GM to kill Chevrolet Sonic, Ford to discontinue Fiesta, Taurus, report says

General Motors is reportedly planning to kill the Chevrolet Sonic while Ford Motor plans to ditch the Fiesta in the U.S., spelling the death of two subcompact cars.

The Wall Street Journal, which reported the plans Wednesday, also said that Ford plans to ax the full-size Taurus sedan while GM is considering ending the full-size Impala sedan.

Taken together, the death of the Sonic and the Fiesta would put the beleaguered class of American subcompact cars on the precipice of total annihilation. Those vehicles were the third and fourth-best-sellers in the segment in 2017, according to Autodata.

There would be only a few cars left in the subcompact car category, including the best-selling Hyundai Accent and second-best selling Honda Fit.

American consumers are serving as the gravedigger. They have been ditching subcompact cars for several years amid low gasoline prices and improved fuel economy for larger crossover vehicles and SUVs, which have flourished.

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Passenger car sales plunged 10.9% in 2017, according to Autodata. But subcompact cars fell by 25.9% to 222,776 vehicles, representing only 1.3% of the U.S. vehicle market.

GM spokesman Tony Cervone said in an email that he is not aware of any plans to discontinue the Sonic or Impala.

The Sonic debuted to political fanfare shortly after 2009's federal auto bailout and GM bankruptcy. The car was hailed as a sign of the preservation of U.S. manufacturing as its production was located in a reinvigorated Michigan factory.

Asked for comment on Ford's plans, spokesman Mike Levine said Wednesday that "passenger cars, including Fiesta and Taurus, remain an important part of our lineup.”

He noted that the company has already announced plans to make trucks, SUVs and crossovers nearly 90% of its lineup by 2020.

In 2017, Sonic sales fell 45.2% to 30,290, while Fiesta declined 5.2% to 46,249.

Full-size cars are also teetering.

The demise of the Taurus would reflect history repeating itself.

The car was revived about a decade ago, a few years after it was phased out. The company was seeking to reignite the family-friendly appeal the vehicle was known for in the 1990s.

Some automakers have already taken steps to cut passenger cars.

Fiat Chrysler has mostly gotten out of the small-car business, having already killed the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200. The company still sells a few niche car models, including its struggling Alfa Romeo brand, but relies primarily on its Jeep SUVs and Ram trucks.

Barclays analyst Brian Johnson in March said he "wouldn’t be surprised to see Ford reduce its U.S. car portfolio outside of Mustang to just Focus, removing Taurus, Fusion and Fiesta."

About 2 million passenger car sales have shifted to crossovers, SUVs and pickups in recent years, Toyota North America sales and marketing chief Bill Fay told USA TODAY in March.

"When you have a three- or four-year market shift like we've had, everybody has to look at that and either decide to reinvest in cars ... or stop investing in them altogether," Fay said.

"I think it's a possibility" that competitors will discontinue more models, he added.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.