We’ve seen a lot of upheaval from both foreign and domestic automakers over the last year or two, as many look to hedge against potential disruptions in a market that couldn’t expand forever.
For some, it has meant factory closures and layoffs, and for others, it’s prompted the elimination of certain slower-moving models. Often, both strategies have been employed, if you remember GM’s November announcement that the company would "unallocate” five factories, cut the workforce by 15%, and eliminate models like the Chevy Cruze, Cadillac CT6, and Buick LaCrosse.
So, just how much can we predict from this volatile time in automotive, especially as it relates to product-line changes? Well, we know that trucks, SUV, and crossovers are dominating sales, leaving passenger sedans mostly in the dust. But here’s another inside look at which models could wind up on the chopping block sooner rather than later.
The website 24/7 Wall St. conducted an analysis of Kelley Blue Book data to determine which automakers’ models are sitting on dealer lots the longest and, according to a follow-up report in USA Today, some models will sit on dealer lots for months before selling.
The most in-demand vehicles — those that take only a few weeks to sell — include the brand-new three-row Subaru Ascent, which sat on a dealer lot an average of 19.9 days, as well as several crossovers such as the Volvo XC40, Cadillac XT4, and Subaru Crosstrek.
Bringing up the rear, however, is a model so low in demand it’s already been shelved: the Mitsubishi Lancer, with an average wait time of 195 days baking in the sun. Other vehicles that round out the bottom 10 include the Fiat 500, Chrysler 200, and the Chevy Impala, though there are some surprises mixed in there, like VW’s mid-size SUV, the Touareg, which perhaps has been edged out of a crowded SUV market by some of Volkswagen’s other new and redesigned models.
If any of these not-so-hot models get your attention, you might just be able to pursue a smoking-hot deal, so head over to the dealership and wipe the dust off of one of these bad boys before they find themselves on the trash heap.