The end of the calendar year is usually the time when we look back upon the greatest vehicles unveiled over the last 12 months, while many outlets create rankings for the best cars in various segments. But we tend to forget that many cars also go out of production each year. In 2018, we saw quite a few important nameplates go into the history books, with some to follow suit in early 2019.

Ford and Chevrolet are the leaders here, with both companies discontinuing sedans and other cars in favor of crossovers. Lincoln also replaced two familiar models, while Cadillac is ditching an entire range. Alfa Romeo, Nissan, Volkswagen, and Toyota also join the list of automakers that are either replacing or killing nameplates in the United States. Let's see what vehicles we won't be able to buy in North America soon.

Alfa Romeo 4C

The sports car that marked Alfa Romeo's return to the United States after a very long time was discontinued in 2018. Although it's dead for the U.S. and Canada, the 4C Coupe continues to live on in other markets. Granted, it's not entirely gone, but it's bad news if you're a fan of hardtops.

Read our full review on the 2018 Alfa Romeo 4C

Cadillac ATS Sedan

After six years on the market, the ATS Sedan goes into the history books after the 2018 model year. Caddy's rival for the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class wasn't exactly successful, with sales decreasing from almost 30,000 units in 2014 to less than 15,000 in 2017. The ATS-V version was really cool though and had more oomph than the competition at 464 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque. The coupe version remains in production for 2019, but it will be discontinued as well after a few months.

Read our full review on the Cadillac ATS Sedan

Chevrolet City Express

An attempted replacement for the much bigger Express 1500, the City Express is pretty much a Nissan NV200 with a Chevrolet badge. Introduced for the 2014 model year, the City Express never took off and Chevrolet decided to end production in 2018. Cited reasons include disappointing sales and non-compatibility with GM parts.

Read our full review on the Chevrolet City Express

Chevrolet Cruze

The second-generation Cruze is only a couple of years old in the United States, but GM decided to end production in early 2019. The Cruze's discontinuation is part of GM's strategy to focus on crossovers rather than sedans, just like Ford.

Read our full review on the 2018 Chevrolet Cruze

Chevrolet Sonic

The Sonic, which is already seven years old in its current generation, joins the Cruze on the list of Chevys that won't be around after 2018. Although the nameplate will continue in markets outside North America, the U.S. will no longer get it due to declining sales, a very competitive market, and GM's shift toward more profitable products, like SUVs.

Read our full review on the 2018 Chevrolet Sonic

Ford C-Max Hybrid

Following the discontinuation of the Energi plug-in hybrid in 2017, Ford is putting an end to the C-Max Hybrid in 2018. The utility vehicle was immediately hit by a fuel economy scandal after Consumer Reports discovered that the C-Max Hybrid did not match its EPA ratings in real-world use. Ford didn't announce plans for a replacement.

Read our full review on the 2018 Ford C-Max Hybrid

Ford Focus

Ford recently announced a big plan to replace most of its cars with crossovers on the U.S. market. The Focus was included on the list, despite the compact having been redesigned in 2018. The Focus won't go away entirely though. While the hatchback and the sedan will get the axe, Ford said that the fourth-generation compact will return to the SUV in crossover-like Active trim. However, the new import tariff that could be introduced in 2019 may cancel Ford's plans.

Read our full review on the 2018 Ford Focus

Ford Fiesta

Despite being somewhat successful, the Fiesta too will be discontinued after 2018. Although it's also available in a crossover-inspired Active version, there's no word on whether it will come to North America.

Read our full review on the 2018 Ford Fiesta

Ford Taurus

The ageing Taurus will remain on the market for a little bit in 2019, but Ford already ended all national advertising for the sedan. With sales of less than 40,000 units per year since 2015, it's no surprise that the Taurus is being phased off. We will miss the SHO version though.

Read our full review on the 218 Ford Taurus

Lincoln MKT

Introduced in 2009 as a replacement for the first-generation Aviator, the Lincoln MKT leaves the scene after 2018 to make way for the second-generation Aviator. Unlike other vehicles on this list, the MKT wasn't discontinued due to poor sales, it was just redesigned and renamed.

Read our full review on the 2018 Lincoln MKT

Lincoln MKX

Just like the MKT, the MKX was discontinued per say, but rather redesigned for the second generation and renamed. However, it's a bit unusual that the second-generation MKX was only sold for three model years, from 2016 to 2018, while its predecessor had a longer, eight-year stint. Its successor, the Nautilus, is also based on the Ford Edge.

Read our full review on the 2018 Lincoln MKX

Nissan Juke

Introduced all the way back in 2010, the Nissan Juke quickly became one of the industry's most iconic "leave it or hate it" designs. Put massive wheel arches, a high waistline, small windows, and two pairs of headlamps on a compact crossover and you will make waves. In recent years, the Juke sold only half of what it managed to do between 2011 and 2014. In 2018, the Juke was replaced by the more conventionally styled Kicks.

Read our full review on the 2018 Nissan Juke

Volkswagen Touareg

Although Volkswagen launched a new, third-generation Touareg in 2018, you won't get to buy it in the U.S. That's because slow sales prompted Volkswagen to retire the SUV from North America, replacing it with the Atlas. While the Touareg is an already iconic figure in the company's lineup, the Atlas is larger, less expensive, and was specifically designed for the U.S. market.

Read our full review on the 2018 Volkswagen Touareg

Volkswagen Beetle

The slowest-selling Volkswagen since the Eos was phased out in 2015; the Beetle will go out of production in 2019, 22 years since the German brand revived the nameplate. Volkswagen is obviously no longer interested in this niche, but it seems that some sort of electric replacement might be launched soon. A Final Edition model will be available in 2019.

Read our full review on the 2018 Volkswagen Beetle

Other Cars

On top of the above, 2019 will also see the Toyota Corolla iM replaced with the new Corolla Hatchback and the Yaris iA phased out in favor of the new-generation Yaris Sedan. The Cadillac ATS Coupe will be discontinued by the end of 2019 and word has it Chevrolet will axe both the Impala and the Volt next year.