The most interesting cars never sold in the UK

We look at those that never made it to the UK, from the good, the bad, and the just plain unusual:

The Acura TLX is a rival for the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class, but this division of Honda does not offer this saloon outside of the US market. It means keen drivers on this side of the Atlantic miss out on a saloon with a 268bhp 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine or 350bhp twin-turbo 3.0 V6.

The 2.0-litre model uses a rear-wheel drive chassis, while the V6 comes with all-wheel drive as standard. Keen pricing in the US makes the TLX a tough contender in its sector, but there are no plans to bring this model to the UK as a Honda.

BMW in South Africa had a habit of doing things its own way and the 1985 333i is a perfect example. While Europe had the E30 M3, the South Africans came up with a big-engined version of the compact saloon, which was developed with input from Alpina.

A 197bhp 3.2-litre straight-six gave the 333i similar performance to an M3 and it was also created with race homologation in mind. Despite interest from many UK and European buyers, BMW did not export this model from South Africa, though one was brought to the UK officially for evaluation as the African-made cars were right-hand drive. Only 204 333i cars were produced.

There were two 745i models produced by BMW alongside each other, and neither reached the UK. The Euro-spec E23 745i used a turbocharged 3.2-litre, and later 3.4-litres, six-cylinder engine with 248bhp. It topped the range in continental Europe but difficulties with converting to right-hand drive meant it did not cross the Channel.

In South Africa, another 745i was offered between 1983 and 1987, and it was right-hand drive. A 286bhp 3.5-litre straight-six was borrowed from the contemporary M5 and gave strong performance. However, only 209 of this 745i were produced and all were for the domestic South African market.

The Cadillac Escalade is an institution in the US, yet it has not made across the Atlantic officially. As a rival to the likes of the Range Rover and Mercedes-Maybach GLS, the Escalade impresses with its 414bhp 6.2-litre V8 that is standard, and there’s the option of a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel. 

If that doesn’t sound sufficient, Cadillac also offered the V-Series model with a 673bhp V8.

The Escalade isn’t found wanting in other areas, either. A 10-speed automatic gearbox is fitted, and the cabin comes with seven-seats as standard for prices that make its rivals look quite expensive.

With customers as varied as soccer moms, Tony Soprano and the Secret Service, the Chevrolet Suburban has long been a staple of the US car market, yet it’s not offered in the UK. The small demand for a right-hand drive version means this will remain the case, so UK buyers miss out on this handsome, roomy seven-seater - and also the challenge of navigating and then parking it on UK roads…

While previous Suburbans stuck with big petrol motors, the latest model is offered with a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel that would suit Euro tastes. There’s still the option of 5.3- or 6.2-litre V8s with up to 414bhp, so 0-60mph is possible in as little as 6.2 seconds.

The e-Mehari was a tentative finger in the socket of the EV market for Citroen in 2016. Loosely styled on the line of the 1960s original Mehari, the electric model was built in limited numbers and only sold in France to gauge customer reaction.

The e-Mehari has a range of 124 miles on a full charge of its battery pack, with recharging in eight hours at a charge station. Although not sold outside of France, the e-Mehari helped pave the way for the Ami, which went on sale in the UK in late 2022.

Daihatsu sold the Copen convertible in the UK from 2003 until 2009 and it’s become a minor cult. That makes it even more of a missed opportunity that this latest Copen is reserved for its domestic market.

Like its predecessor, the latest Copen is a tiny two-seat convertible with a front engine and front-wheel drive. Daihatsu celebrated the car’s 20th anniversary of its Japan launch in 2022 with a limited edition model that came with round headlights like those of the original car instead of the current model’s rectangular lights.

The Ford Bronco is one of the few cars that has the looks, style, capability, and heritage to give the Land Rover Defender a serious run for its money. It does this in the US very well, and you can choose from models with evocative names such as Big Bend, Badlands, Everglades, Raptor, and Wildtrak.

There are also the Heritage models to add further appeal to the Bronco, which comes with detachable roof panels so you can turn this very capable SUV into a five-seat open-top. The only thing holding back the Bronco in some respects is there’s no diesel or hybrid power option, though you can have the Raptor with a 412bhp 3.0-litre V6 motor.

