34 Cars That Won’t Be Returning In 2026
Every year, some cars are dropped from a manufacturer’s lineup for a variety of reasons. Some have not met their sales expectations, some no longer meet various regulations, and some have had the bad luck to be sedans in a market that strongly favors SUVs. Some were objectively better than others, but many of these were solid vehicles that could be getting major discounts on dealer lots since they will not be returning for the 2026 model year. If any of these vehicles that will be making their last appearances as 2025 models tickle your particular automotive fancy, go get ’em before they are gone.
Whatever the reason for their disappearances, quite a few cars will not be returning for model year 2026. We will address them by category, since there are too many to list individually. These categories are mainstream SUVs that will be discontinued in 2026, followed by mainstream sedans, luxury cars, electric vehicles that won’t be back, and sports cars and coupes that are departing. While a few of them qualify as not returning for 2026 on a technical basis and are not leaving the scene permanently, most will be gone for good and will not return. Let’s get started.
Mainstream SUVs that won’t be returning in 2026
The mass-market SUVs dropped from the U.S. market for 2026 include the Kia Soul, Ford Escape, and Kia Telluride. The Kia Soul era is at an end. It had a successful 16-year run, fueled by a brilliant marketing campaign that used a trio of street-smart dancing hamsters to insert the Soul directly into the cultural zeitgeist. But nothing lasts forever: Kia Soul sales in the 2024 full year fell to a third of what they were in 2016, their peak. The Soul’s subcompact SUV mantle will be carried forward in the Kia lineup by the company’s Seltos and Niro.
The Ford Escape was discontinued in August 2025, though Ford claims there will be an adequate supply of these vehicles through 2026. Ford has not stated whether a 2026 model will be produced or if the remaining inventory will all be 2025 models. While Ford has said a new small SUV will replace the Escape, it has not revealed any specifics about the vehicle.
The Kia Telluride makes this list on a technicality: it will not be produced as a 2026 model, but will return for the 2027 model year as an all-new, second-generation of this large, three-row SUV. The 2027 Telluride will be available at your local Kia dealer in early 2026, so you won’t have to wait much longer. Dodge Hornet production has been paused for tariff-related reasons, so its future is in doubt.
Mainstream sedans that won’t be returning in 2026
There are two mainstream sedans that are getting the chop for the 2026 model year. These are the Chevrolet Malibu and the Subaru Legacy. The Chevy Malibu was a good car that no one noticed. It finished its run with a single specification: a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four paired with a CVT driving the front wheels. According to GM, it has sold more than 10 million Chevrolet Malibus since this mid-size Chevy debuted in 1964. It is also the last of the Chevrolet sedans in production, and now that production has ceased. Once again, the market prefers SUVs over sedans.
The Subaru Legacy sedan is the other sedan to reach the end of the line. The final Legacy was a Limited spec in Magnetite Gray. It was driven off the assembly line on Friday, September 12, 2025, at a little after 3:00 pm, according to Subaru. The Subaru Legacy was designed for the U.S. market and was the first Subaru to be produced at Subaru’s U.S. plant in 1989. From beginning to end, almost 1.4 million Legacy models have been sold in the U.S. The case of the Subaru Legacy is another example where the market has spoken: SUV is the preferred language. In view of this, it is somewhat ironic that the Subaru Outback, which survives as a longer, taller, wider SUV, was originally a raised Legacy wagon with some plastic cladding added.
Luxury cars that won’t be returning in 2026
The luxury category will include all luxury vehicles, both sedans and SUVs, that will reach their final model year in 2025. Going in alphabetical order by brand, we first have the Acura TLX, which had one of the worst engine recalls in 2025, leaving the Integra hatch as the only Acura car remaining. The Audi A4 sedan disappears, but it will be replaced by the Audi A5, a similarly-sized four-door hatchback. The BMW X4 SUV coupe is also gone, one of several SUV coupes that have been trimmed from their SUV-heavy ranges. The Cadillac XT4 and XT6 SUVs will depart, as will the Infiniti QX50 SUV and QX55 SUV coupe.
Next on the chopping block is the Jeep Wagoneer, again on a technicality, since it’s nearly identical to the Grand Wagoneer that stays in the Jeep lineup and was causing buyer confusion between the two similar models. The Lincoln Corsair SUV, platform-mate of the Ford Escape, also goes away, thanks to the loss of its factory in Kentucky to EV production. In addition, a pair of SUV coupes from Mercedes-Benz will disappear, the compact GLC shown above and the mid-size GLE. Then comes the Volvo S60 mid-size sedan, because it’s a sedan and demand for it is low, and the Chinese-made Volvo S90 top-line sedan ends production due to tariffs.
Electric vehicles that won’t be returning in 2026
Sales of electric vehicles didn’t pan out for many EV manufacturers in 2025, leading to a culling of the herd heading into the 2026 model year. One was the Acura ZDX, the EV built on GM’s Ultium platform, which our review found to be smooth and speedy, but short on soul. The ZDX ran for two model years and has been discontinued as of 2025.
Another EV biting the dust in 2025 is the Audi Q8 e-tron, in both standard SUV and Sportback coupe versions. It first came to market in 2019. That’s a long time in EV years and could be why it is the luxury EV with the lowest customer satisfaction rating, according to Consumer Reports. The Nissan Ariya is one more EV that won’t be seeing the 2026 model year. Nissan has decided to place its emphasis on the recently introduced, lower-priced Nissan Leaf EV, which starts at $29,990 MSRP plus shipping.
Another departure from the EV ranks is the Mercedes-Benz EQB, already replaced by the all-new Mercedes-Benz GLB. Production of other Mercedes-Benz EV models, including the EQE, EQS, and their corresponding SUVs, has been paused due to declining sales, so there may or may not be 2026 models on the horizon. The China-built Polestar 2 is a likely victim of high tariffs and won’t be seeing 2026 here. The Toyota bZ4X is gone, to be replaced by the more powerful and longer-range bZ model in the Toyota EV stable.
Sports cars and coupes that won’t be returning in 2026
Among the sports cars and coupes that won’t be back for model year 2026, BMW has announced the demise of the M8 Coupe, pictured at the top of this article, which our review found to be monstrously memorable. The 2025 model of the M8 Coupe will be the last of its kind, but the two-door M8 Convertible and the four-door M8 Gran Coupe are still available in the BMW lineup.
Another notable departure is the Lexus RC Coupe, discontinued by the brand after, in Lexus’ words, “a decade on the market and more than a combined 90,000 units sold across 62 countries and regions.” The top-of-the-line RC F model will be sent off into the sunset with a mono spec Final Edition powered by a 472-horsepower naturally aspirated 5.0-liter 2UR-GSE V8 engine. Special touches on the last RC F include a choice of four exterior colors, a unique red and black Ultrasuede interior, an active rear wing, and a carbon fiber, console-mounted ‘Final Edition’ plaque featuring the car’s production number.
Then there are the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman, which appear to have received an 11th-hour reprieve from cancellation as combustion-engined sports cars. While the company has promised that there will be “top ICE derivatives for new 718,” this could mean that the upcoming EV versions might replace the lower-priced, four-cylinder versions of the Boxster and Cayman, while the higher-priced, six-cylinder GTS 4.0 and GT4 RS models could continue with internal combustion power.
