General Motors recently announced plans to enable bi-directional charging in its new EVs starting in 2026, but the automaker snuck a hint into the end of that announcement that is worth unpacking. GM released a video with its announcement to highlight the feature, and at the end, text appears that says the tech will be available with “New Ultium-Based Coupes.”

Car valuation tools are nothing new, but it seems that mid-2023 felt like a good time for Carvana to release another one. The online used vehicle seller recently kicked off its own tool, called Carvana Value Tracker, which lets users track values over time.

In what our Managing Editor rightly described as ‘mild news’, Infiniti has announced they will use the unspeakably pompous Pebble Beach Automotive Week to show a concept vehicle they claim previews the brand’s next-gen design language.

On Tuesday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed that it would be investigating over one million Ram 1500 pickup trucks over complaints about power steering issues.

While the conditions for a regulator-enforced recall have not yet been satisfied, Stellantis may institute a voluntary recall of its own before regulators have completed their probe. In 2016, the automaker recalled a batch of 1500 pickups when it was still Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) over contaminated power steering units. Debris has apparently entered the system, creating a possibility of an electrical short.

General Motors has an exciting few years ahead of it, as the automaker plans several new EVs before the end of the decade. Starting in 2026, GM’s electric vehicles will offer a clever bi-directional charging function that allows them to act as backup home generators or emergency EV chargers for other drivers.

When Russia invaded Ukraine and governments around the world began systematically cutting financial ties with the Putin-led government, companies quickly followed suit. McDonald’s famously moved out, and other international firms did the same, wanting to avoid being seen as doing business with an abusive Russian government. Now, it appears that at least one American company could still be working with Russia, as a report from PBS points to Haas Automation’s ties to the country.

It would seem  our musings – and the musings of many other outlets, to be fair – regarding the future of Nissan’s entry in the full-size pickup truck segment were right on the money. The company has confirmed they plan to wind down production of the Titan after this model year.

The RX is one of Lexus’ best-selling models but has never been offered in a plug-in hybrid configuration. That’s changing for 2024 with the Lexus RX 450h+, which brings an estimated 83 MPGe and a $70,080 price tag.

Dodge has been quite loud with its proclamations that this year’s “Last Call” Challenger and Charger models would really be the final round, but it appears that’s not entirely the case. Users on the Hellcat owner’s forum discovered that Dodge handed out as many as 25 ultra-exclusive Demon 170 Jailbreak models with exclusive colors to celebrities and select customers.

Word has it that Mercedes-AMG is mulling over how best to bring back V8 power to the C and E-Class. While the performance unit downsized its powertrains in a bid to be more emissions compliant, fans pointed out that AMG had long been synonymous with under-stressed and over-engineered V8s making enough power to burn through a set of tires in a single outing.

The shift ended up being a bit of a scandal and one that left a sour taste in the mouth of the people that would actually buy AMG-branded products — which may explain the claimed change of heart.

Toyota’s got a lot going on, from the shockingly good-looking new Prius in 2023 to a fresh Tacoma pickup and Land Cruiser SUV next year. On top of that, Automotive News recently reported that the automaker has several other new models on the way, starting with a Crown Crossover and an electric three-row family hauler.

Hyundai and Kia are among the most talked-about automakers on the planet. The duo’s new electric models are exciting and feature styling that makes them look ripped straight from a sci-fi film. Their growth has been impressive, but the news isn’t always positive. The automakers recently recalled more than 91,000 vehicles for an issue that could cause an oil pump fire.

A few days ago, we brought you news of the entry-level Blazer EV vanishing off the order sheet, a development caught by eagle-eyed fans and confirmed by General Motors. Now, the gearheads at Automotive News have learned the trim has been permanently deep-sixed for the 2024 model year.

Subaru Motorsports has revealed its entrant for the Open 4WD class of the American Rally Association (ARA) Championship. The vehicle is simply being called the “WRX Rally Car” and it’s a painful reminder that enthusiasts haven’t been afforded a hardcore variant of the platform. The ARA racer is effectively what the mind conjures up when trying to imagine a modern WRX STI — a model the fans expected but Subaru elected not to build.

Styling for the upcoming Acura ZDX was hewn at the brand’s design studio in SoCal, making the annual soirée at Monterey a logical location for its unveiling.

And if you’re wondering why our hero shot is so grainy, it’s because we brightened the image for ya in order to see more detail.

