7 cars that were a commercial failure

We have chosen these seven cars that were commercial failures, based on models from the last 20 years, ordered randomly.

Manufacturing a car requires a very large investment, so when a brand conceives a model, it wants to achieve a significant sales volume to recover that investment and, in addition, obtain a good profit margin. This is the theory, but then the practice is sometimes very different. Here are seven cars that were commercial flops.

Throughout automotive history, there have been many examples of cars that have failed miserably on a commercial level. Sometimes, for being unreliable; others for having arrived at the wrong time; others for not having been well understood by the public at that time.

We have chosen these seven cars that were a commercial failure, based on models from the last 20 years, ordered in a totally random way. We already warned that some of these cars might have succeeded at another time.

7 cars that were a commercial failure: Volkswagen Phaeton

At the turn of the millennium, Volkswagen was bent on producing a luxury sedan that could compete with models like the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class, and Audi A8. It was the Volkswagen Phaeton, a vehicle that, in some sections, even surpassed the A8, but you know that: it's not the same to wear the VW logo as the four rings...

The Phaeton hit the market in 2003, with diesel and gasoline engines between 224 and 450 hp, and the price list ranged between 66,00 and 136,000 euros. It had a restyling in 2010, but it never finished working in sales and the brand decided not to give it continuity.

Renault Avantime

The Renault Avantime was one of those cars that, if it had been born a few years later, might have had a different fate. But, as his name suggests, he was ahead of his time and he paid for it.

Developed by Matra, the French brand put it up for sale in 2001, in full transition from the peseta to the euro. It was a completely new concept, which mixed a minivan body with another two-door coupe and powered by quite powerful engines: a 150 HP 2.2 dCi diesel and two gasoline: a 163 HP 2.0T and a 207 HP 3.0 V6.

The model did not have the reception that the brand expected and was a resounding failure. Its price ranged between 32.00 and 43,000 euros.

Renault Vel Satis

Shortly after the advent of the Avantime, another model arrived that was also out of the ordinary, the Renault Vel Satis, presented as a replacement for the Safrane, in an attempt by the French brand to rival the German premium sedans.

In 2005 it received a slight restyling and in 2007 its mechanical range was slightly updated. However, a vast majority of drivers did not finish liking it and in 2009 it was no longer marketed.

It was offered with 150 hp and 177 hp dCi diesel engines, as well as 163 and 241 hp gasoline, a very pretentious and high-performance mechanical offer, which was aimed at customers with high purchasing power since its price started at 32,000 euros and reached 46,000 euros.

Audi A2

At the end of the 90s, Audi embarked on a completely new adventure until then, that of entering the minivan segment, but with a very compact model that also represented an entry into the range.

That was the Audi A2, a car that arrived in 1999, in the shape of a minivan, but less than four meters long, with a completely aluminum structure and high safety equipment.

It had a fairly spacious interior, taking into account its small dimensions, and had a quality of finishes that was up to what is expected in an Audi. That is to say, the brand did not skimp in this regard, despite being a small car.

Another peculiarity is that its engine offer included a three-cylinder 1.2 TDI diesel version that achieved ridiculous consumption. A marvel in efficiency.

Its problem was, on the one hand, its design, something peculiar that did not catch on with the public at the time. On the other hand, its price: it was a fairly expensive car, it started at 19,000 euros. There was only one generation and it was discontinued in 2005.

Peugeot 1007

Just as the A2 was leaving the assembly line, Peugeot dared to make a model that was somewhat similar. It was the Peugeot 1007, a small, urban minivan, less than four meters and with a peculiar sliding door.

It was a really practical car, but it didn't work and was discontinued just a few years later. Other more conventional alternatives in the same segment performed better in sales.

Mercedes r class

In the second half of the 2000s, Mercedes invented a new class, the R-Class, a vehicle that advanced what would later become a trend: the mix between minivan and crossover.

The car coincided with the rise of the SUV, but the concept did not quite catch on with the public, precisely because it looked too much like a minivan. But it was a car with plenty of arguments to succeed: it was more comfortable and spacious than an S-Class and, even today, it is still one of the best cars to travel with.

In just four years, it was discontinued and Mercedes bet more on SUVs. It was available with a wide range of engines, both diesel and gasoline, including a 63 AMG version, with 510 PS.

Citroen C6

We end this list of cars that were a commercial failure with the Citroën C6. This attempt to resurrect the 'Shark' was the last time that the French brand entered the segment of luxury sedans, dominated by German brands.

Despite the fact that Citroën has had several luxury sedans in its history, this time the story ended badly, despite being an excellent car, the prejudices of a large part of the users played a trick.

It had a spectacular design, out of the ordinary, as they usually do in the French house. The most peculiar part was the rear, whose rear window had a concave shape. The windows were frameless, and the interior was spacious, luxurious, and comfortable.

It was offered with a 211 PS V6 petrol engine and three diesels, of which there was a 170 PS 2.2 HDi, a 204 PS 2.7 HDi, and a 241 PS 3.0 HDi V6. All versions had an automatic transmission whose operation left a little to be desired.

Its main problems were its high price and its rather "expensive" mechanics. But there is no doubt that it was a great car.