Perhaps stung by a less than warm reception when Ford did import the Explorer to the UK between 1997 and 2001, it hasn’t bothered since. This means UK buyers miss out on a seven-seat SUV that is offered with a mix of petrol and hybrid power, as well as the ST version that has 395bhp.

With keen pricing in its favour, the Explorer is a popular model in the US and comes with seven seats as standard. It’s also able to deal with more off-road demands than most SUVs, so would be an intriguing alternative to a Land Rover Discovery.

Ford has been one of the first out of the blocks with an all-electric pick-up truck, which is big news in the US. It would also make for a useful working vehicle in the UK, but the F-150 Lightning is not available over here, though Ford has brought one over for the press to assess.

The Lightning does everything a petrol- or diesel-powered F-150 can, but it has a unique EV platform. The battery provides an official range of up to 240 miles on a full charge, and the Lightning can tow up 7700lbs (3492kg). It can also see off 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds thanks to the dual electric motors giving a combined 572bhp; some US owners have observed however that both towing and cold weather can greatly lower its range.

Mustang, Shelby, and GT500 are just about the perfect mix when it comes to Ford’s fastback hero. What it means on the road is a 5.2-litre V8 engine rather than the usual 5.0-litre unit. With help from a supercharger, this motor provides a whopping 750bhp to deliver 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds and 180mph.

Given Ford sells the Mustang in right-hand drive in the UK, it might seem likely the Shelby would be offered here. However, homologation costs versus the tiny number that would be sold simply don’t make it worth the effort.

If the Honda-e or Jazz feel like they are just too big for you, it’s a pity the Japanese firm doesn’t bring its N-One to the UK. With similarly funky looks to the Honda-e, the N-One is a compact machine designed to conform to Japan’s Kei car regulations.

Under the short bonnet is a 54bhp 660cc three-cylinder engine with turbocharger, so it’s perkier than mere figures might suggest. A standard CVT automatic gearbox takes does take the edge off performance, but it’s also ideal for taking the stress out of city driving, which is where is exactly what the N-One was built for.

Larger than any of Honda’s existing SUVs in the UK market, the Pilot is similar in size to a Land Rover Discovery and offers seating for seven. In typical US fashion, the Pilot arranges its seats in a 2-2-3 format to allow for a walk-through cabin.

Looking like a scaled-up CR-V, the Pilot is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine coupled to a nine-speed automatic gearbox. There’s a choice of two- and four-wheel drive models, but no hybrid or diesel power.

One of the biggest mysteries of modern car sales is why the Honda S660 has remained a stranger to the UK market. Given how much UK buyers love sports cars and open-tops, this compact machine would be an ideal small convertible.

As a Kei class car, the S660 has a 660cc engine, which is turbocharged to give 63bhp. As a sporting model, the engine is mid-mounted and coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox. Handling is an S660 high point and the cabin is remarkably roomy for such a compact car.

Hyundai’s Palisade has scored a direct sales hit in the US, where its keen pricing, generous cabin size, and excellent quality have found favour. It’s bigger than the Santa Fe SUV, but it’s deemed a mid-size rather than full-size SUV in the US market.

This size issue is what holds the Palisade back from being offered in the UK. Over here, it would potentially be too big for most buyers, plus the Palisade is only offered with a 3.8-litre V6 petrol engine. With no hybrid or diesel, it can only manage a UK-adjusted combined fuel economy of 26.4mpg, which means sales wouldn’t justify importing the Palisade to the UK.

Hyundai’s N performance models have proved themselves in the UK market, but the Korean firm has refused to bring its Veloster N here. It sells this model in the US and sticks with the asymmetrical three-door design, with two on the right-hand side and one on the left.

While the door layout may not be ideal for UK buyers, there’s nothing wrong with the mechanical package. Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine giving 246bhp as standard or 271bhp with the Performance Package, which provides 0-60mph in just 4.8 seconds.

It seems strange that a car styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro that made its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show was not sold in the UK or Europe. Yet that’s exactly what happened with the Isuzu 117 Coupe. It was conceived as a halo model for Isuzu in Japan and did what it was supposed to by drawing customers into showrooms.

