Volkswagen's efforts to reduce costs might jeopardize the Jetta, Porsche Taycan, and 718, according to TDS.
Volkswagen
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Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive’s daily news roundup that compiles the latest automotive headlines from around the world in one convenient place.
The Downshift offers brief summaries of stories along with links for those interested in further details. Here’s what’s happening on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
✂️ Volkswagen's aggressive cost-cutting initiative might lead to the discontinuation of models across all its brands, including the Porsche Taycan, Cayenne Coupe, and 718 successor, as well as the VW Jetta and Taos, along with the Audi Q5 Sportback and Q6 E-Tron Sportback. [Bild via Road & Track]
📦 Rivian's Commercial Van has surprisingly become one of the automaker's best-selling products, outpacing both its own R1T pickup and all other electric cargo vans by a significant margin. Between April and June, Rivian sold over 4,000 vans, while General Motors, in second place, sold only 460 BrightDrops, a model that has already been discontinued. [InsideEVs]
🔧 BMW is recalling nearly 30,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a defective starter relay that may corrode and pose a fire hazard. The affected models include the 530e xDrive and 740Le xDrive. [Reuters]
🏋️ Subaru also faces a recall, though this issue is less hazardous and more humorous. The company is recalling 541,000 vehicles due to labels that have incorrect gross axle weight ratings. [Reuters]
💵 California is now offering a $3,500 incentive to first-time buyers of electric vehicles, applicable to new cars priced up to $50,000. Additionally, a $1,750 rebate is available for used EVs costing under $25,000. [Reuters]
📐 Infiniti is revising its upcoming QX80 Red Sport, aiming to enhance it beyond just high power to better compete with Mercedes-AMG and BMW M SUVs. [Automotive News]
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Volkswagen's efforts to reduce costs might jeopardize the Jetta, Porsche Taycan, and 718, according to TDS.
Several models from the Volkswagen group are said to be at risk of being discontinued across many of the automaker's brands.