There has been loads of speculation about what the United Automobile Workers would be asking for during this year’s contract negotiations, with the assumption being that demands would be fairly lofty. Much of this was fueled by statements made by UAW leadership, especially those coming from President Shawn Fain.

Following its massive corruption scandal, union members sought a change in management and Fain is eager to prove himself as on the side of workers. He’s taken a more-adversarial approach to the industry than his predecessors and has promised to make up for ground lost over the last few decades. While demands were initially left vague, the UAW has since shared a series of specific proposals to be brought forward during contract negotiations with Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. Compared to the standards we’ve become accustomed to, they are indeed lofty.

Volvo Cars is suspending sedan sales in the United Kingdom and it looks like North America could be next if we consider the brand’s rationale. The company has said its sales volume has skewed so heavily toward SUVs and crossovers that it doesn’t make good sense to offer anything else.

Nissan has rolled out pricing for the 2024 Titan pickup truck. It starts several thousand shillings higher than last year because the base S trim has been axed, though an equivalent 2023 SV 4x2 has a sticker of $45,650.

Volkswagen stopped selling the standard Golf here a few years back, leaving only the GTI and Golf R to carry the hatchback torch in the United States. Though impressive, the current eighth-generation models are not going to make it through the transition to electrification, but a newfound patent application suggests the cars could be reborn as electric models down the road.

Toyota and Subaru have partnered on a few vehicles in recent times, including the BRZ/GR 86 and bZ4X/Solterra twins. The brotherly love is expected to continue with a new three-row SUV in 2025. Toyota will build the vehicle in its Kentucky factory, where its own electric three-row will be produced.

Toyota's Land Cruiser is back after three years. And it will have a base price in the mid-$50,000s.

The General is set to launch several new electric vehicles this year, including the Blazer EV. When the model was first announced, it was indicated there would be an entry-level trim called the 1LT checking in at around $45,000. Fresh information tells us that’s no longer the case, at least for now.

Nissan pulled back the curtain on the new Z Nismo, officially showing the car that so many have speculated about in recent months. It gets a tiny bit more power, some handling upgrades, and one fewer transmission choice: It's automatic only.

As automakers convert their gas vehicle lineups to electric models, it’s not surprising that the big, thirsty engines are among the first to go. Ford, a pioneer of V8 engines and muscle cars, is certainly no exception, but the automaker’s executives aren’t giving up on displacement just yet.

With dealer lots starting to fill back up with product after years of lean inventories that encouraged salespeople to ask for absolutely ludicrous prices, the Federal Reserve has found that lenders are declining would-be borrowers at a record-setting pace. 

The reasons for this are many. Annual percentage rates have come up, requiring consumers to pay more money over time that lenders just aren’t certain they’ll see a return on. More people are also defaulting on loans across the board and inflationary pressures are poised to make the issue worse since the dollar just doesn’t go as far as it used to.  

The Mazda MX-30 EV will be pulled from the U.S. market after 2023, with the manufacturer stating its preference to prioritize hybrid models. While the small crossover will live on in other parts of the world with a rotary range extender, mimicking what BMW did with the i3 with some Mazda-specific flair, the company’s first all-electric vehicle seems to have been a flop in North America. 

This isn’t usual fare for news around these parts but the ever-expanding market for UTVs and side-by-sides is notable – especially as they become more like road-going pickup trucks than ever before.

A group of gearheads from Down Under have apparently set a new world record for driving a car underwater, taking a specially prepped old-school Land Cruiser about 7 kilometers (approximately 4.5 miles) across the floor of Darwin Harbour.

After emerging from the briny deep, one onlooker told the team to “drive this thing straight to the pub.” It doesn’t get more Oz than that.

Parking brakes can be very useful, but only in limited situations and when the driver intends to use them. Unexpectedly engaging the parking brake while the vehicle is moving can cause a loss of control and cause the vehicle to crash. Ford recently issued a recall for several hundred thousand F-150 pickup trucks for an issue that could cause their parking brakes to engage while driving.

Hyundai’s EVs are some of the most buzzed-about models on sale today, but it appears not everyone is happy with the ownership experience. The Drive recently reported that the automaker’s facing a class-action suit from owners who say their EVs’ charging ports can overheat and prevent the vehicle from getting a full charge.

Ford is all-in on EVs, but The Blue Oval is finding that there are still plenty of buyers wanting fuel-efficient gas vehicles. That’s why CEO Jim Farley announced that his company would come up with a range of new hybrid models over the next few years as it continues its march toward electrification.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will soon release its proposal to increase Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) requirements and General Motors has signaled its concerns regarding how much more money it will cost the automotive industry. GM is estimating that the new rules could result in manufacturers paying $100-300 billion in emission fines between 2027 and 2031.

