These new cars were recently discontinued, so will only be available as used cars

In the ever-changing landscape of the motoring industry, the focus is almost always on which new car or facelift or upgrade or model addition is being launched.

Whether to make way for newer cars or being dropped due to slow sales or ceased production by the manufacturer, these new cars were recently discontinued, so will only be available as used cars:

Mercedes-Benz E-Class estate

While Mercedes-Benz has locally been able to hold on to some sales of estate cars, the E-Class estate was reduced from a once varied choice (even the E500 estate was available in SA) it was reduced to a single E250 estate model.  

With the newer, smaller and more affordable C-Class estate and the new E-Class sedan phased in, it was time to stop imports of the E-Class estate, which will not be available in the new generation in this country.

Volkswagen Golf cabriolet

After the Volkswagen Eos and previous-generation Beetle cabriolet left the Golf cabriolet as the only remaining new VW cabriolet one could buy here, it too has been discontinued.

After an absence of a few years, the Golf cabriolet was offered in SA from 2012, based on the Golf 6, just before the Golf 7 hatch launched in 2013.  

Did you know even the GTI was available in cabriolet?  Yes, the Volkswagen Golf GTI cabriolet is (was) a rather unique car, and a scarce alternative to the ubiquitous GTI hatch.

VW decided to stop production of the Golf cabriolet, and with Golf 7 well into its lifecycle, it is unlikely there will be a successor.  The Beetle cabriolet is the lone survivor… but not for SA, sorry.

Honda CR-Z

A hybrid car that has neither a long odd rear, nor 5 doors, nor automatic-shifting gears.  Indeed, the Honda CR-Z made for a unique car – a sports-hatch/coupé body with 2 doors and a hatch, and, surprisingly, a manual gearbox.

The idea was great, and even harked back to the CR-X short hatch of years ago – the CR-Z was a sporty small hybrid modern-day version… except in performance.  A 0-100km/h time of 10 seconds and rather underpowered for highway driving, the CR-Z speed failed its looks.

An auto was added in 2013, along with a facelift and power increase from 91 to 101 combined power output, for both manual and auto.  Driving gently in Eco mode rewarded the driver with “digital leaves and trees” “grown” in the instrument cluster.  Oddly, the front seats were leather and the small rear seats cloth.

The Honda CR-Z could have done better if it had sporty performance.  Its pert tail was axed.

Honda Accord

Yes, the previous generations of Accord became respected mid-size alternative sedans and even a Tourer was sold here, while the new Accord which arrived in July 2014 even made it to the SA Car of the Year competition… but just 2 years later, the Accord is struck off the local price list and thus no longer available here.

This also signals that this segment may be strong in the USA where the Accord is a strong seller, but in SA the mid-size sedan has too slight a chance.  The likes of the Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata, Peugeot 508 and Citroën DS5 have all been stopped here, while the Volvo S60, Ford Fusion and new Volkswagen Passat are selling in tiny numbers (average of just over 10 each per month).

The flagship Accord 3.5 V6 Exclusive may have been a good luxury sedan, but at R 613 300 in July 2016, it has become too expensive.  

The Honda Accord no longer struck a chord with South African buyers, and was deleted from local sales.