Weekly Wheelhouse - Auto News. Simplified Jan 17, 2026

Car Tax Breaks, Auto Tariffs & Ram’s Wild New Trucks!

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Term

auto loan interest deduction

This is a tax break that lets you subtract some of the interest you pay on your car loan from your taxes, which can help you save money.

Term

OBBBA Act

This is a law that includes rules about tax breaks for buying certain cars, especially those made in the U.S., which can help you save money when you buy a vehicle.

Concept

total ownership cost

This is the total amount of money you spend on a car over time, including the price you pay, interest on loans, insurance, and repairs. It helps you understand how much owning a car really costs.

Term

recall

A recall happens when a car company asks people to bring their cars back to fix problems that could be dangerous.

Car

Porsche Taycan

The Porsche Taycan is a fast electric car that is part of Porsche's move towards making electric vehicles.

Car

GM

GM stands for General Motors, a big car company that makes several brands of cars and trucks.

Brand

Stellantis

Stellantis is a car company that makes many different brands of cars, including Jeep and Dodge, and was created by merging two other companies.

Brand

Ford

Ford is a well-known car company in the United States that makes many types of vehicles, like trucks and cars.

Brand

Tesla

Tesla is a company that makes electric cars, which are vehicles that run on electricity instead of gasoline.

Car

Ram 1500

The RAM 1500 SRT TRX is a powerful pickup truck that can go fast and handle tough conditions. It's built for people who want a strong truck that can also be fun to drive.

Part

6.2 liter Supercharged Hemi V8

The 6.2 liter Supercharged Hemi V8 is a big and powerful engine that helps the truck go really fast. The supercharger makes it even stronger by pushing in more air to help it burn fuel better.

Term

horsepower

Horsepower is a way to measure how strong an engine is. More horsepower means the car can go faster and do more work.

Term

pound-feet

Pound-feet is a way to measure how much twisting force an engine has. More pound-feet means the truck can pull heavier things and start moving faster.

Term

suspension travel

Suspension travel is how much the car's suspension can move up and down. This helps the car handle bumps better, especially when driving off-road.

Term

locking differential

A locking differential helps both back wheels of a vehicle turn together, which is useful when driving on slippery or uneven surfaces. This helps the vehicle maintain traction.

Part

Dana 60

The Dana 60 is a strong axle used in trucks that helps support the vehicle's weight and power. It's built to handle tough conditions and heavy loads.

Car

Dodge Ram

The Dodge Ram is a big truck that people use for work or to carry heavy things. It's popular because it's strong and comfortable, and it's back in the news because of some new features and updates.

Term

Cummins

Cummins is a company that makes strong diesel engines often used in trucks. Their engines are known for lasting a long time and providing a lot of power.

Car

Dodge Power Wagon

The Dodge Power Wagon is a tough truck made for driving off-road and handling heavy jobs. It's getting a new powerful engine that makes it even stronger, which is why people are talking about it.

Term

torque

Torque is the force that helps a vehicle start moving and pull heavy things. More torque means the vehicle can do more work, like towing.

Term

8-speed automatic transmission

An 8-speed automatic transmission helps the car change gears smoothly and can save fuel. It gives the driver more options for how the car drives.

Part

five-link coil rear suspension

A five-link coil rear suspension is a system that helps keep the back wheels of a truck stable and in control, especially when driving on rough terrain.

Part

Bilstein shocks

Bilstein shocks are special parts that help control how a vehicle moves over bumps and rough ground, making the ride smoother and safer.

Term

payload capacity

Payload capacity is how much weight a truck can carry inside or in its bed. This is useful for people who need to transport heavy items.

Term

towing capacity

Towing capacity is how much weight a truck can pull safely. It's important for people who need to move trailers or heavy items.

Part

automatic leveling rear air suspension

Automatic leveling rear air suspension helps keep the back of the truck level, even when carrying heavy loads. This makes the ride smoother and safer.

Car

Hyundai Palisade

The Hyundai Palisade is a large family car that can fit many passengers and their stuff. The new version for 2026 has been updated to be even better, which is why people are excited to talk about it.

Term

all-wheel drive

All-wheel drive means that all four wheels of the car get power from the engine, which helps the car grip the road better, especially in rain or snow.

Car

The Kia K4 is a small car with a hatchback design, which means it has a back door that opens up for easy access to the trunk. It's being talked about because it's a new model that many people are curious about.

LIVE

Welcome to the Weekly Wheelhouse, where auto news is simplified.

I'm Jim and this is your clear factual breakdown of the biggest automotive stories, including

a new car tax break, Mexico tariffs, and two new trucks from Ram.

So let's get into it.

This story could affect the real cost of buying a vehicle.

Updated IRS guidance may allow buyers of new U.S. assembled vehicles purchased in 2025 to

deduct up to $10,000 per year in auto loan interest, under the no tax on car loan interest

provision of the OBBBA Act.

There are income limits and usage restrictions, but for qualifying buyers, this could reduce

the total ownership cost, even though monthly payments would stay the same.

Next we have a major recall.

Porsche is recalling 173,538 vehicles in the United States because the rear view camera image

may fail to display when the vehicle is placed in reverse.

The affected models include the Cayenne, the 911, the Taycan, and the Panamera.

Model years range from 2019 through 2025.

This says that the issue will be corrected through a free software update, either over

the air or at dealerships.

Mexico's Congress approved tariffs of up to 35% on imports from mostly Asian countries,

including automobiles and steel.

China is expected to be the most impacted.

