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Just like fashion or music, the types of cars we drive can become symbolic of an era, some vehicles are even gaining popularity to become iconic emblems of life on the road. But in the same way, they can also fall victim to changes in customer demand, bad business decisions or a simple decline in favorability. In the latest example of this industry shift, a major automaker claims that a popular model in its lineup will be discontinued in the coming months. Read on to see which iconic vehicle reached the end of the road.
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The car giant Volkswagen has announced the discontinuation of its Passat model in the United States, Car and driver reports. The last available production of the car will be a limited edition 2022 model that will only see 1973 units manufactured. The decision to remove the iconic car from the lineup comes after the midsize sedan saw its popularity wane amid a sales boom in SUVs and other larger models.
The Passat has been on American roads for more than three decades. But technically, its first appearance in the US market dates back to 1974 as a revamped version of the German Passat known as the Dasher. It was then renamed Quantum in 1982 before taking the name Passat and its own platform in 1990, USA today reports.
Sadly, the past few years have seen the Passat rocked by an infamy that may have helped doom its fate among car buyers. The diesel version of the vehicle was notoriously shrouded in the massive Volkswagen emissions standards fraud scandal in 2015 that ultimately saw the car scrapped as part of a manufacturer-brokered trade-in program.
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The decision to discontinue the Passat comes as Volkswagen announced plans to ramp up production of larger models and SUVs that have seen a surge in popularity in recent years. The company recently expanded its offering in this area with models like the Atlas, the slightly smaller Atlas Cross Sport and the Tiguan mid-size crossover, Car and driver reports.
The lineup change will also see the Chattanooga, Tennessee plant that has built the Passat for the U.S. market since 2011 transitioning to production of Volkswagen’s first electric SUV model, the ID.4. “With the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport in high demand, and the launch of North American production of the ID.4 all-electric SUV next year, our future in Chattanooga looks brighter than ever. ” Scott KeoghVolkswagen Group of America CEO said in a statement.
While industry analysts report that sedan sales have fallen to just one in four or five new vehicle sales in the past five years, it’s no surprise that the Passat isn’t the only car to hit the road. depart towards sunset after 2020. Other manufacturers have also ceased production of once popular models such as the Toyota Yaris, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze and Honda Fit, USA today reports.
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