They are dead but they are still alive.
Our coverage continues with Chevrolet and two long-defunct models. They were very popular, even though production ended in 2020. The Impala managed to sell 750 units last year, even though there was a sharp drop in demand for the model in Q4, when nine Impalas were sold.
However, 750 is an impressive number considering that the full-size sedan was built almost two years ago. General Motors produced its final Impala exactly on February 27, 2020 after 10 generations of the vehicle and a life span of more than 60 years.
The large family saloon was constructed at GM’s Detroit Hamtramck plant, which is now known as Factory Zero for exclusively making EVs. GMC Hummer’s EV pickup is currently in production. The SUV version will be available early next year. The Chevy Silverado EV will also be coming from the same factory in 2023, as was revealed yesterday at CES in Las Vegas.
The Sonic sedan and hatchback are the other models Chevy sold last year. In 2021, the subcompact model sold 1,581 homes, which is a dramatic drop from the Impala’s Q4. Only 18 were purchased in the last year. Want to find out when the last Sonic was built by GM? On October 19, 2020, the vehicle was produced at Lake Orion in Michigan.
Although the Sonic isn’t as zombie-like as the Impala, we are still surprised that Chevy left so many. The microchip shortage caused a lot of problems for the automotive industry in 2021. This led to a decline in new car sales. In order to make a profit, sellers had to raise the asking price for used cars. It is not clear if either one of these cars was sold at MSRP, or at a premium. Perhaps some customers were able to get a discount.
Crossovers are very popular in America, where traditional cars are almost extinct. However, not everyone is ready to jump on board the SUV train. Budget-conscious people are advised to buy the final model year because the automaker will usually work out any kinks at the end of the product’s lifespan.
Last note: GM’s 2021 sales charts show that only one GMC Hummer EV pickup trucks was sold last year.