This move aligns Mexico more closely with the U.S. trade policy and targets countries

without U.S.-Mexico trade agreements.

This next story is something that we all need to keep an eye on because it could affect vehicle

pricing in the future.

A planned January 14 Senate hearing focused on rising vehicle prices is already facing

controversy.

Executives from Ford, GM, and Stellanus were invited while Tesla's CEO was not, leading

to disputes over fairness and representation.

This could impact whether top executives attended all.

While some manufacturers struggled last year, General Motors finished 2025 with its stock up

over 55%, outperforming other U.S.-traded automakers and reaching its strongest performance since

the post-bankruptcy recovery period.

Investors are responding positively to GM's strategy around hybrids, cost control, and

commercial vehicles.

Make sure to hit subscribe so you don't miss any more automotive news.

Now we'll move on to the OEM press room roundup and this is probably what you've been waiting

to hear if you haven't fast forwarded to this section.

So RAM confirmed the return of the 2027 RAM 1500 SRTTRX calling it the most powerful

production street legal gas half ton pickup ever.

The TRX uses the 6.2 liter Supercharged Hemi V8 rated at 777 horsepower and 680 pound-feet

of torque.

They've got 75 more horsepower out of this thing.

Power is sent through the TorqueFlight 8-speed automatic and a full-time active 4-wheel drive

system with low range.

With launch control, RAM claims 0-60 in 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 118 miles per hour.

Now just so you know that 118 mile per hour is just because it's restricted for the tires.

You throw some high-performance street tires on there, you're definitely going to go past

118 miles per hour.

Now off-road hardware and chassis numbers at RAM called out included 35 inch tires, 13 inches

of front suspension travel, up to 14 inches of rear suspension travel, second gen Bilstein

Blackhawk E2 adaptive shocks, 11.8 inches of ground clearance and you get a Dana 60

rear axle with a rear electronic locking differential.

RAM says the TRX will arrive in the second half of 2026 starting at $99,995.

Little pricey, but we're glad it's back.

RAM was not done there.

They also announced the first ever power wagon with the 6.7 liter Cummins high output

turbo diesel pushing out 430 horsepower, 1,075 pound-feet of torque.

That's crazy.

You get a torque flight, heavy-duty 8-speed automatic transmission, 342 rear axle ratio

and a 31 gallon fuel tank with an estimated 600 miles of range.

Now RAM has confirmed core off-road hardware to include the front and rear electronic locking

differentials, disconnecting front stabilizer bar, Bilstein shocks, five-link coil rear suspension

and an extensive underbody protection.

Capability numbers at RAM issue were just under 20,000 pounds of towing and just

under 3,000 pounds of payload.

They are also making available an automatic leveling rear air suspension for the first

time.

RAM says the Cummins diesel power wagon arrives the second half of 2026 with a starting price

of $88,470.

Now I'm going to talk about a review that was posted on our main channel Off the

Shelf Rides and that's going to be of the all-new 2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT.

The Palisade was redesigned for 2026 and the XRT trim adds rugged exterior styling and standard

all-wheel drive while retaining the Palisade's strong interior space, ride comfort and family

friendly layout.

There's a link to the full review in the description.

And in case you missed last week's weekly wheelhouse, we covered stories like the growing

auto loan terms, Ford's rollaway recalls, the new Kia K4 hatchback and a few more items.

So make sure you go back and watch that to get caught up on all of the news.

The link is down in the description.

Now through the holiday season, I didn't have any press vehicles this year and

I don't have any schedule for the next couple of weeks, just kind of taking a little bit

of a break on that aspect.

I do have a truck schedule that's supposed to come in at the end of the month.

If that makes it here, I will update you guys and let you know.

If this helped you stay informed, hit the like button and subscribe to Weekly Wheelhouse.

Thanks for watching and have a blessed day.

About this episode

A new car tax break could allow buyers of U.S. assembled vehicles to deduct up to $10,000 in auto loan interest starting in 2025, potentially lowering ownership costs. The episode also covers a significant Porsche recall affecting over 173,000 vehicles due to rear camera issues, and Mexico's new tariffs on imports, impacting vehicle pricing. RAM unveils the powerful 2027 RAM 1500 SRTTRX and a new diesel Power Wagon, both set to launch in 2026. Additionally, GM's stock performance and a Senate hearing on rising vehicle prices are discussed.

6.2 liter Supercharged Hemi V8 8-speed automatic transmission all wheel drive auto loan interest deduction automatic leveling rear air suspension Bilstein shocks Cummins Dana 60 five-link coil rear suspension Ford

Dodge Power Wagon Dodge Ram Hyundai Palisade Kia K4 Porsche 911 Porsche Cayenne Porsche Panamera Porsche Taycan Ram 1500

Original notes

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This week on Weekly Wheelhouse, we break down the biggest U.S. automotive stories from Dec 26, 2025 through Jan 1, 2026 — clearly, factually, and without the noise.

A possible new car tax break could lower ownership costs for qualifying buyers.Mexico approves new tariffs that could impact vehicle and steel imports.
Ram goes wild, confirming the return of the 777-hp TRX and a diesel Power Wagon.
Plus: Porsche recalls, Senate price hearings, and GM’s stock surge.

If you want auto news that actually matters, hit subscribe and stay informed.

2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT Review - https://youtu.be/WOOuYlAWq8Y?si=IQwVhDWUMukuoz0J

Last Week's Weekly Wheelhouse - https://youtu.be/TYphaeUlfic?si=DqI2fMJGFOZgTKVE

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