The Dodge Journey - the most affordable three-row utility vehicle on the US market - has been pulled from the lineup in California and the twelve other states that follow the California Air Resources Board emissions standards. The reason: the 2.4L four-cylinder engine that powers it does not meet CARB guidelines for 2020. That 2.4L is the only engine available for the 2020 model, as FCA continues to reduce orderable configurations while the model inches toward replacement.

The Dodge Grand Caravan - that brand's minivan model - has also been pulled from all 13 CARB states for the same reason.

The Grand Caravan does not use FCA's 2.4L World I4, instead opting for the automaker's 3.6L Pentastar V6. But where the Pentastar in numerous other Fiat Chrysler products has been updated to comply with the latest CARB standards, the one in the Grand Caravan has not.

Both FCA models are quite long in the tooth, the Dodge Journey having first launched in its current form for the 2009 model year, and the Grand Caravan for 2008. The typical lifecycle for a volume production passenger vehicle tends to be closer to around eight years.

Of course, elsewhere around the country, the Dodge Journey and Grand Caravan are both still available, albeit with limited options. The Journey, for example, is today only available with front-wheel drive, in two trim levels: SE Value, and Crossroad. The Grand Caravan is slated to exit production after the 2020 model year, being replaced by a budget-minded trim level of the Chrysler Pacifica named "Voyager".

Without the Dodge Journey on offer, the least expensive three-row utility vehicles in CARB states in 2020 might be the Volkswagen Tiguan and Mitsubishi Outlander, both of which belong to the smaller compact class. Folks looking for a bit more space might consider the Kia Sorento.