Volkswagen's Strategy for a US Comeback Includes a Pickup Truck: TDS
Volkswagen
The latest automotive news and reviews, with no nonsense.
Welcome to The Downshift, The Drive's morning news summary bringing you the top automotive headlines from across the globe.
The Downshift offers a brief recap of the news, along with links to full articles for those looking for additional information. Here’s your update for Friday, August 7, 2026.
🛻 A "source within the company" informed Reuters that Volkswagen intends to rejuvenate its U.S. operations with a new CEO—Marco Schubert—and potentially launch a pickup truck. The goal is to have the truck available for purchase by the end of the decade, and as expected, it will be manufactured locally to bypass the chicken tax. [Reuters]
⏱️ Toyota has announced a recall affecting over half a million Camry sedans from the 2025 and 2026 models due to a malfunctioning instrument cluster display that could suddenly go dark while driving. This recall specifically pertains to vehicles equipped with the 7-inch display, while the larger 12.3-inch version is unaffected. The positive aspect is that the remedy can be implemented via a software update; however, the downside is that it must be performed by a dealer, requiring owners to take their cars in for service. [Autoblog]
🪫 In further Toyota news, the Prius has continued its declining sales trend in the U.S., with a 40.3% drop so far in 2026 compared to the same period last year. Interestingly, the plug-in variant is performing well; it’s the standard hybrid Prius that is lacking, likely because Toyota has electrified many of its other models, with the Camry now featuring a conventional hybrid powertrain as standard. [CarBuzz]
🔱 At one time, Maserati had plans to go fully electric. Those plans have since changed, and now the Italian luxury brand has broached the topic of reintroducing V8 engines. However, don’t anticipate the importation of Hemis from the U.S.; these would be smaller engines designed to fit vehicles like the GranTurismo and GranCabrio. [CarSales]
🍁 Ford has resumed sales of the Chinese-manufactured Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid in Canada. It’s unclear whether the automaker is utilizing the newly implemented quota system that restricts the number of vehicles that can be imported by Chinese manufacturers. [Automotive News]
📏 A special edition of the BMW M2 CS, named the "Edge," is now available in Japan. Instead of the usual Mystichrome, this edition features unique design elements, including a stacked center-exit exhaust not found on the standard sport sedan, as well as a carbon-fiber engine cover. Production is limited to just 40 units. [BMWBlog]
🏁 Weekend races to catch (all times Eastern):
- NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Iowa: Saturday at 5 p.m. on CW
- MotoGP British Grand Prix: Sunday at 8 a.m. on Fox One
- NASCAR Cup Series at Iowa: Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on USA
- IndyCar at Portland: Sunday at 4 p.m. on Fox
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Volkswagen's Strategy for a US Comeback Includes a Pickup Truck: TDS
The troubled automaker is taking steps to revive its operations in the U.S., and one of these actions could lead to the introduction of the company’s first truck in many years.