Toyota Sales Continue to Decline in 2026: The Slowdown

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      Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short—the daily news summary from The Drive that brings you the leading automotive headlines from across the globe.

      The Downshift provides a quick recap of the morning's happenings in the automotive world, summarizing the news in a few sentences along with links to the full articles. We hope you had a fantastic weekend—here’s your bulletin for Monday, June 29, 2026.

      📉 In May, Toyota experienced a 7.4% decline in global sales for the fourth consecutive month compared to the previous year, primarily due to ongoing supply issues in the Middle East and increased competition in China. [Bloomberg]

      📈 In contrast, Kia's global sales rose by 4% during the same timeframe, and increased by 10% in Europe alone, driven by high demand for its fuel-efficient hybrids and electric vehicles. “Europe is challenging and China is expanding, but Kia is also experiencing growth,” stated CEO Song Ho-sung. [Bloomberg]

      🍁 Geely is set to begin offering Lotus EVs in Canada next month, marking the brand's debut in the country. [Reuters]

      💡 All 88 units of the Ferrari Luce allocated for sale in China have sold out, each priced at a minimum of $586,000. [CarNewsChina]

      🔜 The CEO of Mazda's Australian division confirmed that a next-generation Miata is in the works, but the timeline remains unconfirmed, and it may be the last model powered solely by an internal combustion engine. [CarExpert]

      📜 Tesla has reached a settlement in a lawsuit linked to the death of a 71-year-old woman struck by a Model Y using the Full Self-Driving feature in 2023. [Bloomberg]

      🔚 The NHTSA has wrapped up its investigation into power-steering failures affecting about 376,000 Tesla Model 3 sedans, stating that the company addressed the issue through a recall last year. [Reuters]

      🚙 New spy photos of the upcoming BMW X5 suggest that the SUV will abandon its split-tailgate design, which has been a hallmark since its launch over 25 years ago. [BMW Blog]

      💔 Volkswagen and Bosch are reportedly concluding their partnership in self-driving technology, finding their developed product uncompetitive. To date, the two companies have reportedly invested over $1.7 billion into the system. [Automotive News]

      🏭 Koenigsegg has finally delivered the first Gemera to a customer, six years after its initial introduction. [Autoblog]

      🏁 Weekend racing results:

      WRC Acropolis Rally Greece: Sébastien Ogier secured victory for Toyota

      78th 24 Hours of Spa: Ricardo Feller, Thomas Preining, and Bastian Buus triumphed for Lionspeed GP Porsche

      IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at Watkins Glen: Bryce Ward and Philip Ellis won for Winward Mercedes-AMG

      NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Sonoma: Shane van Gisbergen claimed victory for JR Motorsports

      MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix: Ai Ogura won for SuperFile Trackhouse

      Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix: George Russell secured victory for Mercedes

      IMSA SportsCar 6 Hours of Watkins Glen: Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Fred Vesti won for Action Express Cadillac

      NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma: Shane van Gisbergen won for Trackhouse Racing

      NHRA Drag Racing Summit Nationals Finals: Maddi Gordon triumphed for Ron Capps Motorsport

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