Nine cars confirmed for discontinuation in 2025 – including two iconic sports cars & beloved hot hatchback
WE'RE almost at the halfway point of 2025 in what's been a whirlwind six months or so in the motoring world.
The UK is in the midst of a transition to electric vehicles which comes with new regulations and economic pressures, while the industry continues to adapt to changing consumer behaviour.
Elsewhere, the Ford Puma remains the nation's favourite motor while Tesla's favouritism begins to dip, and Nissan's problems are going from bad to worse.
We've also had some exciting car releases, from the Alpine A290 hot hatchback and Dacia Bigster SUV, through to the outrageous Aston Martin Valhalla.
We've also learned of the demise of some of our favourite models - ready to drive off into the sunset.
Here are some of the biggest nameplates reaching the end of their production runs that have been announced this year.
Lexus LS
7
After some 35 years on sale, the ultra-luxury Lexus LS saloon has finally reached the end of the road after a sustained period of poor sales.
Once described as a game-changer when it hit dealerships in 1990, the LS helped establish Toyota's plush sub-brand as a challenger to the elite carmakers of Europe and America.
Marketed with a cheaper starting price, four further generations followed, with the final one, the LS 500, launching in 2017 before it was updated in 2020.
Before it was removed, the LS range's price tag began at £101,000, rising to £128,000 for the Takumi version.
However, just 39 of the hybrid V6-powered saloons have been purchased since 2020, of which just three were sold last year, so it seems the writing was very much on the wall.
Mazda2
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After 10 years on sale, Mazda confirmed back in February that its Mazda2 supermini can no longer be ordered.
A brief history of the Mazda MX-5
Often praised for being fun to drive, the petrol-powered and mild-hybrid versions of the hatchback have seemingly been replaced by the Mazda2 Hybrid - essentially a rebadged Toyota Yaris.
Mazda did not explain why the vehicle was cancelled, but a spokesperson told Autocar: "As we move towards increased electrification of our cars, the Mazda 2 Hybrid meets consumer demand in the B-segment and is a step in our journey to ensure all our cars have some form of electrification by 2030."
Mazda MX-30
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Mazda also called time on the MX-30 - its first and only electric car - after just a four-year run.
Criticised throughout its existence for its limited range and cramped cabin, the subcompact crossover SUV - offered as an EV or plug-in hybrid - was launched in the UK in 2021, with a view of taking on the likes of the Kia Soul EV and Peugeot e-2008.
But it was never a popular choice among drivers, largely because of its modest range of just 124 miles.
This was down to its smaller battery size, which was chosen to reduce the car's weight - and while this improved its handling and lowered its CO2 emissions during production, it also resulted in persistent range anxiety among drivers.
While the fully electric MX-30 has been axed, the plug-in hybrid version remains on sale in the UK.
Porsche Boxster/Cayman
7
Porsche has officially announced the long-anticipated news that production of the petrol-powered 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman will come to an end.
While no replacement for the iconic models has been announced, it's assumed an electric counterpart will eventually be released - though details remain scarce and no release date has been confirmed.
For now, production is scheduled to continue until October 2025, including for the UK market.
Frank Wiesmann, product communications manager for Porsche Cars North America, recently told Road & Track: 'Production for all current 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman variants, including RS models, is scheduled to end in October of this year.'
In Europe, sales of the 718 Boxster and Cayman stopped in summer 2024 due to new EU cybersecurity regulations - although the UK market remained unaffected by these EU rules post-Brexit.
This led to Porsche's head of production, Albrecht Reimold, confirming in an interview with Automobilwoche that the petrol-powered 718 models will end production globally by October 2025, except in markets already affected by the EU regulations.
Nissan GT-R
We're cheating here a little, because in the UK, the mighty Nissan GT-R has been unavailable to buy for a little while now.
The GT-R R35 was first unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007 before being updated and facelifted many times, most recently in 2023.
However, in February, Nissan announced production of the iconic motor was to end in Japan - meaning it had lost its final market.
Nissan had already discontinued deliveries of the R35 in Europe and the UK in March 2022, while Australia and New Zealand lost them even longer ago in October 2021.
North America was the second-last to fall, with production wrapping up there in October last year.
Furthermore, with Nissan facing financial difficulties recently, plans to have the GT-R's successor be a fully electric model could be derailed.
Audi A1 & Q2
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We were stunned back in March when Audi revealed they were axing the incredibly popular A1 and Q2 models next year.
Both cars, which are big sellers for the German brand - especially the A1 hatchback - are also the two cheapest among their range, but they have now reached the end of the road with Audi ready to launch a new entry-level electric car as an indirect replacement.
Claimed to sit beneath the top selling Audi Q4 e-tron, the upcoming EV will serve as an alternative to the A3 hatchback and Q3 crossover.
Gernot Dollner, Audi's CEO, revealed they "will end production of the A1 and Q2" in 2026 and that "there definitely will be no successor for the A1."
He added the brand 'will have models in the lower A-segment" and that 'we will also see the car that will enter production next year in Ingolstadt, which will be our entry BEV in the A-segment".
Ford Focus ST
After 23 years, the Ford Focus ST has been taken off sale in the UK - with production of the hot hatchback set to officially end in November.
The Focus ST had been open for orders as recently as April, but has seemingly disappeared from dealer price lists in an update issued on May 26.
Many of the other variants of the Focus are still available to order, but the ST is no longer one of those - as clicking on the Ford UK's configurer leads to a dead end.
Later confirmed by Ford UK to Autocar, there is - at the time of writing - still stock parked up in dealerships across the country.
In a statement, the Blue Oval said: 'There are no new factory orders available for the Focus ST at the moment, but there are around 170 built and unsold currently available within the UK dealer network.
'This includes 30 of the special ST Edition variant in Azura Blue.'
Better get in fast.
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