The 117 Coupe lasted in production from 1968 until 1981, yet it remained resolutely a Japan-only model when it could have been a bigger rival to the Toyota Celica or Ford Capri.

The Jeep Gladiator is a car very much in tune with buyers in the US, which is perhaps why it’s not offered in the UK. It’s a pick-up version of Jeep’s Wrangler, with an extended rear load bed to offer a best-in-class payload along with the same four-wheel drive and off-road ability as the Wrangler.

The four-door, five-seat cabin can be opened up to the elements with removable roof panels. Power comes from either a 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine or a 3.0 V6 turbodiesel, but there are no plans to sell the Gladiator alongside the Wrangler in UK showrooms.

The Jeep Grand Wagoneer is every one of its considerable inches a rival to the Range Rover and other premium SUVs, but not for UK buyers. What they are missing out on is a car with four touchscreens in the front cabin, including one for the passenger. In the back, if the standard model isn’t roomy enough, there’s an L version that’s a full 12-inches (305mm) longer, and the Wagoneer can seat up to eight people.

Making sure there’s enough power to lug all those passengers, the Grand Wagoneer comes with a 465bhp 6.4-litre V8, eight-speed auto ’box, and four-wheel drive. However, combined economy that works out to 18mpg in the UK means it will remain a non-starter over here.

The Telluride is the largest SUV that Kia makes and it sits above the Sorento in stature in US showrooms. That size is why the Telluride is unlikely ever to make to the UK, as well as the sole engine choice of a 287bhp 3.8-litre V6 petrol motor that would not find favour outside of the US. But stateside, they love it, and it’s great value for money; nearly 94,000 found a home in the US in 2021.

There is a lot to like about the Telluride as it can come with seating for up to eight people, in a country where . It’s also very well fitted out from the factory with standard equipment, and like all Kias it comes with an impressive warranty that covers the powertrain for 10 years and 100,000 miles.

The Lincoln Aviator might be one step down from being the biggest SUV in the company’s line-up, but it’s arguably the best of the bunch. It comes as a seven-seater as standard and offers a strong blend of comfort, refinement and handling for a car of this size.

Drive comes from either a 400bhp 3.0 V6 twin turbo motor or the same but with plug-in hybrid power. Go for the later and you can cover up to 21 miles on battery power alone and it offers a UK-adjusted combined consumption of 69.7mpg. Impressive for such a large SUV, but still not enough to convince Lincoln or its Ford master to ship the Aviator to the UK. Given the repeated failure of GM’s Cadillac to enter the UK market, it’s no surprise that Ford has never tried to land Lincoln here.

Taking on the Cadillac Escalade and Euro rivals like the BMW X7 and Range Rover, the Lincoln Navigator is about as full-sized as SUVs come. It’s based on the Ford Expedition but has been completely gone through by Lincoln to make sure it’s as luxurious and opulent as possible, which is a lot if you’re not familiar with the brand.

In a bid to be on nodding terms with the environment, Lincoln uses a 400bhp twin-turbo 3.0 V6 rather than the V8s of most rivals. However, a UK-adjusted combined consumption of 27.6mpg won’t help convince Lincoln to make it available beyond North America’s shores any time soon.

Before the RX-7 made the rotary engine famous, Mazda came up with the Cosmo 110S sports coupe to show off its technical prowess. As a result, the Cosmo came with a twin rotor motor producing 110bhp, hence the number in its title.

Mazda did bring the Cosmo 110S to Europe to compete at Le Mans in 1968, but these two cars were among a tiny handful of the 833 total to make it out of Japan when the car was new. Built between 1967 and 1972, the Cosmo is now a highly prized classic by collectors all over the world precisely because it was such a rarity even in Japan when new.

There’s not a lot to hold Mazda back from bringing the CX-9 large SUV into the UK. After all, it’s already produced in right-hand drive for markets such as New Zealand and its homeland of Japan. However, there are no plans for the CX-9 to touch down in the UK.

Sitting above the CX-5 and CX-60 in size, the CX-9 is a seven-seat SUV that would take on the likes of the Kia Sorento and Land Rover Discovery Sport. It’s powered by Mazda’s turbocharged 2.5-litre Skyactiv-G engine, which has 228bhp and 31.4mpg combined economy. However, the UK and Europe will get the CX-60 and CX-80 models with petrol, diesel and hybrid power.

