Nother CarGuy

Ford announced it has ceased manufacturing the Taurus sedan at its Chicago Assembly Plant, marking the end of U.S. production of the historic nameplate. It’s not the first time Ford pulls the plug on the Taurus; the same thing happened in 2006, before the automaker revived it with an all-new car in 2008. However, this is likely the last time we’ll hear of the Taurus as a mid-size sedan since sales have fallen abruptly in recent years. Thus, unless Ford decides to reinvent the Taurus into a crossover, or the passenger car market starts recovering at some point in the future, this is the last time we hear about it. Over 34 years of near-continuous production, Ford has built more than 8 million Taurus sedans and wagons at its Chicago facility. Introduced at the 1985 Los Angeles Auto Show as a mid-size car, the Taurus was a major departure from its predecessor, the LTD. It adopted front-wheel drive and sleek, Euro-inspired looks that made it both more attractive and fuel-efficie...

The announcement was made with little fanfare as it was tucked away in the company’s first quarter financial results. Buried underneath various statistics is a rather blunt statement that the company will “not invest in next generations of traditional Ford sedans for North America.” Instead, models such as the Fusion, Fiesta and Taurus will be phased out over the next few years. The company isn’t abandoning cars altogether as the company will keep the Mustang. Ford also confirmed plans to launch the all-new Focus Active in North America next year. Additional crossover-like vehicles are possible as the company noted it is exploring “white space” vehicles that “combine the best attributes of cars and utilities, such as higher ride height, space and versatility.” In a statement, Ford CEO Jim Hackett said “We are committed to taking the appropriate actions to drive profitable growth and maximize the returns of our business over the long term.” He went on to say the company will ‘pla...

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Ford and General Motors will drop a number of sedans and hatchbacks as crossovers have become the defacto choice of consumers. Citing company insiders, the publication claims the Chevrolet Sonic could be phased out later this year. It may eventually be joined by the Chevrolet Impala which is rumored to go out of production “in the next few years.” The Sonic is one of Chevrolet’s most affordable models as pricing starts at $16,170. The company also notes thirty percent of Sonic buyers are under 35 years old and this makes it “one of Chevrolet’s ‘youngest’ cars.” Despite appealing to young consumers and first time buyers, sales have been falling over the past few years. U.S. sales peaked at 93,518 units in 2014 but dropped to just 30,290 units last year. The Impala is doing significantly better as the company sold 75,877 units in the United States last year. The model has also been well received by critics but it appears sale...