Dealer sentiment is improving, but dealers aren’t feeling great about what’s ahead. The Q2 2026 Cox Automotive Dealer Sentiment Index shows confidence rising for the second straight quarter. But expectations for the months ahead dropped sharply. Rising costs, tight inventory, and political uncertainty are all weighing on the market.
Ferrari’s strategy for navigating the industry’s shift to electrified vehicles is to retain in-house control of technologies critical to maintaining its performance standards, Davide Abate, Ferrari’s chief industrial officer, said. Ferrari produces key technologies in its own facilities while sourcing high-volume, standardized components from suppliers, Abate said at the 2026 Automotive News Europe Congress June 10.
Subaru is expected to begin exporting the Ascent three-row crossover from the U.S. to Japan later this year, joining Toyota in sending a larger crossover to the island nation where the diminutive kei car is otherwise ubiquitous. Subaru Corp. said June 6 it is weighing the move and “plans to leverage the certification system implemented by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism following Japan-U.S. trade agreement.
Used-vehicle values at dealer-only auctions were up a substantial 3.6 percent last month versus May 2025, according to the latest Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index. The increase is likely a function of a couple of factors, driven directly or indirectly by affordability, according to Jeremy Robb, chief economist for Cox Automotive.The Manheim Index, a proprietary benchmark for U.S. used-vehicle pricing weighted for a changing mix of product segments and mileage, was at 212.6 for May — corresponding to a seasonally adjusted average price of $19,448.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has approved an amended version of the REPAIR Act as part of the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026 (H.R. 7389), which establishes federal law based on existing right-to-repair agreements between automakers and independent repair organizations. The bill has a more limited scope than originally proposed, reports CBT News.
Call it the ghost invasion. While they storm other markets, select Chinese automakers are maintaining a stealthy presence in the U.S. with offices, research centers and even manufacturing operations.
Timothy Mason drives a pair of Honda Accords: One is a 2010 model with fewer than 40,000 miles that he uses for his daily commute in Massachusetts to his accounting job, the other a 2001 V-6 with more than 280,000 miles he uses for tough winter driving. “Where’s the financial sense in a new car?” Mason, 41, says. “Better fuel mileage, maybe, but is it going to save me $800 plus per month?”
U.S. auto sales are holding steady despite inflation hitting a three-year high and consumer confidence declining — a disconnect that has experts monitoring for signs the industry’s luck may be running out. But while high gasoline prices, tariffs, trade instability and war weigh on the economy, economists and other auto industry stakeholders say the auto industry’s sales figures may be relatively insulated from the chaos for the moment, reports Automotive News.
Much has changed since Kjell Gruner took over as Volkswagen Group of America CEO in December 2024. President Donald Trump’s tariffs have complicated VW’s North American manufacturing footprint, which relies heavily on Mexico.
With production of the hybrid version of Kia’s top-selling model, the Sportage crossover, shifting from South Korea to Georgia, Hyundai Motor Group expects to see its $5 billion tariff bill ease. The first Sportage hybrid rolled off the line June 2 at Hyundai’s Metaplant, the first Kia-badged vehicle built here. Kia will no longer have to pay a 15 percent U.S. tariff on the Sportage hybrid, which was built at Kia’s AutoLand plant in Gwangju, South Korea, reports Automotive News. The Sportage is also the first hybrid vehicle built at the Georgia plant.
