Car of the Year 2025: Seven Finalists
The jury of the European competition Car of the Year 2025 has announced this year's finalists.
The list includes seven models: Alfa Romeo Junior, Citroen C3, Cupra Terramar, Dacia Duster, Hyundai Inster, Kia EV3, and Renault 5/Alpine A290 (the organizers considered them as one model).
Ahead lies the traditional testing program, and the results of the competition will be announced in January at the Brussels Auto Show.
Job Cuts in the American Automotive Industry
The General Motors corporation has announced a reduction of approximately 1,000 employees. Interestingly, the cuts mainly affect workers at the corporation's test facilities in Arizona and Michigan. GM predictably explained this decision as a move towards more efficient operations to succeed in a fierce competitive environment.
Meanwhile, Ford will lay off 4,000 employees in Europe. The reductions will be phased through 2027, affecting about 14% of Ford's European workforce, primarily impacting workers in Germany and the UK. This step was necessary due to a reduction in the model lineup: production of the Fiesta, Mondeo, Galaxy, and S-Max has already ceased, and soon the Focus will join them. In Europe, Ford is focusing on crossovers and light commercial vehicles.
Cavallo: Start with the Top Executives VW
Daniela Cavallo, head of the Volkswagen works council, believes that the closure of factories and mass layoffs in Germany can be avoided. She argues that the labor costs of regular workers make up only a small fraction of the corporation’s expenses. It would be much more effective to cut compensation for middle and upper management, including board members. This primarily refers to the enormous bonuses that resulted from the performance that has led VW to its current undesirable position.
VW and Rivian: Strengthening Partnership
The partnership announced last summer between Volkswagen and Rivian is gaining new details. The German corporation has decided to increase its investment in the American startup Rivian from $5 billion to $5.8 billion.
Previously, the partners only mentioned joint software development and some components, but now they intend to create a comprehensive electric vehicle architecture. This will be based on existing Rivian technologies, with the first joint models expected to debut in 2027.
Jaguar: Controversial Rebranding
On the eve of its transition into the luxury electric vehicle segment, the British brand Jaguar underwent a rebranding that has elicited mixed reactions from the public.
New controversial logos and a signature font have been revealed, and the traditional silhouette of the leaping jaguar has now been simplified into a two-dimensional drawing. The first to showcase this will be a concept car, debuting on December 2 at the Miami Art Week. It will serve as a prototype for a new electric vehicle, with three models currently under development.