Creating a successful business is no easy feat in this day and age. With the spread of a worldwide pandemic and a globe seemingly under constant bombardment, it's much harder now than it's ever been before. Even established companies in the auto industry are failing to sell their products.
Though 2020 may be behind us already, we're not free of the lasting implications caused by those fifty-two weeks. Economically speaking, consumers are suffering and, as a result, so too are the businesses they frequent. This is plain as day when you look at the broader vehicle sales of the last year.
If a certain vehicle was doing poorly last year, it's hard to say whether it'll do well this time around. Still, we can make an educated guess based on existing information, historic trends, and (last but not least) our intuition as car enthusiasts.
So, without further ado, here's our comprehensive list of 2021-model cars that are most likely to 'flop' this fiscal year.
10 Hyundai Veloster
Beginning our list, we have a pseudo-sports car that—despite the company's best efforts—has consistently underperformed in comparison to similar vehicles. Of course, we're talking about the 2021 Hyundai Veloster and Veloster N.
Ever since the Veloster first came out, we've seen it as an affordable, good-looking, and quick alternative to more popular hot-hatches like it (i.e. Honda Civic or VW Golf). Unfortunately, the market doesn't seem to share our sentiment towards the Veloster.
For years, the Veloster has sold poorly for Hyundai. After all that's happened with COVID-19 as well, we only expect things to get worse as those affected by the shutdowns have less disposable income to spare.
9 Mazda 6
Speaking of a quality vehicle that gets far too little praise, let's smoothly transition into our next entry; a sedan that's less sporty and more practical, the latest 2021-2022 Mazda 6.
From what we can tell from customer testimonials, the Mazda 6 is a fantastic daily. The problem, however, comes with brand recognition and other options. For some reason, people just aren't buying Mazda 6s. It's terrible but may act as an indicator to Mazda to change some things in the future. Perhaps a different marketing strategy could solve the problem!
8 Chevrolet Malibu
When looking through Chevrolet's vehicle lineup throughout the past couple of years, you'll see plenty of new and missing entries. For example, while the once successful Chevy Impala is no more, the nearly identical Chevrolet Malibu is alive and well... for now.
The issue we see arising with the Malibu comes from its similarities to the Impala. Not only do they look alike, but they also perform alike, too. If that's not already worrisome as is, then consider how boring the Malibu is seen by broader car enthusiasts.
7 Kia Cadenza
Out of all the Kia models currently out-and-about, what do you think of the Cadenza? Have you seen one recently? For us, the Cadenza rarely makes any appearances in cities or rural areas. It's anecdotal to be sure, but illustrates a bigger problem for Kia: nobody wants or cares about the Cadenza.
From 2019 to 2020, Kia went from selling 1,630 Cadenzas to just 670 in under a year. Sure, some of that can be attributed to COVID-19, though not all of it. Its figures beforehand show that (perhaps) it wasn't all the virus's doing.
6 BMW Z4
Next, we have two cars, so to speak. Although this is badged as a BMW Z4, it's functionally the same as an A90 Toyota Supra; at least as far as the engine is concerned. Both are cool, quick cars that may not have such a bright future.
For the 2019 and 2020 years (when the updated Z4 launched), it actually sold relatively well for what's expected. However, the previous Z-Series roadsters show an all too common trend among them.
For one, each appears to have a steady sales number for the first two years before cutting in half the next two after that. There’s a chance that BMW will hardly produce or sell any in the next two years. We pray that we're wrong since the new Z4 is actually pretty cool.
5 2022 Subaru BRZ
In today's struggling economy, a car model that has a history of doing poorly doesn't bode well for its future (as we've said before). Believe it or not, the beloved Subaru BRZ is one such car.
In an effort to revitalize sales and draw attention to it, Subaru is giving the BRZ a facelift for the upcoming 2022 models. They're much better looking than before, but we're not convinced it's enough to make an impact. Remember, improving the BRZ won't necessarily make a difference since so few people are in positions to splurge on a car.
4 Lexus LC
After Lexus' past failure with the LFA, costing more to make than to sell, they've been in dire need of a popular, good-looking supercar. It looked like the Lexus LC Series would do that, but maybe we spoke too soon.
Though the LC is a drop-dead gorgeous sports car/roadster, it still suffers from what the RC F struggled with. Simply put, it has less power compared to other cars like it. And, for an MSRP of more than $93,000, we can't see too many drivers jumping at the chance to get one.
3 Buick LaCrosse
Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Buick, a car brand with such masterpieces as the Grand National GNX, Rivera, and more, is now hardly a shadow of its former self. Models like the latest Buick LaCrosse only illustrate this downturn.
Earlier in 2019, Buick had had enough of the American car market's instability and moved many of their cars to China (the LaCrosse included). However, even after abandoning the U.S. market and going to China, they're still having a hard time. Perhaps it could be a repeat of all sorts of defunct American automakers, who knows?
2 Audi TT
As BMW fans ourselves, we have our fair share of issues with Audi AG. Nevertheless, we know a good car when we see one, and the new Audi TT is definitely one such sports car.
However—as is the case with the BRZ, Z4, and Veloster—an amazing car won't always sell off of its merit alone. The TT has consistently underperformed in sales, with Audi making far too little to continue the project much longer. Luckily for us, Audi might keep the TT for a bit longer, just as an all-electric iteration.
1 Nissan GT-R
Finally, for our last possible flop, this next sports car isn't "expected" to fail. It's going to fail. We're talking about none other than the 'Bugatti killer' itself: the Nissan R35 GT-R.
Now, before the hate comes flowing in, hear us out. For starters, the Nissan GT-R hasn't been a great seller from the beginning. In 2008, when the R35 debuted, they sold close to around 1,700 units, remaining like that until 2016. Ever since then, it's been on a steady decline. As hard as it is for GT-R fans to hear, the R35 may not be with us too much longer.