VW Stresses That Reports of ID Buzz's Demise Are Highly Inflated: TDS

      Andrew P. Collins

      

      

      

      

      

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      Good morning, and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.

      Here at TDS, we keep you updated with the morning's automotive industry headlines, complete with links for further details. A round of applause for everyone for reaching Friday. Here’s what’s happening on April 3:

      🚌 Kjell Gruner, CEO and President of Volkswagen Group America, confirmed to CarBuzz that the unique and nostalgic ID Buzz van will return to the U.S. as a 2027 model-year vehicle, likely arriving late this summer or early fall. Concerns arose when VW announced there would be no 2026 version, but thankfully, the coveted model will not be leaving the market permanently.

      📉 Tesla experienced another downturn last quarter, producing approximately 50,000 more vehicles than it sold between January and March, according to Reuters. Deliveries fell short of analysts’ expectations at 358,023 cars versus 368,903, although this still marked a 6.8% increase from the previous year. The company had consistently increased its vehicle sales each quarter prior.

      📈 In contrast, Rivian reported a positive Q1. The electric truck and SUV manufacturer delivered roughly 500 more vehicles from January to March than analysts had predicted, despite the loss of federal incentives last year, Reuters noted. With the less expensive R2 model set to launch later this year, all eyes are on the company to keep the momentum going.

      6️⃣ The forthcoming Nissan Xterra will feature both a V6 and a hybrid powertrain, as stated in a Car and Driver interview with Nissan Americas SVP Ponz Pandikuthira.

      🚢 To clarify any uncertainties, a global executive from Hyundai revealed Friday that conflicts in the Middle East have impacted the company’s exports to Europe and the Americas, and restoring those supply chains will require time, as reported by Reuters.

      🛑 GM has issued a stop sale for nearly 3,000 units of the Corvette due to an issue with the sports car’s brake light outage detection system, according to GM Authority.

      👋 The BMW 8 Series, which halted production last year, saw an increase in sales during the first quarter year-over-year in the U.S. as buyers rushed to purchase the final units, as reported by BMW Blog. The company sold 1,170 units of the large coupe, compared to 990 in the first three months of 2025.

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