Morgan Auto CEO talks tariff planning, inside the Re:Nissan restructuring plan, Apple launches CarPlay Ultra

Hey, everyone. Yesterday’s episode of Daily Dealer Live was loaded with big names, real talk, and zero fluff.

Here’s who joined us:

🔹Aaron Zeigler, President of Zeigler Automotive Group
🔹Ryan Maher, CEO, BizzyCar
🔹Justin Villa, GM, Clay Cooley Ford

From dealer group expansion to fixed ops execution, this episode was wall-to-wall insights.

Missed it? Catch up now.

— CDG

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Welcome to The Weekly, your go-to roundup of the top five auto industry headlines of the week. Let’s dive in.

1. Morgan Automotive Group CEO on tariff planning: ‘Things are dicey right now’

Tariffs gave Brett Morgan a sales spike in April. Then, volume dropped nearly 20% by May.

Now he is flipping from growth mode to cost control. Contingency plans are in motion across all 73 stores. Staffing cuts are on the table, but marketing budgets remain untouched.

He’s also doubling down on domestic-friendly brands like Honda, citing their U.S. production footprint as a key hedge.

But German brands? A tougher call, with thin margins and import risk compounding.

Bottom line: Morgan's surgical response (cutting where vulnerable, expanding where protected) is likely the strategy that will separate the winners from the losers moving forward.

(Go deeper: 4 min. read)

2. President Trump’s U.K. trade deal benefits luxury imports, delays relief for U.S. automakers

President Trump’s new U.K. trade deal lowers tariffs on British luxury imports, but leaves U.S. automakers hanging.

Under the deal: The first 100K U.K. vehicles will face a 10% tariff (vs. 25% today). That’s good news for dealers selling Land Rover, Bentley, and others.

But for most U.S. automakers, the pressure is rising. And some argue the deal makes it cheaper to import low-U.S.-content vehicles from the U.K. than USMCA-compliant ones from Mexico or Canada.

Big picture: Union leaders and policy advocates say the deal is a blow to American manufacturing, and fear it sets a dangerous precedent.

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

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3. Inside Nissan’s seven-part plan to rewire its entire operation

Nissan’s new Re:Nissan strategy is a full-system reset—targeting $3.2B in savings, 20K job cuts, and a leaner global footprint.

Why it matters: Nissan is pausing post-2026 product work, consolidating plants (from 17 to 10), and slashing supplier bloat to cut both variable and fixed costs.

It’s also reducing parts complexity by 70%, shifting R&D to lower-cost regions, and fast-tracking new models like a global C-SUV and compact INFINITI model.

Zooming out: Nissan’s betting that aggressive cost control, tighter product focus, and stronger dealer alignment will deliver the consistency it’s lacked for years.

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

4. Apple launches CarPlay Ultra, starting with Aston Martin

Apple is taking over the dashboard with CarPlay Ultra starting with Aston Martin, then expanding to Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.

Why it matters: Unlike the old version that lived in the infotainment screen, CarPlay Ultra controls everything from speedometers to climate—moving Apple deeper into core vehicle functions.

That gives Apple a stronger foothold in the car's operating system, with potential implications for data access, user experience, and automaker brand control.

At the end of the day, CarPlay Ultra spreads to mainstream brands, the real question is whether automakers are giving up too much ground in exchange for Apple polish.

(Go deeper: < 1 min. read)

5. Paragon Honda's Brian Benstock: “Dealers who use AI will replace those who don’t”

At Paragon Honda, AI bots are now outperforming most BDC reps, and doing it 24/7.

Between the lines: That kind of scale is impossible with humans alone. And in a margin-tight business, the efficiency gap between early AI adopters and laggards is starting to look like a survival gap.

Bottom line: While many dealers are still asking if they should use AI, Benstock is already using it to capture customers others never even see.

(Go deeper: 4 min. read)

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• Knight Auto Group expands fleet services with new Ford Pro Elite facility.

• Ford recalls 274,000 SUVs for brake defect.

• House Republicans introduce bill to end federal EV tax credits.

• Stellantis banks on 'Mission: Impossible' collab to boost Jeep sales.

• Rafih Auto Group acquires Toyota of Warren in Ohio.

That’s a wrap for now—make sure you’re following along on X, LinkedIn and IG for more real-time updates.

Thanks for reading. Hit reply and let me know if you found The Weekly valuable or have any feedback. I’ll see you next weekend.

— CDG

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