European car makers brace for president Trump’s tariff threats

President elect Donald Trump makes a speech during election night (Photo: Anadolu/Getty Images)President elect Trump railed against Europe and particularly its car exports during his election campaignCar makers exporting to the US are waiting to see whether Donald Trump will convert his rhetoric on import tariffs into reality as they digest the news that the Republican has won a second term as president.
The US is a key market for premium and luxury UK car makers, with models from JLR, Bentley,

It has been a turbulent few years for the Blue Oval, but the brand is finally profitable in the UKLisa Brankin took the top job at Ford of Britain in late 2020 just as the brand was about to execute plans to willingly give up a market-leading volume position for its car business in pursuit of the profitability that had always eluded it.
While Brankin’s observation that “timing is everything, and I think probably my timing isn't as good as it could have been…” was said la

Nissan is still struggling, even with a much-improved Kicks on the market and other new product on the way. So, I ask of you, if you woke up tomorrow as CEO of Nissan, how would you fix the brand? It's a question we've explored before, but not for some time.Personally I think I'd invest resources into new platforms instead of using heavily massaged older platforms, as the brand did with the Z. I think the Kicks is a step in the right direction -- the brand is offering a solid content mix for not

Rotary-electric powertrain is said to enable a classic sports coupé shape
Mazda plans to build 370bhp, rotary-electric MX-5 successor "in the not so distant future"Mazda has confirmed plans to put its striking Iconic SP rotary-powered sports car concept into production in the near future.
Revealed at last year’s Tokyo motor show, the Iconic SP is a tightly packaged, 370bhp vision of a future sports car in the vein of the MX-5, equipped with an innovative hybrid powertrain that uses

To be completely up front, this one is a non-running project car. But it's an intriguing one.It's a make and model we don't see often here -- a 1984 Dodge Rampage 2.2T. This one doesn't run -- the 2.2 needs a complete rebuild. It appears that the suspension needs to be done, too. You can also get a 2.5-liter engine thrown into the deal.There are some new pieces such as the clutch, brakes, tires, ball joints, struts, and more.There's more over at the listing. This one's in Farmington, New Mexico

AUDI E concept shows off Audi's new design approach for Chinese-market EVs
Striking new look, 435-mile range, 745bhp and not a single four-ring badge. Welcome to Audi's Chinese EV brand: AUDIAudi has launched a new electric vehicle (EV) sub-brand for China, called simply 'AUDI', as part of an expanded joint venture operation with long-time partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC).
The new brand, which targets younger, tech-oriented Chinese EV buyers, was reveal

After quite a bit of speculation, Stellantis confirmed on Wednesday that it would be cutting roughly 1,100 employees from the Jeep plant located in Toledo, Ohio. Due to slowing Jeep sales and rising vehicle inventories, the automaker had decided to eliminate a production shift in January.Stellantis, which has an oversupply problem for more than just its Jeep brand, has signaled that it’ll take proactive steps to remedy the issue. However, its only near-term solution is to eliminate shifts

Toyota has already moved to a hybrid setup in the Tacoma, Sequoia, and Tundra, but it’s not done electrifying its truck and SUV catalog.Autoguide recently reported that the automaker is considering its powertrain offerings in those vehicles to include plug-in hybrid variants.David Crist, Toyota’s group VP and GM of Toyota Motor North America, said, “We’re looking across the lineup to see where plug-in hybrid electric vehicles make sense. We do have plans to add the plug-i

There are plenty of impressive performance EVs on sale today, but even the ones that attempt to appeal to enthusiasts with fake engine sounds and special effects often fail to resonate. Mercedes-AMG thinks it knows better, and it recently announced a new dedicated EV platform called AMG.EA, which will start life underpinning an electric SUV for the brand. The performance automaker knows how skeptical people can be, saying that the new vehicle will be an “AMG first, all-electric second.&rdq

Nissan has been in trouble for a while now. Dealers have sounded the alarm multiple times over the last few years, noting their troubles selling the brand’s aging vehicle catalog, but now, the situation appears to have reached a point of no return, so to speak. Nissan’s CEO Makoto Uchida recently said the automaker is in an “extremely tough situation,” noting that it would shed thousands of jobs and sell off some assets to stem the tide. Nissan said it would cut up to 9,0

EV will be first in a run of new EVs and PHEVs launching at a rate of one per year from 2026
British firm announces new details on first EV as it pushes back its deadline to go electric-onlyBentley’s first electric vehicle will arrive in 2026 as “the world’s first true luxury urban SUV”, according to the British firm – and it will be one of 10 EV and plug-in hybrid models to be launched in the space of a decade.
The debut EV from the Crewe-based firm had been d

New car is recognisable as a Clio but introduces several new design cues…
New supermini will introduce radical new look and is set to offer hybrid power exclusivelyThe next-generation Renault Clio is set to ditch pure-petrol engines and go hybrid-only when it arrives next year.
Spotted testing on public roads for the first time, it will introduce several new design cues, such as a more prominent nose with a diamond-shaped grille pattern. It also features twin-decked lip spoilers at t

