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Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive‘s daily news roundup that gathers the biggest automotive headlines from around the globe in one place.
The Downshift summarizes stories into a sentence or two and provides a link for those seeking more information. Here’s what’s happening on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
🔊 The latest episode of The Drivecast, The Drive’s weekly podcast, will go live later today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
📈 The third-generation Dodge Durango is 15 years old. Nevertheless, Stellantis just moved 38,575 examples of the big, V8-toting SUV from January through June. That’s the most sold over a first-half period since 2006—two whole decades! [CarBuzz]
📜 A Senate panel is expected to vote on the Chinese car ban proposed by Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio and Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan today. [Reuters]
🍃 Nissan introduced a Nismo version of the Leaf in Japan, with better tires, improved suspension, and lighter wheels. Power output remains unchanged at 214 horsepower. North America is actually expected to get this model, so interested parties should keep their eyes peeled. [Automotive News]
🗺️ The all-new 2027 Volkswagen Atlas will start at $43,135 with shipping, which is $2,350 more than the outgoing model. [Automotive News]
💺 Fewer than 48,000 Hyundai Kona SUVs have a rear-center seatbelt defect, and the company is recommending that nobody use that seat until it’s able to repair affected vehicles, as the belt may not perform properly in a crash. [Autoblog]
🪽 Aston Martin is commemorating the Vanquish’s 25th birthday with a new special edition, suitably called the Vanquish 25. 50 will be built (25 coupes and 25 convertibles), naturally all packing the super GT’s signature twin-turbo V12. [Aston Martin]
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Backed by a decade of covering cars and consumer tech, Adam Ismail is a Senior Editor at The Drive, focused on curating and producing the site’s slate of daily stories.
