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Lucid recently heavily incentivized its Gravity SUV, seen here, to shift sales. Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images
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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, August 5, 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.
⌚ Lucid had initially planned to introduce its sub-$50,000 Cosmos midsize SUV to the world later this year, but the company has decided to push back the launch and production start until early 2027, as the luxury EV maker looks to shore up spending and work out all the kinks, to avoid the kinds of glitches and logistical issues that plagued early examples of the Air and Gravity. [ Reuters]
⚡ Porsche CEO Michael Leiters recently told a German newspaper that the electric 718 was still on, saying (via Google Translate) that, “With the electric 718, we came to the conclusion that we will build the model—because it is the best solution economically and will be a fantastic car.” [ InsideEVs]
📉 Mazda is working on safety and product updates to boost sales of its largest SUVs, the CX-70 and CX-90, which sunk 29% and 24% in U.S. sales, respectively, over the first half of the year. [ Automotive News]
📰 A Hyundai executive has directly discredited a rumor that the Ioniq 6 N has been canceled for the U.S., saying that “There has been no change” in the company’s plans regarding the high-performance electric sedan. [ KoreanCarBlog]
🆕 Toyota has formally announced the 2027 bZ, and prices start at $36,576 including destination. [ Toyota]
⏱️ The Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 has set the first fastest lap in a new Nürburgring class called “electric compact cars,” recording a time of 7:32.070. [ CarBuzz]
🌏 General Motors has renewed its joint-venture arrangement with Chinese auto manufacturing giant SAIC for another 20 years, following a recent restructuring of its business in the country. As part of the move, it will concentrate on Cadillac and Buick in China, and discontinue sales of Chevrolet vehicles there. [ Reuters]
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