In this morning's edition, Volvo is thinking about bringing a wagon and a sedan to the U.S. as a pair of EVs in the next few years, Buick is also considering bringing a sedan back, Cadillac is extending the life of some gas-powered cars as it kicks its all-EV future down the road, and BMW is recalling over 29,000 hybrids over a fire risk.
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1st Gear: Volvo looks to bring a wagon, sedan back to the U.S.
Volvo
Volvo had plans of being an all-electric, all-crossover lineup in the U.S., but you know what they say about the best-laid plans. Well, in any case, that's not going to happen anymore for obvious reasons, and the Swedish automaker is now studying bringing an electric sedan and station wagon to U.S. showrooms sometime in 2028. Since they're already being developed for Europe, changing around a few things to get them road-ready for the U.S. won't be too much of a challenge.
The EVs would carry the familiar 60- or 70-series badging and be built somewhere in Europe, and there could even be a rugged-ish Cross Country variant of the wagon on the horizon. Both models would run on the automaker's 800-volt SPA3 architecture, which made its debut underneath the EX60 crossover. Volvo isn't expecting too much from the pair, which are likely to start in the low $50,000 range, with only about 10,000 sales per year in the U.S. From Automotive News:
Volvo is considering the idea while also planning to expand at the higher-volume end of its U.S. lineup. In 2029, the automaker will introduce a three-row utility vehicle larger than the XC90 to compete with luxury flagships such as the Mercedes-Benz GLS and BMW X7.
[...]
News of the potential revival comes barely a year after Volvo dropped its last U.S. sedan and wagon. The brand discontinued its only remaining sedan, the S90, in 2025 and pulled the V60 and V90 Cross Country wagons this spring as part of a broader shift toward crossovers and SUVs to better match American buyer preferences.
While many automakers have abandoned sedans and wagons, Volvo's heritage makes the company uniquely positioned to get back into these segments — especially wagons.
[...]
While light trucks now account for more than 80 percent of U.S. new-vehicle sales, the luxury sedan segment has shown resilience. Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi continue to generate strong margins from sedans, coupes, convertibles and high-performance variants.
Earlier this year, Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson pushed back against the industry's infatuation with oversized SUVs.
"We are looking into that," Samuelsson told reporters. "I think we will not only have SUVs five years from now."
Vehicles that ride lower are more aerodynamic, delivering better range and efficiency, Samuelsson said. He also cited a generational shift leading younger buyers to seek alternatives to the big SUVs they grew up with.
We first told you that Volvo was mulling bringing a wagon back to the U.S. in May, and now it seems we're getting a more concrete timeline. I, for one, welcome a new Volvo wagon, and if the great looks of the EX60 and EX90 are anything to go off, it'll also be a really slick package. As long as it can get the tech sorted (something it hasn't been able to do with the now-dead in the U.S. EX30 or the aforementioned EX90), these cars could be real winners.
2nd Gear: Buick could bring a seadan back, too
Buick
Right now, Buick sells just four vehicles, and they're all crossovers. However, that's expected to change significantly by 2029 as the company pivots away from the all-electric future it was once headed toward. It's now expected to introduce a new Michigan-built gas-powered sedan in the next three years, and it would be the first non-crossover sold by Buick since the Regal died in 2020. From Automotive News:
The model also marks a step back from GM's 2022 plan to make the Buick lineup all-electric and introduce an alphanumeric naming scheme attached to the word "Electra." It's not yet known what name Buick will use for the gasoline car.
Until the U.S. market for them grows considerably, Buick's EV plans are on hold, analysts said.
"Fleshing out the lineup with additional electric vehicles or crossovers will likely have to wait until there's room in the market for another GM product in that space," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions. "EV buyers will have to start showing up before GM decides they need a version of the electric [Chevrolet] Equinox to be sold under a Buick badge."
Part of this play also has to do with production location. Currently, just one out of four vehicles it sells are built in the U.S. The Encore GX and Envista are built in South Korea, and that'll continue into the future, as will the Michigan-built Enclave. The company also plans to build a U.S.-made successor to the Envision crossover in 2028. Currently, that car is imported from China, but its successor will be assembled in Kansas alongside the Equinox.
