The UK car market keeps changing so if you’re in the Motor insurance sector here are some of the new models being retired in 2024;
Ready to say goodbye to some of the most iconic cars on the road? Petrol-powered vehicles will be around for years to come, but if you want a brand-new one, time is now limited. Electric and plug-in drivetrains are now taking centre stage and, while some manufacturers are utilising their iconic names to add value to this new genre of vehicle (think Mustang Mach E) others are quietly dropping some gigantic names.
In 2024, a number of celebrated models are going to disappear. Here’s a fond farewell to some of the most well-known. Car leasing comparison site Leasing.com reveals some of the most iconic fossil-fuelled vehicles we’ll be saying goodbye to in 2024.
Volvo V90
The Volvo estate has been a staple of British family transportation for decades. But earlier this year Volvo confirmed it will be discontinuing the load-lugging V90 for the UK market. In fact, it didn’t stop there: Volvo quietly announced that it will no longer offer saloons and estates in the UK market. That means we’ll actually be saying goodbye to the S60, V60, V60 and V90. The Swedish company will be putting all its efforts in the SUV market which, in fairness, is much more lucrative than the saloon and estate segments. But it’ll be hard to say goodbye, all the same.
Ford Fiesta
This summer saw the end of the much-loved Ford Fiesta, bringing 47 years and eight generations to a close. For context, the year that the Fiesta was first released was the year that Concorde took its first commercial flight, the year Steve Jobs founded Apple Computers, the year that Rocky I was released (yes it really is that old), and the same year that NASA announced its first space shuttle – the Enterprise.
Discontinued to make room for Ford’s upcoming all-electric Ford Explorer SUV, as part of its Ford Model E division, the Fiesta regularly featured in the UK’s top 10 best-sellers since its 1976 launch, and with 20 million manufactured worldwide, it will be sorely missed.
Audi R8
First conceptualised in 2003, and arriving on the scene three years later, the Audi R8 entered the supercar circuit as a direct competitor to the BMW M6 and the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Over the last 20 years the R8 has became synonymous with German performance engineering as the first ‘supercar’ in the Audi arsenal.
As a way of waving goodbye, the R8 GT model was announced earlier this year in limited numbers, with just 333 manufactured globally to celebrate the end of an era for a true great, although there are rumours of an electric edition of the R8 before the turn of the decade.
Audi TT
The Audi TT is also set for its final lap before discontinuation in 2024. The iconic sports car debuted almost 25 years ago at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show, filling the gap in the market for a more affordable performance car. With the first TT’s on the road just three years later, accompanied by a convertible Roadster model, the TT coupé boasted a 180 horsepower engine and a five-speed transmission. Whilst the vehicle specs have changed over the years, the recognisable body shape has stayed the same throughout, even with its Final Edition.
Dodge Charger
The iconic American muscle car, the Dodge Charger, will disappear in 2024 as the US manufacturer makes its move towards electrification. It’s never been officially offered in the UK, but you’ll no doubt recognise the name. It’s been the star of many a movie over the last five decades, most notably Bullitt (1969) Perhaps unsurprisingly, this also means the end of the Hellcat range, the US giant’s fuel guzzling performance range.
However, there are already rumours that 2024 will see the arrival of the first electric muscle cars, this may not be the last we see of the American great, with the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT and Dodge Charger Banshee expected to re-invent the muscle car rulebook.
Jeep Cherokee
The Jeep Cherokee, one of the very first mainstream SUVs, proved a popular choice for the automotive market back in 1984. Capable of fusing all-terrain capabilities with modern, compact utility, the rugged mid-sized American SUV was originally discontinued in 2001, but resurrected in 2013 to return to compete in the largest motoring market across the globe.
In the present day, whilst the Stellantis group state the Jeep brand will not be leaving the mid-sized SUV market, the Jeep Cherokee says goodbye once more, perhaps replaced in the future by an all-electric or hybrid edition.
Leasing.com CEO, Dave Timmis, says whilst iconic cars will be missed by many, he looks forward to the new revolution of modern motoring: “With cars such as the Fiesta and TT being staples on British roads over the years, the switch to all-electric motoring is the start of the next revolution of iconic cars.
“And if you want to buck the trend, leasing can provide an affordable and easy-to-manage avenue to explore all things EV!”
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