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Mazda Increases Destination and Handling Charges by $80 to $115, Effective Aug. 11

Mazda North American Operations said the adjusted destination and handling charges run from $1,315 on the Mazda3 and MX-5 Miata to $1,645 on the CX-70 and CX-90, that they affect vehicles released from port after the effective date, and that vehicles in Alaska continue to be subject to an additional $45 delivery charge.

By Daniel Pruitt

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Volkswagen Unveils Second-Generation 2027 Atlas Cross Sport With 282 Horsepower, Pricing to Follow Before an Early 2027 Launch

Volkswagen says the five-seat SUV is assembled in Chattanooga, Tennessee, alongside the Atlas 7-seater, that further details, specifications and pricing will be announced prior to launch in early 2027, and that the information and any vehicle specifications are preliminary and subject to change.

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Palou Wins Portland in an All-Honda 1-2-3, His Sixth Win of the Season

Honda said Alex Palou took the OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland ahead of Felix Rosenqvist and Will Power, and that he leads the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings by 110 points with five races left.

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Toyota Arizona Proving Ground Names a Mountain for Bob Ditner, the Engineer Who Helped Design It

Toyota said in an item published Aug. 7, 2026, that the mountain is named for Bob Ditner, Senior Manager, Vehicle Mobility and Engineering at Toyota Motor North America Research & Development, and that it is one he helped design specifically for off-road testing. The sign is still being installed.

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Hyundai Wins 10 Red Dot Brands & Communication Design Awards, None for a Vehicle

Hyundai Motor Company said Aug. 7 that it received 10 awards at the Red Dot Design Award: Brands & Communication Design 2026, one of them a Best of the Best and the other nine Winner awards. The winning entries are a user experience research studio, two trade show exhibitions, a brand identity, two corporate publications and an employee onboarding kit.

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Nissan Returns to Operating Profit in the June Quarter and Cuts Its FY2026 Volume Outlook to 3.15 Million Units

Nissan said Aug. 3 that consolidated operating profit was ¥77.9 billion in the three months ended June 30, 2026, and that one-time gains related to FY2025 U.S. tariffs contributed to it, without quantifying them. The company revised its FY2026 sales volume outlook from 3.3 million units to 3.15 million units, citing a more challenging business environment particularly in China, and reaffirmed its FY2026 financial outlook.

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Toyota Recalls About 48,000 2024-2025 Tacoma TRD Offroad Trucks Over a Shock Part That Can Come Off

Toyota said Aug. 6 that corrosion can cause the oil reservoir on the shock absorbers to detach, and that a reservoir that detaches while driving can create a road hazard. Dealers will inspect the front and rear shock absorber assemblies and replace the affected ones at no cost, and Toyota said owners will be notified by early October 2026.

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Hyundai Motor and Kia's Namyang Additive Manufacturing Center Prints Prototypes, Tooling and Motorsport Parts

Hyundai says the Additive Manufacturing Solution Center at Hyundai Motor and Kia's Namyang R&D Center runs polymer and metal 3D printing for prototypes, jigs and fixtures, service parts for discontinued vehicles, motorsport components and a reconstructed Hyundai Pony side-sill component.

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Subaru Will Enter the U.S. Captive Finance Business, With a Target Date of 2030

Subaru Corp. and Subaru of America said Aug. 5 that Subaru will finance its own customers and retailers directly, with a target date of 2030 for a full range of options, and that Subaru of America has extended its partnership with Chase to supply financial services for Subaru Motors Finance through the transition.

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Dodge Adds Redeye Exterior Color to 2027 Durango Lineup for $595

Dodge said Aug. 4 that the finish it calls bright crimson, previously offered only on the Charger, is available across all 2027 Durango models and open for orders now at a U.S. MSRP of $595.

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Hyundai Wins the Road America 120 From Fifth on the Grid, With a Second Car Third

Hyundai Motor America said Aug. 3 that the No. 76 Elantra N TCR of Preston Brown and Denis Dupont started fifth and won the Aug. 1 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Road America, with the No. 33 finishing third.

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Kia Reports Record July U.S. Sales of 75,857 Units, Up 7 Percent

Kia America said July 31 that it sold 75,857 units in July, which it called the best July performance in company history, and that 506,584 units through July put it on track for a fourth consecutive annual sales record.