All of Android Auto's functions are accessed via large icons and voice commands
Want to know more about Google’s popular smartphone mirroring service? Take a look at our complete guideNowadays, life is all about having all the information you need at your fingertips, and modern driving is no different. That’s why so many drivers use smartphone mirroring such as Android Auto. 
An alternative to Apple CarPlay for those with a Google-based phone from makers such as Samsung, Sony, O

Preview image released by AMG reveals prominent haunches and rakish roofline
EV rival for the BMW XM will sit on a purpose-built AMG platformMercedes-AMG has confirmed it is working on an electric super-SUV based on its bespoke EV architecture, AMG.EA.
As reported by Autocar in April, the new model has been conceived as a rival for the Lotus Eletre, the upcoming Porsche Cayenne Electric and the petrol-powered BMW XM.
Just as the XM was developed from the ground up by BMW

Mini factory in Oxford is making around 200,000 cars a year, 80% for export
It's faced a rollercoaster of ups and downs, but there are huge opportunities on the horizonThere’s a pervading feeling, even among those who reckon they know the automotive scene, that the UK isn’t much good at making cars. Not like the Germans or the French. Or even the Italians.
We started the post-war years as the world’s biggest car exporter, even beating the Americans, but have frittered the advan

Japanese brand may be late to the EV party, but a barrage of bold new EVs are on their wayIs there a more confusing, esoteric car company than Honda? One capable of astonishing ambition and technical innovation, yet also of missing industry trends and producing anonymously uninspiring models.
Here’s a firm bold enough to enter Formula 1 just a year after producing its first four-wheeled vehicle, take on Ferrari with the NSX and push hot hatch boundaries with the Civic Type R. It has even b

Record beats Porsche Taycan’s 2019 run of 2128.2 miles, set on the same Nardò test track in ItalyMercedes-Benz has set a new electric car distance record during testing of its third-generation CLA.
Building on the benchmarks established by the sleek EQXX engineering concept, a prototype of the new saloon covered 2309.6 miles within a 24-hour period at the Nardò test track in Italy
This surpasses the 24-hour distance of 2128.2 miles set by the Porsche Taycan on the s

We'll be poking around the issue ourselves, and perhaps writing about it -- but I also wanted to pick your brains. What does the Trump victory mean for Tesla?And, perhaps, Tesla's competitors? We all know that Tesla boss Elon Musk is buddy-buddy with Trump -- but we also know that Trump has pushed back on the growth of electric vehicles as an option. Tesla, of course, sells only EVs.There are larger market forces to be explored here -- does Musk, for example, convince Trump to become more pro-EV

With the current Nissan Armada slated to be replaced by its global-market equivalent (the Nissan Patrol) in 2025, many on our market are excited about the prospect of the SUV receiving the Pro-4X version. However, North America also has a chance to lay their hands on the spicy Nismo variant if consumers make enough noise.Formerly limited to the Middle East — specifically Dubai, where people will buy literally anything if you market it as premium — the Nismo Patrol is kind of a bonke

Today we bring you a 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider that appears to have been recently restored. This one was restored 14 years ago and has been recently repainted.It also has new rear coil springs and bushings.It appears to run and drive well enough to be used for the occasional long commute, though the seller says the car had some minor rust before it was restored.You can pick this Alfa up in Nashville for $4,500. Click here for more.[Images: Seller]Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news

Volvo has pushed the long-awaited EX30 EV back a few times, but it’s now having to reverse that trend as it sees slipping sales in the United States. The automaker recently announced that it would move initial EX30 deliveries up from summer 2025 to December of this year. Earlier this year, Volvo announced a delay for the EV, saying that the global automotive landscape had shifted, making it more challenging to sell electric models. Additionally, changes in U.S. import rules placed heavy ta

Toyota has never seemed all that excited about the shift to electrification, but the automaker is now openly stating that it will withhold future EV investments “until the very last moment” as it sees profits slide. The automaker expects its volume to recover in the coming months, but its full-year production totals will still fall way short of 2023’s delivery numbers. Toyota Vice President Yoichi Miyazaki said the company would “hold off on HEV, PHEV, BEV, or FCEV”

Kylaq employs Skoda's 'Modern Solid' design language, with prominent grille
Fiat Grande Panda rival, developed for the Indian market, gets a host of tech for a very low price
The Skoda Kylaq has been unveiled as a Fiat Grande Panda rival for the Indian market, priced from the equivalent of £7300.
At 3.99m long, 1.62m tall and 1.78m wide, it is the Czech brand’s smallest SUV yet. It is underpinned by a variant of the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform aimed at India that

All the latest changes from across the industry, including major moves, promotions and retirementsWelcome to Movers and Shakers, a new Autocar Business feature covering the latest job moves from across the automotive industry.
This page will be updated regularly with all the biggest transfers, promotions and departures in the sector, covering everything you need to know.
Name: Xavier Martinet
Company: Hyundai Europe
Role: President and CEODacia marketing chief Xavier Martinet will become th