What Students in Automotive Training School Need to Know About 3 Cars That Won't be Returning in 2017
Sometimes a model just isn’t right for the world anymore, and winds up getting discontinued. Maybe economic forces mean the time isn’t right for a particular style of car. Maybe there’s a newer, more stylish, differently named vehicle taking the place of an outgoing model. Maybe people just thought the thing was plain old ugly.
There are a few notable vehicles that didn’t make the cut for 2017 and have been discontinued. Maybe they’ll come back someday, and maybe they won’t. For now, though, they’re out of the new car conversation.
Here are three examples of cars that were discontinued this year.
1. You Probably Won’t See Many Honda CR-Zs After You Become a Mechanic
The Honda CR-Z is an interesting car that walks the line between conservative hybrid and flashy sports vehicle. Apparently that’s not a line that drivers were interested in, though, and so the CR-Z is headed to the scrap heap.
With the rise of plug-in hybrids, which can run entirely off of their batteries for at least a couple dozen kilometres at a time, regular hybrids like the CR-Z are becoming less desirable anyway, so this isn’t the biggest surprise in the world. There are also certainly sportier vehicles out there for drivers who want something that will dazzle. If this is indicative of a trend, you can expect to work on cars that are dedicated to doing one thing well, and not cars that do a few things poorly, after you become a mechanic.
2. Sorry, Compact Fans—Dodge Is Tossing the Dart in 2017
Canadian drivers might still be dealing with relatively high gas prices, but Americans aren’t, and they’re making the most of it by getting enormous SUVs. That’s part of why the market for compact cars in the US just isn’t that great, and part of why Dodge has discontinued its Dart model compact car.
The manufacturing facilities for the Dart are going to be used for the Jeep Cherokee SUV, adding to the trend of SUVs rolling over smaller cars en route to a larger share of the overall market. It’s not the end of the world for frugal drivers—there are other small cars out there—but it’s emblematic of a curious trend in cars towards bigger, not smaller, despite the increase in eco-consumerism.
3. Students at Automotive Training School Can Say Goodbye to the Viper
Dodge went on a bit of a spree in the past few months, giving multiple underperforming models the axe in an effort to focus on things that perform well on the market. That means the Dodge Viper, which sells just a few hundred models a year, is on its way out. It just doesn’t sell enough to justify the cost of making it.
It’s not the Viper’s fault. It’s quick, it’s sleek, and it still has a special place in the hearts of many who grew up with Viper posters adorning their bedroom walls. If adoration were currency, the Viper would be a big earner for Dodge.
Students in automotive mechanics training might be interested to know that this is actually the second time the Viper has been cancelled. Production first ended in 2010, but the Viper came back in 2013. Is another return in the cards? You never know. Maybe a couple decades after you finish your training, you’ll be hearing about yet another rebirth for the Viper.
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