6 Cars That Really Need To Exist Right Now

We all do it from time-to-time. Some of us, like yours truly, does it constantly. What I’m referring to is lounge chair product planning.

It’s the art of suggesting, if not outright declaring, what a manufacturer needs to do to improve a brand’s product portfolio. With no need to worry about market research, investment costs, feasibility, or any of those trivial things, we boldly know how to fix the auto industry. Below are six of my suggestions.

The muscle car wars are dead. As sad as it may seem, it’s a reality. The Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger cease to exist, and the Ford Mustang is tumbling in sales. The new world loves SUVs, and a fun battle to watch is the Jeep Wrangler vs Ford Bronco. But where’s General Motors in this foray?

Chevrolet should join the battle, with a truck-based, purpose-built off-roader. The Colorado could be a perfect starting point for a rock-crawling, mud-loving Chevy SUV. But what to call it? Chevrolet is already using the Blazer and Trailblazer names. Calling it a K5 might not sit well with Kia. My suggestion; Bison. It’s already being used to denote the brand's off-road ready trucks, and a Chevrolet Bison just sounds cool.

With the introduction of the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid and 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, the fact the all-new 2026 Subaru Outback doesn’t have a hybrid option seems a bit of a miss. Why not give the brand’s popular mid-size SUV the option of saving fuel too? It uses a similar base engine to those in the Forester and Crosstrek, so it’s not a matter of power. In fact, I’d take things one step further and ditch the current 2.5-liter entry-level engine, replacing it with the hybrid as standard. Then, the turbocharged 2.4-liter remains the powerful upgrade.

Buick has become a purveyor of SUVs, featuring not a single car in the brand’s lineup. But if I’m honest, none of the current crop of SUVs are a bold standout. Plenty of them are class competitive, but Buick needs something that people see on the road and immediately connect to the brand.

My first suggestion is a midsize coupe-over. You know, one of the sleek SUVs commonly referred to as SUV Coupes. With the three-row Enclave and the two-row Envision already in the lineup, there could be room for a premium, overtly stylish mid-size coupe-shaped SUV that could take the fight to the Nissan Murano and Toyota Crown Signia. Even just expanding the Envista styling to a larger vehicle might work.

My other suggestion is yet another iteration of General Motors’ full-size GMT T1XX SUV. It’s the chassis that underpins the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade. The Buick version could be similar in price and opulence to the Yukon Denali, but with more visual style and a stronger focus on pure passenger comfort.

With the demise of the Supra, Toyota has been quick to point out a new Celica is on the way. What that will be exactly is shrouded in secrecy. Some think it will be competition for the upcoming Honda Prelude. I hope it’s more of an attainable, usable performance car.

Toyota already has an entry level sports car in the GR86, but it’s not exactly practical. The GR Corolla offers more usable space, but is a 300 hp, pricey rocket battling the Civic Type R and Golf R. Where Toyota isn’t competing is against the likes of the Honda Civic Si and Volkswagen GTI. This is where I hope the Celica ends up as a direct competitor. 

Many may look to the Bronco Sport as Ford’s Crosstrek competitor, but they don’t really line up. At the low-end, the entry level Bronco Sport Big Bend starts at a price roughly $4,500 more than the Crosstrek Base. At the higher end, it gets worse. The Crosstrek Wilderness undercuts the Bronco Sport Badlands by nearly $7,000.

With the booming small compact SUV market, Ford appears to be missing out in a segment featuring the Crosstrek, Toyota Corolla Cross, Honda HR-V, Volkswagen Taos, Kia Seltos, and many more. Although the EcoSport was never a proper competitor in this segment, with its demise, a larger replacement is expected in a year or two we figure it to be more competitive. 

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