Nutson's Weekly Auto News Wrapup January 4-10, 2026
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LEARN MORE FROM THE WEB'S LONGEST RUNNING AUTOMOTIVE COLUMN
Here are Larry’s Top Auto Story Picks of the Week of January 4-10, 2026: Larry picked these as important, relevant, interesting and sometimes semi-secret stories you need to know—served up as snappy, opinionated, and insider-sharp, these are expertly crafted, easy-to-understand news nuggets that cut through the noise and get right to what matters to you in the automotive world.
* New Car Sales Wrap-up. A Cox Automotive early analysis of new-vehicle sales results indicates that 2025 should end at around 16.3 million units, up 2% and in line with the Cox Automotive forecast.
Gradually declining interest rates and the upcoming tax refund season are expected to help 2026 get off to a strong start. However, sales are expected to slow, with 2026 projected to finish at 15.8 million units. Here's a look how various auto makers faired in 2025.
- American Honda (Honda & Acura) posted sales of 1,430,577 units in 2025, a year over year increase of 0.5%.
- Nissan Group (Nissan & Infiniti) announced total calendar year 2025 U.S. sales of 926,153 units, an increase of 0.2% compared to the prior year.
- Volkswagen closed the year down 13% from 2024 with total sales of 329,813. Audi sold 164,942 units, down 16%
- Mitsubishi Motors North America closed the calendar year with total sales of 94,754, down from 109,843 in 2024.
- Hyundai achieved its best-ever annual retail sales for the fifth consecutive year with 772,712 vehicles sold. Total sales hit 901,686 vehicles, up 8%.
- Subaru ended calendar year 2025 with 643,591 vehicle sales, a 3.6 percent decrease compared with calendar year 2024.
- Toyota Motor North America (Toyota & Lexus) reported year-end 2025 U.S. sales of 2,518,071 vehicles, up 8.0 percent.
- Kia sold 852,155 total units in 2025 marking Kia’s best-ever annual sales, increasing 7-percent over previous record set in 2024.
- Stellantis (Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, Alfa Romeo & Maserati) reports total sales of 1,260,344 vehicles, a decrease of 3% year over year.
- General Motors (Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Brightdrop) led the U.S. auto industry in sales in 2025, reporting a 6% increase for the full year with 2.85 million sales.
- Ford Motor Co (Ford & Lincoln) sold 2.2 million vehicles in 2025, a 6% gain over what it sold in 2024.
- Mazda full-year sales totaled 410,346 vehicles; a decrease of 3.3 percent compared to 2024.
* Gas price 2026 outlook. Good news for drivers in 2026: GasBuddy expects the yearly national average will fall below $3 to $2.97/gal, a 13c drop from 2025's yearly average of $3.10/gal, with the average household spending $2,083 on gasoline this year.
* Tops in the World. The WORLD CAR FINALS POWERED BY BREMBO announced the top ten and top five finalists in six World Car Awards vehicle categories. On April 1st the winners will be announced during the World Car Awards ceremony, live at the 2026 New York International Auto Show. A jury of 98 automotive journalists from 33 countries selected the finalists by secret ballot based on their evaluation of each eligible vehicle as part of their professional work. See it all HERE
* Best Family Cars. The Good Housekeeping Institute combined expert car-testing data with honest feedback from real families to determine the best family cars of 2026. After analyzing results from their partners at Car and Driver, the GH Institute professional product tester analysts and their families spent months driving these vehicles in the real world. They evaluated safety, comfort, cargo space, innovation, and more while navigating city streets, rural roads, highways, and everything in between. See the top picks HERE
* 2026 Global Automotive Consumer Study. Deloitte released its "2026 Global Automotive Consumer Study," based on a survey of more than 28,000 consumers from 27 countries conducted from October through November 2025. U.S. consumers are balancing affordability with the realities of charging access and everyday use as they consider future vehicle choices. Persistent concerns around range, charging time and cost continue to temper BEV/PHEV adoption, signaling a cautious move toward electrification. Among U.S. surveyed consumers, purchase intent for ICE (61%) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV/PHEV) (26%) is flat year-over-year, while BEV purchase intent has seen a modest increase, rising only 2 percentage points year-over-year to 7%. Full report HERE
* EV advocates shift messaging. Advocates for electric vehicles in the US are rethinking their messaging amid declining sales and automakers pulling back on production. Jeff Allen of Forth Mobility admits that previous messaging focused too much on climate change instead of highlighting EVs' affordability and convenience. Justine Johnson of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. emphasizes the need for reliable infrastructure and affordable EVs, noting that emerging companies such as Slate Auto are addressing this. Details HERE
* No Electric Vehicles. Reuters reports: CES 2026, one of the largest technology exhibits in the United States, ran from Jan. 6 to 9 this year. Formerly called the Consumer Electronics Show and known traditionally as the launchpad for the latest in tech such as TVs, laptops and wearables, CES, in recent years, has emerged as a key destination for automakers debuting their EVs. But a pullback on EV-friendly incentives and policies by the Trump administration have dampened demand and forced many automakers to abandon plans to launch new EVs and rethink their strategy. The upheaval was evident at CES. Most major automakers had no plans to launch any new EVs this year - a stark difference from the past few years.