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Toyota Adds Honeycomb to the 2027 TRD Pro Tundra, Sequoia and Tacoma, Hot Honey to the 4Runner

Toyota said July 28 that it is expanding the TRD Pro color palette for 2027, and that the 2027 Tundra and Sequoia TRD Pro models get newly designed, vehicle-specific tuned FOX® enhanced QS3 shocks. The company said pricing for the Tundra and Sequoia will be announced closer to the start of production in fall 2026.

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Lucid Says Gravity Grand Touring Covered 720 Kilometers on One Charge at Norway's Summer El Prix

Lucid announced June 4 that the Gravity Grand Touring traveled 720 kilometers without charging stops at NAF's Summer El Prix, the longest distance among seven-seat SUVs and the second-longest of the 24 vehicles entered. The announcement reached this masthead Aug. 2.

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Ram Prices Entry Rumble Bee Below $60,000 Before Destination; 392, Track Pack and SRT Unpriced

Ram says the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 Rumble Bee starts below $60,000 before a $2,795 destination charge and reaches showrooms in late 2026. The company gave no price for the Rumble Bee 392, the 392 Track Pack or the 777-horsepower Rumble Bee SRT.

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Toyota Recalls About 4,100 Curtain Airbag Service Parts Sold for Tundra and Tacoma

Toyota says the recall covers replacement curtain shield airbags produced from December 2021 to December 2025, not airbags installed at the factory. Inspection and any replacement are free, and owners can check a VIN at Toyota.com/recall or nhtsa.gov/recalls.

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BMW Group Plant Woodruff to Begin Series Production of iX5 High-Voltage Batteries in December

BMW said July 27 that its new South Carolina plant will start series production of sixth-generation high-voltage batteries for the fully electric BMW iX5 in December 2026, and that finished batteries travel 15 miles to Plant Spartanburg.

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2027 Ram Heavy Duty Reaches Dealerships in August With Preliminary 37,020-Lb. Maximum Tow Rating

Ram says the 2027 heavy-duty lineup is in dealerships this August, with a preliminary maximum towing figure of up to 37,020 lbs. on the Ram 3500 Cummins HO turbo diesel. The two engines carry over unchanged from the 2026 heavy-duty lineup. The release contains no pricing.

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Hyundai-SK Battery Plant in Georgia Has Been in Commercial Production Since June 1; First Cells Go to the IONIQ 9

HSBMA said July 20 that its Bartow County, Georgia, plant started commercial production June 1, and that the first cells will support production of the Hyundai IONIQ 9. The site is designed for 35 GWh of EV battery cells a year.

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MINI's John Cooper Works Team Takes Third in Class in Open 2 Wheel Drive at Rally Colorado

MINI USA said the John Cooper Works 2-Door of Drew Quillen and David Quillen finished third in class in Open 2 Wheel Drive at the fifth round of the 2026 ARA National Championship, held July 18-19 in Colorado, and that the John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 finished sixth in class in Limited 4 Wheel Drive.

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Hyundai Motor Group Puts One Name on the Services That Let a Car Power a House

The Group says AllDayEnergy will bring smart charging, Vehicle-to-Grid and Vehicle-to-Home together in the Hyundai and Kia vehicle apps, starting in the U.K. through the Kia App. The release states the U.K. timing three different ways.

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2027 Toyota Crown Adds THS 5 and Paddle Shifters on Three Grades, Prices From $41,640

Toyota says the XLE, Limited and Nightshade move to the fifth-generation hybrid system, while the Platinum carries the Hybrid MAX powertrain over unchanged; base MSRPs run to $55,190 and exclude a $1,295 dealer processing and handling fee.

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Ford and Geely Auto Plan Valencia Joint Venture to Build a New Bronco-Family SUV for Europe

Ford would own 66% and Geely Auto 34% of the Spanish plant venture, which is expected to build a new Bronco-family SUV, a 'multi-energy' crossover and two electric Geely SUVs, with the first vehicles in 2028, the companies said.

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Honda Confirms a Third-Generation Ridgeline, 'More Rugged,' Within Two Years

Honda says the next pickup will be designed in Southern California, engineered in Ohio and built in Alabama; production of the current 2026 Ridgeline will pause later this year.

