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Dozens of cars get killed off around the globe every year, and 2020 was no different.
Some of the models that died in 2020 were replaced by a new generation of the same model, but several were axed to make way for SUVs or EVs – or even a combination of both. Here are 25 cars that you won't be able to buy in 2021 and while you'll be grateful in some cases, in others we'll be sorry to see some of these go.
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Aston Martin Rapide
This year, the fact that new-car buyers want SUVs more than anything else was thrown into sharp relief when Aston Martin ditched its Rapide to replace it with the DBX. The DBX is undeniably a magnificent achievement, but the fact that Aston Martin no longer offers a svelte V12-powered four-door saloon is rather a shame. Aston was going to launch an electric-powered version as a last hurrah, but financial problems killed off this idea.
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Bentley Mulsanne
Meanwhile, it was the end of an era for Bentley also, as it ditched the Mulsanne and its iconic 6.75-litre pushrod V8 that had been around (in 6230cc form) since 1959. Bentley planned to build the final Mulsanne in April but Covid left the factory shuttered, which is why the last car didn't roll off the production line until June. Unveiled in 2009, more than 7300 Mulsannes were built over the following decade. It doesn't look like this car is being directly replaced, so this is the end of an era.
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BMW i8
When BMW launched the i8 it created an entirely new breed of supercar – one powered by a range extender. At the heart of the i8's powertrain was a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that developed a mammoth 228bhp, and by the time this had been blended with a 131bhp electric motor this dramatically-styled carbonfibre-bodied machine could do 0-62mph in just 4.4 seconds – yet returning 50mpg was a breeze. An amazing car in many ways, it is not being directly replaced.
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Buick Cascada
In the UK the Vauxhall Cascada was axed in 2018, but it took another two years for GM's Buick division to ditch its badge-engineered edition. It was all down to PSA's acquisition of Vauxhall-Opel of course, but it's fair to say that the Europeans didn't miss the Cascada when it went, and not many Buick fans are too upset about this four-seater drop-top's demise either.
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Cadillac CT6
The Cadillac CT6 arrived in 2015, and over the next five years there would be a high-performance CT6-V edition as well as a plug-in hybrid. At the outset there was a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine alongside 3.0 and 3.5-litre V6 options, but now the CT6 is no more, as the Hamtramck factory in Detroit where it was built, is now being turned over to EV production.
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Cadillac Escalade
One of the biggest XXL SUVs available in the US, the Cadillac Escalade has been a staple part of GM's line up since 1998. It's the perfect vehicle for winding up eco warriors with its V8 engines and enormous proportions, and in 2020 GM axed the fourth-generation Escalade to roll out an all-new Mk5 edition. To appease the environmentalists Cadillac isn't offering solely V8 petrol power now; there's also a straight-six diesel.
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Chevrolet Cruze
Chevrolet pulled out of the European market in 2016, taking its Cruze with it. But in the US the car soldiered on for another four years, not that buyers cared all that much for it. With sales on the slide GM realised that the Cruze had passed its sell-by date; the plug was pulled in Korea in 2018, the US in 2019, then China in 2020. But those lucky South Americans can still buy an Argentinian-built Cruze – for now.
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Chevrolet Impala
Incredibly, the first Chevrolet Impala was sold way back in 1957, and although there wasn't continuous production of this large saloon, there were 10 generations in those 63 years. But big saloons aren't the money-spinners that they used to be and Chevrolet has axed the Impala to focus on making SUVs instead – that was something of a theme in 2020.
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Chevrolet Sonic
Sold in Europe as the Chevrolet Aveo, the Sonic was launched in 2002 and was superseded by a much more capable all-new model in 2012. This neatly styled supermini was revised in 2016 and the result was a car that looked less distinctive, but sales limped on until 2020 in the US, although the Sonic had been axed in most other markets already.
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Dodge Journey
It seems like a lifetime ago that Dodge retreated from Europe, taking the rather neatly styled Journey with it. Dodge actually disappeared a decade ago, and unbelievably the Journey that was axed in 2020 was one of the models that left Europe all those years ago. Not the name plate – the actual car, as launched in 2008. A minor facelift came along in 2011, but the Journey was well past its sell-by date by the time it was killed off.
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DS3
You can't say that PSA didn't get decent value out of the DS 3 (née Citroen DS3), which arrived as long ago as 2010. You can see why its lifespan was eked out as long as possible; it was DS's biggest-selling and most desirable model way after it should have been replaced. Not so much because it was great though – more because its siblings were so far beind their rivals. It's being indirectly replaced by the DS3 Crossback, which (inevitably) is a small SUV.
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Ferrari GTC4Lusso
When the V12-powered Ferrari FF arrived in 2011 it was pretty radical for Ferrari, with its shooting brake configuration and four-wheel drive. When the FF was reheated in 2016 to become the GTC4Lusso, there was now a turbocharged V8 option with rear-wheel drive, but it was very familiar. By the time Ferrari's SUV arrives in 2022, the GTC4Lusso will seem very old-hat…
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Ford Flex
Launched in 2008 and heavily revised in 2013, Ford sold more Flexes in 2019 that at any point since it was updated, so it was hardly falling out of favour. But it wasn't successful enough for Ford, which had hoped to sell 100,000 Flexes each year. Unfortunately for Ford however, Flex sales peaked at less than 39,000 units in 2009.
