Honda Recently Achieved Its Best July Performance Since Before the Pandemic: TDS

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      Welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive’s morning news summary highlighting the most important automotive headlines from across the globe.

      The Downshift condenses news items into a few sentences and provides links for a more in-depth read. Here’s your update for Tuesday, August 4, 2026.

      📈 American Honda has recorded an exceptional month, with sales for both Honda and Acura brands rising by 12.8%, and a notable 35.7% increase in Honda sedans specifically. Total sales for both brands reached 124,553 units, marking the best July performance for the company since 2019. [Honda]

      ✋ Some creditors of Aston Martin have reportedly threatened legal action against the carmaker after discovering that part of a new debt financing plan led by BlackRock subsidiary HPS is dependent on the brand licensing its name. [Reuters]

      🏭 Volvo plans to enhance production at its Charleston, South Carolina facility by focusing on local manufacturing of its XC60 SUV. The automaker currently produces 30,000 vehicles there each year, with the XC60 expected to add another 20,000 units. [Automotive News]

      🚙 Conversely, while Volvo experienced a 4% decline in global sales from May to July, performance in the U.S. has increased with three consecutive months of double-digit growth. [Reuters]

      🔋 Unfortunately, we will miss the revival of the Audi A2 just as we did with its predecessor. This is particularly disappointing since the automaker claims it is the most efficient vehicle they have ever created, achieving 4.85 miles per kilowatt-hour in initial tests. It is important to note that this figure is based on WLTP standards, which tend to be less strict than the EPA’s, but given its very low drag coefficient and other range-enhancing features, it still appears to be promising. [InsideEVs]

      🌍 Tesla has seen strong sales growth in certain European markets, while experiencing sharp declines in others, according to new data. In July, EV registrations rose by 86% in France and 52% in Denmark, whereas they fell by 97% in Norway, 81% in Spain, 77% in Italy, 69% in Portugal, and 60% in Sweden. [Reuters]

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