The Crossover fever has spread all across the world, and it’s not just the sedans that are facing the brunt. According to Autocar, the Zafira Tourer and Astra GTC are the latest cars to get phased out. Although they are being discontinued in the U.K for now, we are sure it will be eliminated completely very soon.

Crossovers And SUVs Will Rule The World

Zafira Tourer has a long history for almost 20 years now. This Multi-Purpose Vehicle was launched in 1999 and is currently in its third generation. The change in customers’ preference is killing this car, despite it serving its purpose well. The GTC, on the other hand, did well initially and was, in fact, introduced due to a rise in demand for three-door coupés. However, this too faces the ax after six years of being in production.

A spokesman for Vauxhall told Autocar that the Zafira Tourer is being phased out in the context of “a significant move away from MPVs and the growing popularity of SUVs,” and even though the GTC “was highly successful when there was demand for three-door coupés,” it's not anymore.

Our Take

Zafira’s extinction was bound to happen, as MPVs don’t hold a candle against the crossovers. It’s Zafira for now, but this will sooner or later be the fate of all the MPV’s. As for the GTC’s extinction, we can partly blame Vauxhall/Opel’s laziness to update the car. In the coupé segment, you cannot have a car looking outdated for long; and this company dragged the GTC for six years without giving it any upgrade. The Astra was updated in 2015, but the coupe based on it was given the step-brotherly treatment. We don’t get the logic behind it.

Anyway, this is not the end for sedans in the PSA Group’s lineup. It looks like the group is disassociating the brands from General Motors and is aligning them with Peugeot, Citroën, and DS. The Corsa will be transformed into an electric car and be rechristened as the eCorsa and will most likely be replacing the Ampera-e, which is based on the Chevrolet Bolt. Now, how well this move works, and what cars get developed on the freed-up assembly line needs to be seen. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2016 Vauxhall Astra.

Read more Vauxhall news.