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Honda Jazz
If you're a big fan of the Honda Jazz, there's no need to be too upset that the third-generation model has bitten the dust, as its successor is so much better – not that it's sold in the US, because of poor Mk3 sales. Launched in 2013, the Jazz Mk3 came exclusively with petrol engines in most markets, although there were hybrid and diesel editions for some countries. A new generation - and very good - Jazz is on the market now.
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Infiniti Q30 and QX30
We're sorry to have to break this to you if you're in Europe, but the Infiniti Q30 and its high-riding QX30 sibling are no more. But then you probably didn't even know they existed, which was Infiniti's problem; brand awareness was minimal and last year the Nissan offshoot finally gave up in Europe altogether. The final Euro-spec Q30s and QX30s were made in 2019 but they hung around into 2020 – although overseas markets including the US can still buy them new.
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Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Ever since the first S-Class arrived in 1965 (or arguably 1954 if you include the Ponton), this range-topping Mercedes has come to lead the class when it comes to luxury, safety, comfort and innovation. It was no different for the sixth edition of the S-Class, which sired an ultra-exclusive Mercedes-Maybach edition which came in S550/550 and S600 forms, with a choice of standard or extended wheelbases. A new generation S-Class will go on sale early in 2021.
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Mercedes-Benz X-Class
Well that went well. When Mercedes launched its Nissan Navara-based X-Class at the end of 2017 it raised plenty of eyebrows. While the new car was more than simply a rebadged Navara, it wasn't special enough to justify the hefty price premium that Mercedes imposed. Buyers saw through Mercedes' strategy and by summer 2020 the X-Class was no more.
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Morgan Roadster
Morgan may be one of the smaller car makers plying its trade, but this year was a truly momentous one for the British brand, because it finally ditched the steel chassis that had underpinned its cars for 84 years. That meant the Ford V6-powered Roadster was also killed off, replaced by the Plus Six with its BMW engine and fresh CX-generation bonded-aluminium platform.
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SEAT Alhambra
MPVs have been falling out of favour for years, as buyers migrate towards SUVs. When the original SEAT Alhambra arrived in 1995, it could also be bought in Ford Galaxy and Volkswagen Sharan forms. Ford went its own way in 2006 with an all-new Galaxy, but it wouldn't be until 2010 that SEAT launched its Alhambra Mk2 which also came in Volkswagen Sharan form. The Sharan is still available, but it's on borrowed time…
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Seat Leon
Even when the third-generation Leon bit the dust in 2020 it still looked sharp, despite having been launched in 2012. Globally it became SEAT's biggest seller, with more than 100,000 sold each year. Now we have the Leon Mk4 which in many ways is an advance on its predecessor, but it looks far less distinctive.
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Ssangyong Turismo
Sold elsewhere as the Rodius, this gargantuan people-carrier-come-SUV got a name change in the UK because of the association with its hideously mis-shapen predecessor. Launched back in 2013, the Turismo was pretty rough and ready when it arrived, but there was no arguing with the value that this seven-seater SUV offered.
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Subaru BRZ
When Subaru teamed up with Toyota to create the BRZ and GT86 respectively, it was supposed to be an equal partnership. But it was always Toyota that got the attention – at least in the UK – and now the BRZ is no more. Subaru has announced an all-new BRZ Mk2, but unsurprisingly it won’t be sold in the UK – it'll be reserved largely for US buyers, starting in 2021.
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Suzuki Jimny
We're being a bit parochial about this one, as the Suzuki Jimny is still available in many world markets, but in the UK and Europe it's been canned for now. Long waiting lists quickly formed when the 2018 Jimny was unveiled, with the tiny SUV proving a massive hit with owners and reviewers alike. But CO2 limits scuppered Jimny sales in Europe which is why the car has been withdrawn just two years after it went on sale. This is a shame as it's one of the most likeable cars ever, and brilliant off-road.
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Vauxhall Corsa
The fourth-generation Vauxhall Corsa was Europe's (Opel) Corsa Mk5, as the first model was sold in the UK as the Nova. When the Corsa Mk4 arrived in 2014 it was already hopelessly outclassed as it was nothing more than a warmed-up Mk3 – a car which was already beaten by key rivals. So we can't say that we're sad to see the demise of the last GM-developed Corsa – although the new PSA-developed car is also not as polished as it should be.
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VW Beetle
Volkswagen's first car was the Beetle and while it produced three distinct generations since the first arrived in 1945 (although it was developed before WW2), there was continuous production – the original air-cooled model overlapped the first water-cooled car by five years. But for the first time in its history Volkswagen no longer sells a Beetle – but it does have a raft of SUVs for you to choose from…
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