A massive list of 34 cars will not return in 2026. Popular models like the Kia Soul, Ford Escape, and Audi A4 are being discontinued.
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.
