Top 5 Cars That Have Been Discontinued

For a wide range of reasons, a manufacturer will choose to discontinue a vehicle and sometimes the sad news is comparable to the loss a loved one, especially if that vehicle held a special place in your heart. So here is a list of 5 vehicle that have been axed and won’t be sold brand new anymore.

5. Mitsubishi Mirage

It must be stressful being a fan of Mitsubishi. First, they axed the Lancer (a while after they announced the Lancer Evo would be no more), and then now they announce that the Mirage too will face that same fate. However, Mitsubishi has good reason to do so – the Mirage had been consistently underperforming with regards to sales as they have been selling less than 10 each month. It’s not particularly sad to see the Mirage go (it was never a favourite), however it is disconcerting to learn of these discontinuations after Mitsubishi having partnered with Nissan and Renault not too long ago in a bid to form a formidable and synergetic relationship – that’s just a fancy way of saying they’ll be sharing parts like VW and Audi. Mitsubishi are now down to just 4 cars – 3 SUVs (ASX, Outlander, Pajero) and 1 bakkie (Triton). However, they do plan to release 11 models by the year 2020, so let’s wait and see what trick(s) they have up their sleeves.

4. Ford Fusion

If you’re a luxury sedan that isn’t from Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz, life has been really tough for you. Despite the market falling in love with the SUV and ditching sedans, the premium German trio’s sedans have been selling relatively well (and Lexus too), but the rest have wilted away and have met their fate – notice how rarely you’ll see Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Chrysler 300C and Honda Accord cars are on the road. So too is the Ford Fusion which is in our opinion, one of the most underrated cars to have ever been sold in South Africa. Starting at just R446 720, you get a lot of kit for your money compared to an equivalent entry level Mercedes E-Class which debuts at R714 200. Without a doubt, the E-Class has more to offer in terms of features but when it comes to value for money, the Ford Fusion has the Merc trumped! As with the Mirage, consistently poor sales meant the Fusion was living on borrowed time – they only sold 1 car in October. Sad, I know.

3. Chevrolet Cruze

A more than capable challenger to the mighty Toyota Corolla, the Chevrolet Cruze was a car that was well received by South Africans since it broke out in 2009, although the Corolla still showed it some dust – so why is it leaving us? In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, General Motors (along with Chevrolet) announced that it was pulling out of the country at the end of 2017 which means that they will no longer be selling or manufacturing cars in South Africa after such time. So in short, the only Chevrolet cars you’ll be able to purchase right now are those that remain. In the case of the Cruze (which was manufactured overseas and imported to our shores), the last 3 were sold last month. So if you were looking to buy a vehicle that is comfortable, cheap and reliable that isn’t a Toyota Corolla, buy a Toyota Corolla.

2. Volkswagen Scirocco

It’s true that all good things must come to an end. And that has been no truer than when Volkswagen announced that it will discontinue the Scirocco, which is basically a “coupe” version of the Golf. Although it is sad indeed, it would be incorrect to say that we didn’t see this coming. You see, the Scirocco can be described as a niche car – it only serves a particular purpose and nothing more. Most of that functionality revolved around its aesthetics (the Scirocco was drop-dead gorgeous) and a relatively low price tag with a lot of focus put on providing “smiles per mile”- basically making you look good and feel great. However with the already popular Golf providing nearly the same effect while offering a lot more practicality (bigger boot, four doors, seating for 5 and seemingly endless headroom), the Scirocco never stood a chance against its comparatively blue collar sibling. Add dwindling sales (only 4 of all the remaining cars were sold last month) and the doomed fate of the Scirocco is sealed.

1. Mercedes-AMG G65

The 6.0 litre twin turbo V12 powered mammoth off roader (most of which got only as far as flat suburban roads and pavements) is a more powerful version of an already powerful off roader, the Mercedes-AMG G63. Worry not though because the G63 is going nowhere. The G65 is to face the chopping board along with the G350d and the G500 4×4². This means that when the new range of G-Class is launched next year featuring 4.0 litre biturbo V8s, we won’t be seeing the ‘65’ nameplate on any of the G-Class SUVs. To give the G65 a fitting send-off, Mercedes-AMG have produced one last model of the G65 and it’s called the Final Edition. The Final Edition features a black paintjob with black AMG decals along the side (the logic of that triggers me), with some matte bronze 21-inch wheels being added in case the original G65 wasn’t conspicuous enough. The behemoth V12 churns out 463 kW and 1000 N.m, achieves 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds and will stop accelerating at 230 km/h (largely due to that flat windscreen and general brick shape). This V12 swansong is limited to just 65 units worldwide, but in case you want your hands on one, be prepared to part with around R5.13 million – if you’re complaining about the price then you shouldn’t be looking to buy one anyway. But the again, you can’t buy one even if you can afford it since it won’t be available in right-hand drive. However, we can advocate for the G63 and say that at just R2.4 million and being almost as good as the G65, it seems like the better pick. The G-Class is due for a rebirth in 2018 when the new model featuring new engines, a wider and longer stance and evolved looks is revealed to the general public. All we have right now are spy photos which give us a general scope to what the 2018 G-Class will look like. In the meantime, abschied Geländewagen!

• A spy photo of the upcoming 2018 Mercedes G-Class (W464). It will feature, for the first time, independent suspension.

Thabiso Malimela