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2027 Kia Sportage Hybrid Priced From $30,590, With New Front-Drive Trims Lowering the Entry Point

Kia says the redesigned hybrid crossover adds front-wheel drive to its S and EX trims for the first time this model year, opening a cheaper way into the lineup, while the plug-in hybrid returns unchanged from $40,590.

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2027 Nissan Z Priced From $44,480; Manual Returns for Z NISMO at No Upcharge

Nissan says the six-speed manual comes back on the Z NISMO at the same MSRP as the automatic, adds GT-R-derived brake rotors and gives the Sport and Performance grades a heritage refresh.

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Volkswagen Prices All-New 2027 Atlas From $41,610 With More Standard Equipment

Volkswagen says the second-generation seven-seat SUV adds standard kit including a power tailgate, rear sunshades and dual wireless charging, and calls the pricing preliminary and subject to change.

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Acura Adds Google Gemini to Select ADX, MDX and ZDX Models With Google built-in

Acura says the assistant is a seamless upgrade to Google Assistant, rolling out by model year and trim across select ZDX, MDX and ADX vehicles equipped with Google built-in.

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Ram Adds Black Express and First-Ever 2500 Warlock to 2026 Heavy Duty Line

Ram says the two new trims start at $55,195 and $58,625 including destination, and that select heavy-duty models pick up a higher weight rating through revised certification. The powertrains carry over.

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2027 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Arrives in Four Grades From $33,980

Toyota prices the plug-in hybrid across SE, XSE, Nightshade and XSE Premium grades, with an EPA-estimated all-electric range of up to 44 miles on the SE grade.

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Porsche Tops the JD Power 2026 Initial Quality Study; the 911 Leads All Models Again

The study found Porsche highest overall among brands at 138 PP100 and the 911 the top model in the industry for a second year, according to JD Power.

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2027 Toyota Corolla Hatchback Moves More Standard Digital Displays Down the Range, Adds SE Premium Package

A trim-and-tech update, not a redesign: the SE gains a standard 7-inch gauge cluster and the XSE larger displays, with the SE starting at $24,780, Toyota said.

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2027 Kia Seltos Goes All-New With Three Powertrains and a First Hybrid e-AWD

Kia says the redesigned small SUV adds a 1.6-liter hybrid offered with electric all-wheel drive, a brand first, alongside a 2.0-liter four and a 190-horsepower turbo, with gasoline models on sale now from $24,990 and the hybrid due later this year.

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Volkswagen Reports 24.9 Percent U.S. Sales Gain in the Second Quarter

Volkswagen of America reported that Tiguan sales grew 152.5 percent and ID. Buzz sales 121.5 percent year over year in the quarter, and that it sold 162,961 vehicles in the first half of 2026, up 2.3 percent, the company said.

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Hyundai Discontinues the IONIQ 6 Sedan for the IONIQ 6 N, Skips the 2026 Kona Electric

The IONIQ 6 lineup going forward will consist of the all-new IONIQ 6 N, shown at the 2025 Los Angeles Auto Show and arriving later this year, while 2025 sedans remain at dealers and no 2026 Kona Electric is planned, Hyundai said.

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Porsche's First-Half U.S. Sales Carried by the 911, Deliveries Up 56.3 Percent

The 911 was the standout as Porsche's overall U.S. volume fell to 33,012 first-half retail deliveries, with 718 production concluded and an all-electric Cayenne flagged as arriving soon, the company reported.

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Hyundai Fields Largest World Cup Fleet: 994 Vehicles, 506 Buses and Four Robots

The automaker's biggest tournament deployment supports operations across 16 host cities, with four Boston Dynamics Spot robots marking its first robotics rollout at a FIFA event, Hyundai said.

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2027 Volkswagen Atlas Gains 13 Horsepower and Better EPA-Estimated Mileage

Volkswagen says a new EA888 evo5 turbo four makes 282 horsepower, the most ever on an Atlas, while improving EPA-estimated highway and combined economy by up to 2 mpg over the 2026 model.

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Mazda Reaches Its 100th IIHS Top Safety Pick Award

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an independent, insurance-funded tester, says the 2026 CX-5's Top Safety Pick+ is Mazda's 100th such award since 2008 and its ninth for the 2026 model year.

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Subaru Holds the 2027 Crosstrek's Starting Price at $26,995

Subaru says the base Crosstrek carries over unchanged from the previous model year, with a trim ladder topping out at the $35,995 Limited Hybrid and the gas-only Sport trim discontinued.

