an earnings call in January.
⭐ Mercedes-Benz has revealed the updated GLE and GLS SUVs for 2027. Both come with all-wheel drive and panoramic moonroofs as standard, and the GLS even gets the option of a flat-crank V8, as our friends at Car & Driver pointed out.
🌎 U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said that the Trump administration will not allow Chinese cars sold in Canada “to cross the border into the U.S.” in a recent interview, via Automotive News.
🧑⚖️ A federal judge has rejected Volkswagen Group of America’s motion to dismiss the case against it from the California New Car Dealers Association over Scout’s direct sales model, per Auto News.
♦️ Mitsubishi has announced that its refreshed Outlander Plug-In Hybrid, which will boast more power and all-electric range, will start at $43,245 when it hits showrooms next month.
🏭 Manufacturing of the new Jeep Cherokee has been halted for weeks due to a dispute between Stellantis and ZF Chassis Modules, according to The Wall Street Journal.
🏁 Ford says the first test of its LMDh prototype endurance racer is scheduled to kick off in the third quarter of this year before a competition debut in 2027, Motorsport.com reports.
🤑 A new, one-of-99 Bugatti Mistral as hit the market for a cool $10.5 million, per Autoblog.
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