Just as the boom in SUV sales was taking off, Mercedes introduced the GLK as a rival to the Audi Q5 and BMW X3. However, Mercedes shot itself in the foot by being unable to offer the GLK with right-hand drive, so missing out on sales in the UK, Australia and several other markets.

The reason for no right-hand drive GLK was the car’s four-wheel drive system was designed with a driveshaft exactly where the steering would be for right-hand drive models. Changing this would have been prohibitively expensive, so Mercedes customers in the UK had to wait for the GLC’s launch in 2015 to enjoy a compact SUV with a steering wheel on the right.

There are several reasons the oddly titled Autech Zagato Stelvio AZ1 never made to the UK’s shores, not least that it cost twice as much as a Honda NSX. Unusual styling didn’t help the car’s case, either, while the Autech name carried no history, even if it was a subsidiary of Nissan and Zagato has a long tradition of coachbuilt cars.

The AZ1 used a turbocharged Nissan 3.0-litre V6 engine to deliver 276bhp, so it was decently quick. However, not even its domestic Japanese audience could be persuaded to buy the full run of 200 cars and only 88 AZ1s are believed to have been sold.

The now widely recognised Skyline GT-R name traces its roots back to 1969 and Nissan’s desire to go touring car racing. It came up with the GT-R Skyline as a two- or four-door saloon powered by a 2.0-litre straight-six engine producing 160bhp. As a homologation car, Nissan only had to build a limited number to qualify, so a total of 1945 of this first Skyline was made and all sold in Japan.

While Nissan could have sold more Skylines outside of Japan, it achieved its aim in touring car racing. Between 1969 and 1972, the Skyline won 52 races, including a run of 49 outright wins in a row.

Emissions is the prime reason Nissan cites for not bringing its latest Z sports car to the UK or Europe. While it’s happy to flog it in the US and elsewhere, we do without this 400bhp twin-turbo 3.0 V6 machine that deals with 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds and heads on to 155mph.

It’s all the more galling for UK buyers when you know the Z is within the realms of being affordable and comes with a limited slip differential. It also has a six-speed manual gearbox, or nine-speed auto, to deliver thrills to see off a Toyota Supra.

When Renault unveiled the Espace in 2014, it said it wasn’t ruling out bringing its reinvented MPV-crossover to the UK with right-hand drive. We can now conclude that isn’t going to happen, partly because the market for MPVs of any size has all but disappeared and because sales volumes simply wouldn’t justify the cost of putting the steering wheel on the right-hand side.

What UK buyers are missing is a practical five- or seven-seater that’s more of a rival to an executive estate such as an Audi A6 Avant or Volvo V90. Power comes from a 2.0-litre turbodiesel with 158- or 187bhp driving the front wheels through a six-speed auto ’box. However, the Audi and Volvo are markedly better to drive, so UK drivers aren’t missing out too much.

The Renault Twingo has a patchy history with the UK. The original model that enjoyed a long life between 1992 and 2007 when it was built in France was never sold in the UK. The second and third generations did make it here, but Renault pulled the plug on UK Twingo sales in 2019 and has not offered the electric version to UK buyers.

As an alternative to Renault’s Zoe, the Twingo E-Tech offers the same looks and city car practicality as the third-gen Twingo always has, just with an EV range of up to 170 miles. It’s also notably cheaper than the Zoe in its home market in France, which gives it a strong appeal that UK buyers will not experience.

Suzuki has sold the Alto in the UK previously, but the latest generation remains a stranger to these shores. That’s a pity as the Alto Works is an amusingly small and sporty take on the city car.

The Alto Works comes with a turbocharged 660cc three-cylinder that produces 63bhp and you have a choice of five-speed manual or CVT auto gearboxes. Whichever you choose, the Works has four-wheel drive to ensure surprisingly high levels of grip and entertainment on tight, twisty roads.

There are a fair few Japanese Kei class cars that never make it past the shores of their own country, which is a shame as the Suzuki Lapin has the style and chops to make it over here. A 660cc three-pot engine provides the power, driving through a CVT automatic gearbox to make it an ideal town car.

