Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.
Tight, right, and light, TDS gathers all the latest automotive news bubbling around the globe and places it in one spot. Stories are summarized in a single (sometimes long) sentence accompanied by a link for those seeking more information.
I’m back in the saddle here this morning after some unexpected scheduling shifts last week. Much thanks to both Adam and Andrew for stepping in with TDS unexpectedly.
The first cup of coffee is gone and I’m ready for the second, so let’s get into it.
? What I’m driving: Those scheduling changes were due to some back issues, which led to me not driving much of anything, but a V-8-powered truck is showing up today and seems I’m back in the action heading into the week.
? Over the weekend Tesla’s X account first posted a teaser video of something (possibly a wheel) noting the date 10/7, which was later followed by a post with an image displaying headlights that appear to match the cheaper Model Y variant that’s been teased by CEO Elon Musk and spotted on public roads.
? A Ford Everest SUV was spotted sporting manufacturer license plates in Colorado for unknown reasons, but the body-on-frame SUV sold in other global markets shares the Ranger pickup and Bronco SUV’s underpinnings and would make for an interesting Toyota 4Runner competitor in the U.S. market.
? Production of the BMW X4 reportedly ended on September 30.
? Fox Factory teased what appears to be a lowered street-oriented Ram 1500 with a large lower front valence and wide low-profile Toyo tires.
? Volvo added a more affordable single-motor extended-range EX30 to its lineup, which drops the model’s price by $6,000.
? Aston Martin cut its U.S. sales outlook, again, citing tariffs, weak sales, and global issues.
? Stellantis reportedly plans to spend $10 billion on its U.S. turnaround plan, which includes product updates and plants.
? Stellantis has lobbied the Trump administration to waive or soften a possible 25% tariff on its Mexican-made heavy-duty trucks while Ford and GM urged the administration to dismiss the request citing it would give its competitor a cost advantage and open the door for other exceptions from other automakers.
? Weekend Race Results:
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As Director of Content and Product, Joel draws on over 15 years of newsroom experience and inability to actually stop working to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media. He’s also a World Car Award juror.