You thought that small, fun cars would be safer?

Sedans are not the only category that is losing ground to SUVs and high-riding crossovers. In the United States, the Mini Convertible will soon go extinct. According to Automotive News, Mini will stop producing its two-door convertible after its current-generation model’s run ends in February 2024.

Mini declined to comment but claimed that the convertible was still a popular model. First, the Mini Convertible isn’t a popular model. In 2019, there were just a little over 4,000 units sold in the United States. This is a 25 percent decrease from 2018. The Mini Convertible and the Mini Clubman share the bottom of British brand’s sales charts. According to Sam Fiorani (Vice President at AutoForecast Solutions), the Mini Convertible was always overshadowed by its iconic hatchback brother. The convertible requires more complex tooling and is more difficult to construct.

Fiorani also pointed out that the Mini Convertible is still a niche product due to other compelling options for less money. “Buyers are shifting to small crossovers while those few convertible buyers that remain can get the Mazda MX-5, Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.”

The Automotive News Data Center reports that small, non-luxury vehicles accounted for 9.2 percent of all U.S. light vehicle sales in the first six months of this year. This is a decrease from the nearly 17 percent recorded five years ago. The non-luxury crossovers account for 34.7 per cent, an increase of almost 25 percent over that same period. The second reason is shifting consumer demand. Mini plans to increase its crossover range by introducing two new crossover models, one of which will be powered entirely by an electric motor.

Mini only produced 30,000 convertibles last year, as the demand has been declining in recent years. This is a decrease of 14 percent from 2016. If true, the Mini Convertible will be gone by February 2024. Its two-decade history began in 2005 in America.