It happens every year: Halloween.
Descended from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain on Oct. 31, it’s a day when people believe that ghostly spirits return to earth. It’s the day before the Celtic New Year, Nov. 1, which also happens to be the dawn of the new model year, a time when various automobiles pass into the history books to remembered — or reviled.
And so it’s time to mourn the vehicles whose time have come and gone, passing into the great beyond for the 2022 model year.
BMW i3 — This eclectic electric hatchback, with a range of 153 miles of pure electric range, is being replaced by the far more conventional i4 sedan and the iX SUV, both of which come with 300 miles of range, and far more pleasing looks.
Honda Clarity — Having already killed the EV model in 2020, Honda is now pulling the plug on the plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell models as well. However, the fuel cell model will remain available for lease in California for another year.
Hyundai Veloster — Now that Hyundai has expanded its SUV line-up with affordable vehicles such as the Venue and Kona, the automaker is discontinuing all Veloster models except for the Veloster N, with its 275-horsepower turbocharged 4 cylinder and 8-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Mazda CX-3 — The petite crossover was never very popular, no doubt having to do more with its lack space than its athleticism. With a revised Mazda 3 hatchback and the larger CX-30 now available, the CX-3 has little reason to carry on.
Mazda6 — Despite being a cornerstone of the brand’s product portfolio for decades, the Mazda6 trails newer rivals in its tech package and the availability of alternate fuel drivelines. Given buyers’ preference for crossovers, it’s little surprise that Mazda6 is going away.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe and Cabriolet — As part of Mercedes-Benz’s move to reduce the number of models it sells, the company will drop the Coupe and Cabriolet versions of its flagship model, which will be replaced in the line-up by a new SL and the AMG GT.
Nissan NV Vans — While the NV vans elicited envy from no one, these workhorses will vanish from the U.S. market for 2022, including the full-size NV and the compact NV200. The question is: Will anyone miss them?
Polestar 1 — This powerful and sexy plug-in hybrid is the first product of a new alt-vehicle brand produced by Geely and Volvo and the only one powered by gasoline. The company said all future Polestar models will be purely electric vehicles.
Rolls-Royce Dawn and Wraith — Rolls-Royce is ending production of this pair for the U.S. market due to what the company claims are regulatory issues, although exactly what those are remains unclear. The pair will still be sold overseas through 2023, however.
Toyota Land Cruiser — Toyota’s oldest U.S. nameplate will not be returning to the U.S., although a new model will be sold in other markets. But the new version of Toyota’s SUV will be sold as the Lexus LX. Given the Land Cruiser’s high price, selling it as a Lexus makes a lot more sense.
Volvo V60 and V90 — Despite the best efforts of automakers, and the popularity of SUVs, wagons remain a tough sell. Nevertheless, this Swedish pair will disappear, unless you buy their Cross Country relatives, with their higher ride height and off-road-oriented style.