3rd Gear: Cadillac's gas-burners will live on
Cadillac
Buick isn't the only General Motors company going through changes right now. Cadillac's all-electric future is also on hold as it tries to breathe new life into longstanding sedans and crossovers that were slated for retirement, like the CT5 sedan as well as XT5 and XT6 crossovers — vehicles I bet you didn't even realize were still on sale. Well, the XT6 was killed after 2025, but it's coming back.
At the same time, major redesigns of its first batch of electric vehicles won't come until the 2030s, though refreshes and other upgrades are still on the way. Previously, Cadillac was planning to be an all-electric brand by 2030, but because of everything that has happened around EVs over the past couple of years, those plans are changing. EVs and gas-powered vehicles will now coexist in Caddy's lineup into early next decade as it waits for demand to pick up. From Automotive News:
Still, the brand remains committed to EVs. Electrification remains General Motors' "North Star," CEO Mary Barra has said, and Cadillac will be home to many of the automaker's most advanced and luxurious EV models.
Sleek EVs introduced in recent years, including the Escalade IQ, Lyriq, Vistiq and Celestiq, have helped Cadillac reestablish itself as an attractive brand for luxury buyers, said Stephanie Brinley, associate director of AutoIntelligence at Mobility Global.
"They've been critically well-received, and customers seem to like them," she said. "Cadillac's electric lineup is strong, but its biggest problem is that demand isn't as high as what they were expecting when these plans were coming into play."
By extending the CT5 and XT6 and extending the XT5, Cadillac is pretty much giving itself extra time to see how the EV market will grow. One car that won't make it into the 2030s is the CT4, which was officially killed last month. Pour one out.
4th Gear: BMW's hybrids are hot, hot, hot
BMW
BMW is recalling 29,119 2016-2018 330e iPerformance, 2018-2020 530e iPerformance and 2017-2019 740Le iPerformance plug-in hybrids and telling customers to park outside because the engine starter relay may corrode. When that happens, it could overheat and short circuit. From there, sparks, and from there? Well, flames. Flames are bad. From the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the remedy is complete. Dealers will replace the engine starter, free of charge.
NHTSA says owner notification letters are supposed to be mailed out by BMW by late August of this year. Until then, look out for the flames.
Reverse: Recall!
History.com
Ford does a lot of things well, but one thing it does really, really well is issue recalls. I wonder if the first order it ever took was eventually brought back for repairs. I wouldn't be shocked. Anyway, if you want to learn more about Ford's early days, head over to History.com.
The Fuel Up
Joe Lamberti/Getty Images
Welp, we know that was coming. After a quick blip in the other direction, the average price of a gallon of gas has resumed its quest to hit $4.00 per gallon once again. You can thank turmoil and unclear direction at the Strait of Hormuz following a restart in fighting between the U.S. and Iran for that. That has caused WTI Crude Oil futures and Brent Crude prices to rise as well. They were sitting at $80 and $84, respectively, at the time of publication.
Here's where national average prices stand right now, according to AAA:
AAA
This all shakes out to the average price of a gallon of regular gas increasing overnight by another 3 cents to $3.89, according to AAA. We're still a good bit away from the 2026 record of $4.56 that was set on May 21, but if the fighting continues in the region, it's not outside of the realm of possibility that we eclipse that number.
On the radio: Fetty Wap - Trap Queen
"Trap Queen" is comfort music for me in the same way Yacht Rock is comfort music for boomers. It just brings me to a happy place the second I hear it, and I know it does a similar thing for most people my age. I was at my dear friend Anisha's wedding last weekend (congrats bub), and when this song came on, every 28-to-30-year-old lost their mind.
Every single on his debut self-titled album ended up being iconic, and the fact he's from New Jersey makes it even better. "Trap Queen," "679," "My Way" and "Again" is an insane run. %!s()
