Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.
Light, tight, and right, TDS gathers the latest automotive news from around the web and put sit all in one spot. Stories are summarized in a single sentence accompanied by a link for those seeking more information.
Already sipping my second cup of coffee over here so let’s get into it.
? What I’m driving: The 2026 Nissan Leaf left my driveway and was replaced by the 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S, which is the automaker’s first electric model and so far (and it’s early in the week) its been surprisingly efficient given the fact ambient temps are in the 30s.
? Tesla’s Model Y program manager, Emmanuel Lamacchia, left the automaker after eight years, which marked the second high-profile exit from the company after the Cybertruck program manager, Siddhant Awasthi, announced his exit.
? The redesigned 2026 Nissan Sentra went on sale for $23,645 including a $1,245 destination charge, which translates to the budget-friendly sedan only costing $860 more than last year despite the upgrades.
? Tesla’s board chair, Robyn Denholm, thanked the automaker’s investors for approving CEO Elon Musk’s record-breaking $1 trillion pay package.
?️ The 2026 Jeep Compass lineup has been simplified and streamlined with three trim levels and more standard content with the base Latitude trim costing $32,985 including destination; the simplification comes as the next-generation Compass looms in the background.
? A Bentley Mulsanne used by King Charles III when he was the Prince of Wales is headed to auction by H&H Classics on December 3 at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire.
?? Mini brought back the Oxford Edition Countryman for 2026.
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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.