When the Kia Telluride launched for 2020, it became an instant hit for a number of reasons, but one seems to really stand out. Buyers got a three-row SUV that looked upscale and felt luxurious without the higher sticker price. Kia actually skipped the 2026 model year for the Telluride, jumping into a full redesign for 2027, which included the addition of a hybrid powertrain.

The unibody platform of the original 2006 Honda Ridgeline stood in stark contrast to the standard truck recipe when it was revealed at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Although models like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz have since come along with their own unibody designs, the Ridgeline has remained perhaps the most notable outlier in the truck segment for two decades and counting.

Honda built the Ridgeline to compete in the same segment as the Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado, but with a different approach. When the truck launched for the 2006 model year, Honda skipped the body-on-frame design that defined the segment and used a unibody platform shared with the Pilot instead.

Affordable performance cars with manual transmissions have become increasingly rare, as stricter emissions regulations and changing consumer preferences continue to reshape the market. For enthusiasts, every discontinued three-pedal model feels like another reminder that the golden age of accessible sports sedans is slowly fading.

The last year has been a roller-coaster for those competing in the world of electric vehicles. From tariffs to the removal of the federal tax incentive for EVs, demand for electric vehicles has slowed down drastically. For those that invested the most, like Honda, this turbulence has been quite costly. Now it has officially claimed another victim.