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Welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive’s morning news roundup bringing you the biggest automotive headlines from around the world.
The Downshift recaps news briefly, with links to full stories for those seeking more info. This is your bulletin for Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
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🛢️ New car buyers are shifting away from larger, more inefficient SUVs and trucks in half the time General Motors expected due to the war in Iran, with Duncan Aldred, president of the automaker’s North America operations, saying, “I’m not going to sit here and say it’s permanent yet, but we are seeing somewhat of a shrinking of pickup trucks, full-size utilities and some of the heavier [vehicles] and an increase in the more affordable segments of the industry.” [Automotive News]
📉 BMW’s grim profit warning on Wednesday precipitated a 7% fall in shares. The company now expects an operating profit ranging from 1% to 3%, rather than the earlier guidance of 4% to 6%. [Reuters]
📒 In better news for BMW, it’s decided to open the order books for the i3 sedan earlier than expected in Europe—as in tomorrow, rather than in the fall as originally planned, citing strong demand. [Automotive News]
⚙️ Ford has issued a recall for 2015-2018 Focus and 2013-2016 Fusion models equipped with the 1.0-liter Fox engine and manual transmissions, as the clutch is especially prone to slipping, increasing the risk of overheating and fire. [Autoblog]
♦️ Mitsubishi dealers in North America have been shown previews of the upcoming Montero SUV and Nissan Frontier-based midsize pickup, and they’re apparently very excited, with one retailer calling the upcoming roster “night and day from the current lineup.” [Automotive News]
🪪 Rivian, which employed just over 15,000 people at the end of last year, is laying off less than 2% of its workforce. [Automotive News]
⬇️ Jaguar Land Rover has stepped down its profit margin guidance to 4%. In addition to the challenges many European automakers are facing, JLR’s cybertattack last fall is believed to have cost the company about $2.6 billion. [Reuters]
🏁 In racing news, Porsche, which left the World Endurance Championship after last season and thus didn’t compete in last weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, said that rulemakers’ target to combine LMH and LMDh cars into a single formula would be a “significant step” in bringing it back to the event. [Motorsport]
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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.
