The eulogy for one popular American sedan was written this past July when Ford
F,
stopped building its Fusion, but 2020 was also a tough year for hatchbacks and station wagons.
Seven hatchbacks and wagons, spanning from pint-size city cars all the way to luxo-laden barges, won’t be back for 2021. These practical choices have been dropped from automaker lineups as consumers continue to shift their buying preference to SUVs.
Budget-friendly hatches (and their sedan counterparts)
The Chevrolet Sonic — in both sedan and hatchback form — has been axed in favor of crossovers like the new Trailblazer entry-level SUV. Toyota
TM,
introduced the Mazda
MZDAY,
-built Yaris sedan and hatchback a few years ago to quiet, but meaningful, applause, but the model proved to be short-lived.
Honda’s
HMC,
Fit hatchback has long been a favorite of automotive writers and enthusiasts for its well-packaged interior and zippy road manners. Shoppers, however, have favored the closely-related, but SUV-styled HR-V that offers optional all-wheel drive.
Quirky and sporty hatchbacks
Hatchbacks by their very nature are somewhat oddball vehicles in the U.S., where consumers long shunned practical cars in favor of more conventionally-styled sedans. The automotive world loses one of its weirdest choices with the discontinuation of the Fiat
FCAU,
500L, a tall wagon that splits the difference between hatchback and SUV. Though not perfect by any stretch, the 500L offered a lot of personality and zippy turbo power.
The Hyundai
HYMTF,
Elantra GT’s discontinuation is a stinger. Offering as much as 201 horsepower, the Elantra GT was a budget-priced rival to the evergreen Volkswagen
VWAGY,
GTI.
See: What does the redesigned Hyundai Elantra have in common with a Lamborghini?
At the upper end
Jaguar has dropped its XF Sportbrake, a rarely-spotted and more practical version of the company’s XF midsize sedan.
The Jaguar XF Sportbrake
Jaguar
Perhaps more notably, the long-running Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagon — a model with a 40-year genesis — has been replaced by a high-riding version called the E-Class All Terrain. Styled like a Subaru
FUJHY,
Outback, the All Terrain has chunky fender flares and a high stance. Fans of Benz wagons looking for a lot of performance can still opt for the ferocious E63 tweaked considerably by the brand’s AMG division, but good luck finding one for under $100,000
Also see: Soon this cute robot will find you to charge your EV
There are still a few hatchbacks and wagons left, though. Subaru and Honda will happily sell you an Impreza or a Civic with a dose of added practicality, while the 591-horsepower Audi RS 6 Avant wagon was a somewhat surprising addition to the automaker’s lineup.
Don’t miss: The 25 most fuel-efficient SUVs of 2021
And while the models we mentioned may not be sold new anymore, you can still purchase them used.
This story originally ran on Autotrader.com.
The eulogy for one popular American sedan was written this past July when Ford
F,
stopped building its Fusion, but 2020 was also a tough year for hatchbacks and station wagons.
Seven hatchbacks and wagons, spanning from pint-size city cars all the way to luxo-laden barges, won’t be back for 2021. These practical choices have been dropped from automaker lineups as consumers continue to shift their buying preference to SUVs.
Budget-friendly hatches (and their sedan counterparts)
The Chevrolet Sonic — in both sedan and hatchback form — has been axed in favor of crossovers like the new Trailblazer entry-level SUV. Toyota
TM,
introduced the Mazda
MZDAY,
-built Yaris sedan and hatchback a few years ago to quiet, but meaningful, applause, but the model proved to be short-lived.
Honda’s
HMC,
Fit hatchback has long been a favorite of automotive writers and enthusiasts for its well-packaged interior and zippy road manners. Shoppers, however, have favored the closely-related, but SUV-styled HR-V that offers optional all-wheel drive.
Quirky and sporty hatchbacks
Hatchbacks by their very nature are somewhat oddball vehicles in the U.S., where consumers long shunned practical cars in favor of more conventionally-styled sedans. The automotive world loses one of its weirdest choices with the discontinuation of the Fiat
FCAU,
500L, a tall wagon that splits the difference between hatchback and SUV. Though not perfect by any stretch, the 500L offered a lot of personality and zippy turbo power.
The Hyundai
HYMTF,
Elantra GT’s discontinuation is a stinger. Offering as much as 201 horsepower, the Elantra GT was a budget-priced rival to the evergreen Volkswagen
VWAGY,
GTI.
See: What does the redesigned Hyundai Elantra have in common with a Lamborghini?
At the upper end
Jaguar has dropped its XF Sportbrake, a rarely-spotted and more practical version of the company’s XF midsize sedan.
The Jaguar XF Sportbrake
Jaguar
Perhaps more notably, the long-running Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagon — a model with a 40-year genesis — has been replaced by a high-riding version called the E-Class All Terrain. Styled like a Subaru
FUJHY,
Outback, the All Terrain has chunky fender flares and a high stance. Fans of Benz wagons looking for a lot of performance can still opt for the ferocious E63 tweaked considerably by the brand’s AMG division, but good luck finding one for under $100,000
Also see: Soon this cute robot will find you to charge your EV
There are still a few hatchbacks and wagons left, though. Subaru and Honda will happily sell you an Impreza or a Civic with a dose of added practicality, while the 591-horsepower Audi RS 6 Avant wagon was a somewhat surprising addition to the automaker’s lineup.
Don’t miss: The 25 most fuel-efficient SUVs of 2021
And while the models we mentioned may not be sold new anymore, you can still purchase them used.
This story originally ran on Autotrader.com.