However, the Biden administration has reportedly said it’s highly dependent on which plan is implemented — suggesting industry penalties would vary heavily between companies and average out to be far lower than GM has claimed.

An enormous vehicle carrier that caught fire at sea earlier this week appears to have far more electric vehicles on board than first suggested.

On Wednesday, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares suggested that Tesla’s profitability was on the decline due to the automaker having to confront some of the issues of a legacy manufacturer.

"They are entering my world, the world of tight pricing, cost competitiveness, and the operational issues that a big company like ours may face," Tavares told the press during a presentation of Stellantis’ half-year financial report. 

Since everyone loves a little industrial drama, the statement became national news. But is Tesla really on the decline because it’s finally on the level of other multinational automakers or is Tavares just coping? 

The slow drip of information about the upcoming square-as-a-box Toyota Land Cruiser continues with the teaser photo you see above. 

The UK-based wheel specialist from Dymag and composites wizards from Korea's Hankuk Carbon have announced the development of a line of hybrid carbon-fiber wheels for Hyundai’s N cars. 

A prototype of the new N Performance carbon hybrid wheels were showcased at the Hyundai stand at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed alongside the spicy and all-electric Ioniq 5 N. Based on statements from Dymag, it may be the first model to receive them. 

Kia’s SUVs are surprisingly premium and well equipped for the price, and the automaker has had great success with its Telluride three-row. The long-running Sorento is due for a facelift after a few years on sale in its current form, and it appears it’s getting one – at least in South Korea. 

It will surprise precisely zero of our readers to learn that some carmakers apply optimistic range estimates to their electric vehicles. Prior to EVs taking the stage, it also wasn’t uncommon – especially prior to changes in methods at the EPA – for cars with internal combustion powertrains to bear outsized fuel economy ratings thanks to twisted testing protocols.

The 2024 Mitsubishi Triton has made its global debut and everyone is already talking about how the midsize pickup might perform in our truck-heavy market. Though it could be argued that the vehicle was never intended to accommodate our needs and therefore has no business coming here.

Assembly of the Triton (also known as the L200) has been focused on Thailand and Brazil for over a decade because those are its most important markets. That was kept in mind when developing the new model, as it comes with a 2.4-liter diesel engine and drum brakes at the rear.

If you want to add what Tesla calls full self-driving capability (FSD) to one of its new vehicles, you’re looking at up to $15,000 on top of the price of a new model. In an effort to juice sales this quarter, the automaker is letting existing FSD customers transfer their services to a new model, but only in the next couple of months. 

Tesla’s Supercharger network seems to have taken over the world, with several major automakers recently announcing a shift to the standard in the coming years. However, that hasn’t stopped many others from banding together to form their own charging network, including some who signed on with Tesla.

With reports of Toyota developing a turbocharged version of the GR86, many are wondering when Mazda is going to release a boosted variant of the MX-5. Toyota’s coupe already delivers a smidgen more oomph and so does the Subaru BRZ. So it seems plausible that the Miata might see a bump in power to remain competitive. 

However, Mazda doesn’t seem to think there’s any need and has suggested that chasing power would risk spoiling the model’s sublime balance. 

If there’s one thing at which Stellantis excels, besides stuffing the largest engine they can find into most of their models, it’s the creation of endless special editions to create a bit of buzz. This time, the subjects need no further promotion – but they’re getting it anyway.

Canada’s Unifor is slated to negotiate terms with Stellantis, General Motors, and the Ford Motor Company starting next month. But it appears to be taking a softer approach than what we’ve been seeing from its counterpart in the United States. 

The UAW has been promising to play hardball with automakers in an effort to regain lost ground stemming back to the early 2000s. It’s going into contract negotiations with an adversarial tone and has said it would withhold support of any politician that refused to support its demands. But Unifor seems to be taking up a more cordial tone.

If you’re a child of the 1970s and 80s, there’s almost nothing more nostalgic than faded rainbow-colored graphics on cars and old t-shirts. Ford seemed to know this at the time, offering a Free Wheeling package for several models, including the Bronco. The automaker is back at it heading into 2024, as it recently announced a new package for the Bronco Sport.