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Kia Prices the 2027 Carnival From $37,490, Adds Available Captain's Chairs

The nine-trim gas and hybrid ladder runs to $53,590, with second-row Captain's Chairs newly available on EX and SX, Kia said.

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Fiat Puts the Topolino on Sale in the U.S. as a $13,995 Low-Speed Electric Microcar

Fiat says the two-seat electric microcar tops out at 19 mph as standard, with a conversion kit to reach 25 mph and street legality due by the end of summer 2026.

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Hyundai Adds Blacked-Out Black Ink Trim to Top the 2027 Palisade Hybrid, on Sale in July

The range-topping Calligraphy Black Ink edition is an appearance package with black exterior and interior finishes, starting at $59,280, Hyundai said.

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Toyota to Invest $3.6 Billion for Second San Antonio Line, Adding Tacoma Production

The expansion adds 2,000 jobs and 2.5 million square feet, doubling the campus by 2030, as Tacoma output shifts from Baja California over about four years.

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Kia Refreshes 2027 Niro Hybrid, With New Styling and a New Trim

The mid-cycle update brings redesigned fascias, an added S trim, a larger dual-screen display and the same 139-horsepower hybrid drivetrain. Kia says it goes on sale this summer.

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BMW Completes $1.7 Billion South Carolina Investment, Adds Woodruff Battery Plant

The company marked the milestone at Plant Spartanburg, where it premiered the fifth-generation X5; a U.S.-built iX5 is due before year-end.

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Kia Posts Record June and First-Half U.S. Sales, Led by Hybrids

The brand sold 70,507 units in June and 430,727 year to date, both all-time highs, with hybrid volume up 187 percent.

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Honda Marks 15 Millionth Accord Sold in America

A 2026 Accord Sport-L Hybrid bought in Cerritos, Calif., reaches the milestone; the buyer's sister bought the next one the same day.

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Subaru Sets 2027 Uncharted Pricing at $34,995, Unchanged From Outgoing Model

The all-electric crossover holds its starting price, with range over 300 miles and up to 338 horsepower across three trims.

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Acura Defends Watkins Glen With Front-Row Start, #93 Qualifies Fourth

Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun start second for the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen. Kaku Ohta, leading Super Formula, joins the sister car.

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Genesis Climbs to No. 2 Overall in J.D. Power 2026 Initial Quality Study

The brand finished second among all nameplates this year, up seven positions from ninth in 2025, with the G80 sedan driving the gains, according to Genesis and J.D. Power.

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Toyota Kentucky Begins RAV4 Hybrid Assembly, Breaks Ground on New Paint Facility

The Georgetown plant adds the all-new RAV4 Hybrid and breaks ground on a next-generation paint facility, with a Highlander electric vehicle due in September.

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Subaru Sets 2027 Uncharted Pricing at $34,995, Unchanged From Outgoing Model

Subaru's all-electric compact crossover returns for 2027 with no price increase and a lineup spanning Premium FWD, Sport and GT trims.

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Honda Remembers Ray Blank, Former Motorcycle Division Senior Vice President

American Honda said Blank served the company for nearly three decades before retiring in 2012 and helped shape the powersports industry.

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Rolls-Royce Names Nick Keen President of North America

The marque says Keen, a more than 10-year company veteran, takes over its largest region on July 1.

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Genesis Names Edgar Antonio Carranza Vice President, Sales Operations

The automaker said Carranza, most recently CEO of Hyundai Motor Mexico, will lead U.S. sales and retail operations starting July 20.

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Volkswagen Says Atlas and Tiguan Earn Consumer Reports Recommended Rating

Volkswagen of America says the 2026 Atlas and 2026 Tiguan were named CR Recommended vehicles, a rating set by the independent nonprofit Consumer Reports.

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Mitsubishi Releases 2026 Outlander Technical Specifications

The automaker lists a turbocharged 1.5-liter four, 174 horsepower and seven-passenger seating. Pricing and on-sale timing were not given.

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Chrysler Opens Orders on Limited-Run 2027 Pacifica America250 Special Edition

The automaker, which calls the Pacifica America's best-selling and most awarded minivan, says the patriotic special edition is capped at 2,100 units for U.S. retail customers.