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Zombie cars: A dozen discontinued vehicles people still buy new

Car models come and go, but as revealed by monthly sales data, once a car is discontinued, it doesn't just disappear instantly. And in the case of some models, vanishing into obscurity can be a slow, tedious process. That's the case with the 12 cars we have here. All of them have been discontinued, but car companies keep racking up "new" sales with them. There are actually more discontinued cars that are still registering new sales than what we decided to include here. We kept this list to the oldest or otherwise most interesting vehicles still being sold as new, including a supercar. We'll run the list in alphabetical order, starting with *drumroll* ... BMW 6 Series: 55 total sales BMW quietly removed the 6 Series from the U.S. market during the 2019 model year. It had been available in three configurations, a hardtop coupe, a convertible and a sleek four-door coupe-like shape.   BMW i8: 18 total sales We've always had a soft spot for the BMW i8, despite the fact that it never quite fit into a particular category. It was sporty, but nowhere near as fast as similarly-priced competitors. It looked very high-tech and boasted a unique carbon fiber chassis design and a plug-in hybrid powertrain, but wasn't really designed for maximum efficiency or maximum performance. Still, the in-betweener was very cool to look at and drive, and 18 buyers took one home over the course of 2021.   Chevy Impala: 750 total sales The Impala represented classic American tastes at a time when American tastes were shifting away from soft-riding sedans with big interior room and trunk space and into higher-riding crossovers. A total of 750 sales were inked last year.   Chrysler 200: 15 total sales The Chrysler 200 was actually a pretty nice sedan, with good looks and decent driving dynamics let down by a lack of roominess, particularly in the back seat. Of course, as we said regarding the Chevy Impala, the number of Americans in the market for sedans is rapidly winding down, and other automakers are following Chrysler's footsteps in canceling their slow-selling four-doors. Even if Chrysler never really found its footing in the ultra-competitive midsize sedan segment, apparently dealerships have a few leftover 2017 200s floating around. And for some reason, 15 buyers decided to sign the dotted line to take one of these aging sedans home last year.

Nissan quietly, quickly installing more CHAdeMO stations

Nissan Leaf electric-vehicle sales continue to grow. And the number of US fast-charging stations that the Leaf can use are growing, well, faster. As it should be. Nissan has made good on its early-2013 vow to help ensure that the number of CHAdeMO stations in the US tripled by mid-2014, with Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Dallas emerging as the most prevalent US markets, Green Car Reports says. In fact, the number of such stations, which can charge a Leaf to 80-percent battery capacity in about a half hour, has jumped to 633 from about 160 as of January 2013. About 180 are at Nissan dealerships, and that number should continue to surge since Nissan plans to aggressively add fast-charging stations through next March. Nissan spokesman Brian Brockman, in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen, confirmed those numbers and added that companies such as NRG, through its eVgo program, are also adding fast chargers throughout the country. The continued increase is good news for drivers of the Mitsubishi i (okay, we admit, there are not that many of them out there) and future drivers of the Kia Soul EV, as both of the models are CHAdeMO-compatible. Granted, the US has nothing on Europe, where the number of CHAdeMO stations has jumped to more than 1,000 from about 600 stations early last year. Nissan expects the continent to have about 1,800 fast-charging stations by year end. Still, the number of US CHAdeMO stations dwarfs the number of Tesla Motors' Supercharger stations, which total about 100.

Renault gives rhinoplastic upgrade to Versa for Indian market

What do you call a Nissan Versa with a new nose and a home in the Indian car market? A Renault Scala. Given a chrome grille insert, the blacked-out crossbar common to Renaults and a few other "status-enhancing" tweaks, the Scala is Renault's fifth offering in India and rounds out its segment coverage.
The Scala is not only positioned as a sedan with value pricing and luxurious equipment, it is presented as a carriage for the chauffeured classes: best-in-class roominess, leather seating, rear vents for the climate control and two cupholders in the rear armrest attend to the boss in the back.
An 86-horsepower diesel and a 99-hp gas engine take care of matters up front. Available now in three trims, it joins the Pulse hatch, Fluence sedan, and Koleos and Duster SUVs in Renault's Indian line-up, and comes with Renault's CompleteCare service and 24/7 Roadside Assistance. Have a read of the press release below for more info.