Here’s the latest in automotive sales and strategy:

The cost of new cars and trucks in the U.S. has climbed 33% since 2020, prompting many consumers to take on longer loan terms and higher interest costs, according to industry data reported by The Wall Street Journal. Buyers are increasingly financing vehicles for eight, nine and nearly 10 years as monthly payments rise. David Kelleher, who operates a Dodge and Jeep dealership in Glen Mills, PA, about 27 miles west of Philadelphia, said many families are struggling to afford new vehicles. “We don’t have $300 monthly payments any longer in new vehicles,” Kelleher said. “It’s a thing of the past.” The average price of a new vehicle surpassed $50,000 this fall, according to Kelley Blue Book. That compares with less than $38,000 in early 2020, before the pandemic.

Mercedes-Benz is setting aggressive growth targets in the U.S. as it seeks to reclaim a leading position in the luxury vehicle segment later this decade. Under new leadership, Mercedes-Benz USA is targeting annual retail sales of 400,000 vehicles by the end of the decade. That would represent an increase of about 100,000 vehicles, or roughly one-third more than the automaker sold last year in its second-largest global market. Ken Schnitzer, the incoming chairman of the Mercedes-Benz Dealer Board, said the brand and its dealer network are well positioned to achieve the goal, Automotive News reports.

Ford Motor is recalling more than 270,000 electric and hybrid vehicles in the U.S. because of a problem with the parking function that could allow the vehicles to roll away. According to The Detroit News, the Dearborn, MI automaker said the recall covers certain 2022-2026 F-150 Lightning battery electric vehicles, 2024-2026 Mustang Mach-E vehicles and 2025-2026 Maverick vehicles. Ford said the issue involves the integrated park module, which may fail to lock into the park position when the driver shifts the vehicle into park.

Subaru will return to the Detroit Auto Show for the first time since 2022, while BMW, Mazda and Rivian will not participate in the 2026 event, according to show organizers. The auto show, scheduled for Jan. 14-25, will feature 27 participating brands, five more than this year. Subaru will be the only automaker with a new corporate-sponsored display. Local dealers will showcase vehicles from Aston Martin, Audi, Ferrari, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini and Polestar. Volkswagen, which had a corporate display at the January 2025 show, will rely on dealer participation instead. BMW and Mazda, which ended corporate participation years ago, had dealer-supported displays at the most recent Detroit show, but those displays will not return in 2026, according to a Dec. 19 release from show organizers.

U.S. new-vehicle sales are expected to reach a six-year high in 2025, even as the market has shown signs of volatility and weakening demand in recent months, according to industry analysts. Looking ahead to 2026, analysts say the U.S. light-vehicle market may lose momentum. Sales are expected to decline next year for the first time since 2022 as automakers and consumers contend with affordability concerns, potential import tariffs and uncertainty surrounding electric vehicle demand. Analysts say the possibility that automakers could pass additional tariff costs on to consumers through higher prices could further pressure sales. Forecasts for 2026 sales range from 15.8 million vehicles from Cox Automotive to a preliminary estimate of 16.1 million from GlobalData. Edmunds projects sales of about 16 million vehicles.