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Toyota’s Lead Going Into 2026 Heading into 2026, Toyota is in a stronger spot than it is used to. The brand closed out 2025 as America’s top-selling automaker and kept its global lead as well. That consistency comes down to Toyota’s early and ongoing commitment to hybrids – a move the company treats as a foundation, not just a stopgap on the way to full electrics. With EV incentives in flux and buyers growing wary, Toyota’s hybrid-heavy lineup gave Americans a practical alternative. Shoppers who

The Hyundai Palisade had its best-ever global sales performance in 2025, fueled by the introduction of the redesigned second-generation model. Official Hyundai Motor Company figures show that the Palisade sold a record-breaking 211,215 worldwide, achieving its highest annual sales to date. That represents a 27.4% increase over the previous year, when Hyundai moved 165,745 Palisade units globally. The United States was by far the biggest market for the Palisade last year, with a total of 123,929

Volkswagen is previewing a new pickup truck program aimed squarely at South America, with early teasers pointing to a compact, lifestyle-focused model that will sit below the Amarok in size and price. The company has not released full specs yet, but it has confirmed key planning details, including the vehicle’s name and where it will be built, as VW expands its regional lineup through the second half of the decade.

A Xiaomi electric vehicle has reportedly been spotted driving on U.S. roads, a rare sight for a brand that does not sell cars here. The vehicle in question was described as a Xiaomi YU7 Max wearing an Illinois manufacturer plate while traveling on Interstate 5, which immediately set off speculation that it is in the country for testing, evaluation, or teardown work rather than any kind of consumer rollout.

The RAV4 Problem Toyota Created for Itself The Toyota RAV4 is easily the most popular model in the US right now. Even as the fifth-generation version wraps up, it still managed 479,288 units sold in 2025. That’s more than some entire brands, and it happened without big discounts or last-minute deals. This was supposed to be a quiet year for the RAV4 before the new generation lands, but demand never let up. The next XA60-series model is already shaping up to be another hit, with the whole lineup

We’ve got some of your favorite content creators featured in this Day 2 video blog post from Sick Week 2026 and that means Kevin and the KSR crew, Alex Taylor, and the Drag Drive Repeat boys are sharing some of their great content below. Watch all three videos and let us know what you think the biggest highlights are and we’ll let you know if we agree. Heck, we could be wrong, but we won’t know until we start arguing about it, will we? Day 2 did not go to plan for a lot of people on Sick Week 2

Buried in the many, many pages of the Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice a few days ago, one of the last things we expected to find was reference to everyone’s favorite boxer-engined turbocharged sports sedan, the Subaru WRX. However, Car and Driver has dug out something interesting among the three million or so pages released at the end of January, revealing that Epstein was close to purchasing a WRX in late 2017 – until the brakes were put on the deal when it was discovered

When a Recall Is Actually the System Working Recalls often get painted as scandals, but most of the time, they’re proof the system is working. Modern car factories are complex and automated, with layers of checks to catch anything that falls out of spec. Usually, recalls are voluntary and happen before anyone gets hurt. They’re there to protect owners from problems they’d never notice on their own. That’s exactly what happened with American Honda’s new recall. A production robot lost sync for a

The Comeback is Real 2028 can't come soon enough, as, by then, the Nissan Xterra will be back in showrooms if all goes to plan. Sold from 1999 to 2015, the Xterra served the company well as its compact off-roader, long before the overlanding craze hit the mainstream. Now that nearly everyone is making an off-road-oriented vehicle these days, it's about time Nissan re-entered that space. It isn't just a flight of fancy, either, as Nissan itself confirmed back in August 2025 that it's reviving the

Subaru didn’t have the brightest 2025 in the United States, as sales were down 3.6% compared to 2024. Unfortunately, this downward trend has continued into the new year, with the Japanese brand seeing a 9.1% year-on-year drop in sales in January 2026. Like Honda in its own sales report, Subaru pointed to severe winter storms as one of the main challenges last month, causing temporary closures at several locations. Still, Subaru will be disappointed that only two of its nine model lines managed t

A Case of Mistaken Identity Remember that orange Genesis G80 Magma we reported last week? Turns out, it’s not quite what we thought. Genesis is still interested in building a BMW M-rivaling luxury sports sedan, but this specific car has a different story. Apparently, that bright Magma Orange G80 seen in the Middle East is actually called the G80 Performance. It’s not built by Genesis itself, either. Instead, Dubai-based W Motors – the same company that developed the GV80 Desert Edition – handled

Trimming Down the Range Until now, picking a Kia Niro in America was simple. You had three choices: the regular hybrid, the plug-in hybrid, or the full EV. Same body, three powertrains, and an easy path for anyone looking to dip their toes into electrification. That’s about to change, though. Kia just confirmed the Niro PHEV won’t be back in the US for 2026. The official word, sent to Kelley Blue Book, points to “changing market conditions” as the reason. Kia hasn’t spelled out the details, but