* Reuters reports. After a couple of tough years for the self-driving car industry, autonomous vehicles are back in vogue with investors and thus popular once again at this year’s CES trade show in Las Vegas. Major hype towards the end of the last decade that fully self-driving cars were just around the corner drew tens of billions of dollars into autonomous vehicle startups. However, developing cars that could match the responsiveness of human drivers proved far more costly and time-consuming than expected and some major automakers including Ford and General Motors had pulled the plug on their self-driving units. But as Reuters colleague Abhirup Roy reports, this time round investors are back and betting that artificial intelligence will invigorate an industry beset by slow progress, high costs, safety incidents and regulatory scrutiny. While automakers in the U.S. market have hit the brakes on EV plans, a slew of auto suppliers and startups showed off their latest autonomous vehicle hardware and software at CES. Among the announcements, Mercedes-Benz says it will launch a new advanced driver-assistance system this year allowing autonomous driving on U.S. city streets under driver supervision and self-driving truck firm Kodiak AI has partnered with Bosch to ramp up manufacturing autonomous trucking hardware and sensors as it moves towards large-scale commercial rollout.
* Ford and eyes free driving. At CES 2026, Ford officially confirmed plans to launch its first "eyes-off" Level 3 autonomous driving system in 2028. This technology will allow drivers to safely take their hands off the wheel and their eyes off the road under specific highway conditions, representing a major evolution from the current BlueCruise system. HERE
* Maryland doesn’t think your 2005 Toyota Camry is historic. States across the U.S. have long offered historic or antique plates. The common guideline is for vehicles that are 25-years old or more. A historic car isn’t supposed to be driven daily. It can only be used in exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours, occasional transportation and similar uses. Maryland's loose definition and high prices for standard tags led to a surge in ‘classic’ cars from the early 2000s. Now Maryland has a problem. Read about it HERE
* Cadillac F1. The Cadillac Formula 1 Team confirmed that Zhou Guanyu has joined as Reserve Driver for the team’s Formula 1 debut in 2026. Zhou joins a talented lineup of drivers at the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, which includes race drivers Valtteri Bottas - alongside whom he raced throughout his stints at Alfa Romeo and Kick Sauber - and Checo Perez, plus Test Driver Colton Herta, who will compete in Formula 2 with Hitech in 2026.
* Ram and NASCAR. Ram is returning to competing in NASCAR. Ram is launching an innovative reality competition series: Race for the Seat. Race for the Seat is a competition reality series where 15 aspiring drivers battle for a coveted spot on the Kaulig Racing team behind the wheel of a Ram 1500 in the 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The eight-episode series hosted by Jacob Lofland taps into the dream of becoming a race car driver, appealing to motorsports fans and general sports audiences alike. Ram’s reentry is a strategic move to connect with a core audience of truck owners. The series provides a high-performance stage to showcase Ram’s next-generation trucks and the grit of grassroots racing talent. Race for the Seat will premiere in the United States on FOX on Sunday, January 25 at noon ET, with new episodes airing for free across the globe on Ram’s official YouTube channel for the show from January 26 through February 6.
* Dakar Rally. The 2026 Dakar Rally is currently underway in Saudi Arabia from January 3 to January 17, 2026. This 48th edition marks the event's seventh consecutive year in the Kingdom, covering a route of approximately 8,000 kilometers with over 5,000 kilometers of timed special stages. The 2026 Dakar Rally features a total of 421 vehicles and 787 competitors. These participants represent 69 different nationalities, with the largest delegations hailing from France (188), Spain (106), and Italy (68).
* RIP. Sports car racing legend Hans Herrmann, who helped give Porsche its first overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, has passed away at the age of 97. Herrmann (1928–2026) was a legendary German Formula One and sports car racing driver who secured Porsche's first overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970. Known for his versatility and uncanny ability to survive spectacular accidents, earning him the nickname "Hans in Luck", he drove for major teams including Mercedes-Benz and Porsche during a career that spanned nearly two decades.
Stay safe. Be Well.
Kind regards,
Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy
The Auto Channel