With General Motors plowing full-speed ahead toward electrification, there are bound to be a few vehicles that don’t make the transition. Chevy’s long-running EVs, the Bolt and Bolt EUV, were two names not expected to make the jump, but the automaker recently announced a new Bolt variant.

When Apple's next operating system drops later this year, it’s supposed to include a feature that will help drivers decipher what those little symbols on the dashboard mean. While unlikely to offer the same amount of information as an OBD-II scanner, iOS 17 will come with an improved version of Visual Look Up. The new system offers users help when they can’t figure out what the warning light displaying the little oil can is trying to convey.

Volkswagen has announced they will begin production of a limited 40th Anniversary Edition of the 2024 Jetta GLI, a trim that is promised to be made available exclusively in North America. 

The Subaru BRZ got more power with its recent overhaul, but the automaker apparently isn’t stopping there. According to Redditors that attended the recent Subiefest, Subaru is gearing up for the release of a new BRZ tS model for 2024.

Saab hasn’t been a thing in several years, but the funky Swedish cars still have a significant enthusiast following. After the company went defunct in 2016, its assets were eventually picked up by a company called New Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS). A Chinese company purchased the new entity and faced bankruptcy before a group of investors stepped in to save it, which  could revive plans for a new 600-mile EV.

UAW leadership headed to Washington last week to drum up support from politicians as it engages in contract negotiations with Detroit-based automakers. While this has often been the status quo for the union, UAW President Shawn Fain has suggested the government would help ensure a fair deal with the automotive industry.

While union leadership has opted to meet with the usual roster of Democrats, it has said it would withhold support of Joe Biden’s reelection campaign if it didn’t think the White House would be offering the kind of help it needs.

A tractor-trailer leaking sewage onto a portion of I-95 in Connecticut resulted in numerous crashes and some impromptu off-roading this week. Vehicular casualties included a couple of totaled police vehicles that found themselves at the mercy of a truck sliding through human waste. 

While the situation certainly stinks for those involved, it’s okay to laugh. No injuries were reported and the fact that the suspect was charged with having an “unsecured load” is pretty funny.

As if tagging drivers in a questionable speed trap wasn’t enough, it is being alleged troopers in the Nutmeg State have falsified thousands of traffic tickets.

Copyright laws in other countries often aren’t as robust as they are here, which is how we ended up with several Chinese vehicles that look exactly like American and European models. Indian automaker Mahindra has long sold the Roxor, a surprisingly strong lookalike of the Jeep Wrangler, but it has faced a legal challenge from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Jeep’s parent company. The battle recently ended and didn’t go FCA’s way.

Owners of late model Wranglers and Gladiators can now jack their rides skyward courtesy of a new kit from the official Jeep Performance Parts catalog.

Hey, it beats sketchy wooden logs and some hockey pucks.

As the automotive world moves closer to semi-autonomous and someday, autonomous driving functions, vehicles will need more sensors and advanced tools to “feel” their way through the surrounding environment. Volvo plans to do that with the upcoming EX90 EV, but it appears the advanced sensor array could be causing delays.

Mini has released interior images of its next-generation Cooper hatchback. While the model is technically called the “Mini Hatch,” with variations of Cooper denoting the trim, the new car will do away with all that and get back to basics.

Everything else is throwing the model well into the future with one important caveat. Tomorrow’s Cooper will boast the brand’s latest technology and a dashboard that’s supposed to draw inspiration from the 1959 original with all the hallmarks of the digital era.

It’s no secret that the Dodge Challenger and Charger as we know them are going away, but learning that production is ending at the end of July really brings the point home. So, if you’re on the hunt for a new Dodge muscle car, you’ve only got ten days left to act. 

Volkswagen’s head of design is on a mission to normalize EV styling. Speaking with MotorTrend, Andreas Mindt said the company’s current EV offerings are styled to appeal to early adopters, and he acknowledged that the automaker has work to do to regain confidence in its designs.

The Buick Regal may have been removed from our market. However, the model persists in China and has recently undergone a refresh that includes the updated tri-shield emblem.

Despite U.S. sales volumes having been lackluster, with the Regal failing to break 20,000 annual units after 2014, the model offered functionality, all-wheel drive, and even a couple of desirable powertrains. There was even a TourX wagon variant that arguably mixed some of the vehicle’s best qualities in an ultra-practical package and the performance-slanted GS that offered a 3.6-liter V6 that developed 310 horsepower. It could have been more focused and aspects of the interior should have been better. But one cannot help but feel like the Regal failed to get the attention it deserved.