Federal Filings Cite Trailer Error Ram and Jeep are recalling 456,287 vehicles after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined a defect in the trailer brake and towing control module could increase crash risk. The campaign covers the following 2024–2026 Jeep Wagoneer S, 2025–2026 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, 5500 Cab Chassis, and 2026 Jeep Cherokee. According to the federal filing, the trailer turn signals may fail to flash, the trailer br

One of the many complaints that automotive enthusiasts have about electric vehicles is that they can’t work on them themselves because they are dangerous and require special tools. And while this is a worry most shouldn’t have, it’s still something car guys and gals talk about. So what if there was a cheap, run around town, commuter, that was affordable AND repairable at home? That’s the idea behind the Slate, or so say the manufacturers. Now I’ve never seen one in person, but I have to say tha

From RS4 to RS5 Audi's whole odd-even naming convention has drawn some ire over the years to a point that the company (finally) admitted it was a bit of a misstep. The A4 is now the A5, and the A5 Coupe and Convertible we all know and love is no more. That also meant the performance derivatives follow the same naming, so S4 is now S5, and soon, RS4 will be RS5. Clear as mud? Good. That aside, an RS Audi model is always something worth looking forward to, and it a new RS5 was always going to be a

It’s been a wild Sick Week 2026 so far, with lots of carnage, freezing cold, heat and humidity, and everything in between. There is no way there aren’t going to be even more upsets after the dramatic start to this event, and we know everyone out there wants to know the details since the only way to watch what is going on otherwise is to pay for the payperview stream. Lucky for us, our pals at 1320Video are on hand and here is their Day 2 video. Video Description: Day 2 sent the field from Gain

Ed Iskenderian, at 104 years old, was the oldest living hot rodder on earth! And as my friend David Freiburger wrote on Facebook, “If you define ‘hot rodding pioneer’ as ‘doing it in the ’30s and helped establish the hobby and industry,’ then he’s the last of his kind that I am aware of.” Which is to say, that as far as we know there is nobody else alive that has been a hot rodder longer. And when you look at what he’s done for hot rodding, racing, and the aftermarket industry in general, his li

A new CNBC report drawing on Cox Automotive data argues the US new car market is increasingly behaving like a luxury category, with higher income households continuing to buy new vehicles while lower income shoppers are pushed toward used cars or forced to delay purchases. CNBC frames the trend as a K shaped economy dynamic, where one group keeps moving up and another falls behind, and the car market is now reflecting that divide more clearly than it did before the pandemic.

Toyota is expanding its smallest commercial vehicle range in Japan with a new battery electric version of the Pixis Van, adding a dedicated BEV option to a kei class work van that is built for urban delivery duty. Toyota says the model goes on sale February 2, and it is aimed at last mile operators who want a compact footprint, predictable running costs, and the ability to power small equipment on site.

Elevating an Already Iconic Formula Singer Vehicle Design has an undeniable talent for restomodding classic Porsche 911s. But like any outfit, a strategic collaboration can further push the envelope, and since the Porsche specialist opted to work with Red Bull Advanced Technologies, it is without a doubt a partnership that promises something special. Red Bull Advanced Technologies is the high-performance engineering consultancy shaped by the Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team, the multi-champ

Rivian has taken an unusual route to showcase its commercial EV platform, building a custom electric ambulance for ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. The company says the “vanbulance” is based on its Rivian Commercial Van architecture and was created specifically for the show, giving the production an on-screen emergency vehicle that also reflects a growing real-world interest in electrifying service fleets.

V6 Power Now the Main Event Maserati has quietly reworked the Grecale lineup for North America, dropping the four-cylinder mild-hybrid models and focusing on six-cylinder power. For 2026, buyers can pick between two V6 gas models or the all-electric Folgore. The new Grecale Modena V6 is the entry point if you want a gas-powered Grecale, and it’s now arriving at showrooms in the US. Under the hood, the Modena V6 uses Maserati’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo Nettuno engine from the MCPura supercar, but det

The EV Holy Grail Is Getting Closer Solid-state batteries have long been positioned as the holy grail of electric vehicle technology. They promise dramatically higher energy density, faster charging, longer lifespan, and improved safety compared to today’s lithium-ion packs. For perspective, the original 2011 Nissan Leaf managed just 116 miles of real-world range. That was groundbreaking at the time. Today, the industry is chasing EVs capable of charging in minutes and lasting decades. Toyota ha

Californians are used to high gas prices. The state has a high cost of living, and its driving culture almost demands that you have your own vehicle to get by. Most fill their tank without thinking twice about what they’re spending; it’s just a way of life out west. Many do consider how much they’re spending, though. Even if you’re not deeply concerned about how much it costs to fill up, knowing where to get the best gas prices is handy anyway. You never know, maybe one of these stations is one

The National Weather Service has issued a new winter storm warning, which is expected to bring several inches of snowfall and heavy winds to several states. This time, we’re expecting a combination of factors to wreak havoc across the Midwest and into the southern U.S., with low-pressure systems and frontal systems meeting Arctic airflow to disrupt our week. Specifically, the Appalachians are experiencing a low-pressure wave that is combining with Gulfstreams to introduce showers across the sout