The upright styling dodges being too boxy in appearance and there’s a similarly endearing appeal to the Lapin as Suzuki’s Jimny. With a keen eye on town driving, Suzuki fits the compact Lapin with a birds-eye view parking camera, which seems almost like an extravagance given the car’s diminutive size.

Toyota was still predominantly focused on its home market in Japan in the 1960s, which is why the 2000GT was created. It gave the company a technical showcase to rival the best from Europe and the US, helping to entice buyers into showrooms. This also meant the 2000GT sold in penny numbers, with only 351 built.

Few would have known about the 2000GT or known it was missing from UK sales lists when new if it were not for a convertible version’s starring role in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice. Today, the Toyota 2000GT is a revered classic around the world, and they’re very valuable; one sold at auction in the US in 2020 for $912,500 (£760,000).

If the Toyota Alphard looks familiar to UK drivers, it’s because plenty have ended up in the UK as personal imports from Japan. This large seven-seat MPV has not been offered here officially, instead being a car for Japan, which also explains its toothy grille.

However, it’s easy to see why the Alphard has become a darling of the import scene. As well as a cabin kitted out to the nines with luxuries such as massage seats and a fridge, it comes with 2.5- and 3.5-litre petrol engines. Choose the 3.5 motor and the Alphard has a surprising turn of speed to add to its appeal.

The Toyota Century is every bit a rival to the Mercedes S-Class in its Japanese home market, but nobody will know what a fine car it is as Toyota doesn’t export it. A handful of the previous generation Century, made from 1997 to 2017, were sold outside of Japan but sales were so slight it has put Toyota off repeating the idea.

For a price equivalent to £120,000, the Century comes with 425bhp 5.0-litre V8 engine and seven-speed automatic gearbox. However, the Century is all about luxury rather than performance, so the engine is whisper quiet and there are rear massage seats in the hand-crafted cabin.

The Toyota FJ Cruiser reached the end of its 16-year life at the end of 2022. In all that time, the FJ was never officially sold in the UK, even though its looks generated plenty of interest. This was all the stranger when the FJ was produced as a right-hand drive car for sale in Japan, as well as Australia and South Africa.

Aside from the funky looks, the FJ is also a serious off-road machine thanks to its separate chassis, permanent four-wheel drive, and 239bhp 4.0 V6 engine. A fair few FJ Cruisers have been personally imported to the UK, which only serves to demonstrate Toyota missed a trick with this model.

It might look like a throwback to the 1980s, but the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 GXL continues to sell strongly in countries such as Australia and many in the Middle East. If you need a rugged 4x4 for hard work, this is the machine for you.

Although available in right-hand drive for the Aussie market, it doesn’t mean Toyota has any intention of ever selling the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 GXL in the UK. Sales numbers don’t add up, even if this Land Cruiser is looked on as a commercial vehicle, which is how it’s treated in those countries where it is sold. Most of the production sold in Africa is built in Portugal, but emission rules mean that it can’t be sold in the EU.

The original Toyota MR2 helped to reinvigorate the affordable sports car market in the mid-1980s. Toyota then upped the ante with the Supercharged model in 1986, which had 145bhp and dealt with 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds to be 1.7 seconds quicker than the 122bhp naturally aspirated model.

The Supercharged model was first offered in Japan and then the US, but never in the UK. It was an unusual move when the MR2 was popular in the UK and made Toyota built it in right-hand drive. Toyota then compounded this oversight by not offering the Mk2 MR2 Turbo to UK buyers.

To look at, the Toyota Previa LE Supercharged appeared like any other model from the company’s large MPV range. Under the skin, however, there was a supercharged 2.4-litre petrol engine and all-wheel drive to make this a very advanced way to haul up to eight people.

Despite its advanced technology and decent performance for this type of car when it was launched in 1994, Toyota only sold the Supercharged model in the US. The reason for this was to get on terms in power and performance with the Previa’s V6-powered rival from Chrysler.

If you’ve ever wondered what a Volkswagen Polo pick-up would look like, wonder no more as here is the VW Saveiro. It’s available as a two- or five-seat model, and all have an open rear load bed. Power comes from VW’s trusty 1.6-litre petrol engine coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox.

With no right-hand drive version available and a tiny market in the UK, the Saveiro is never set to be offered here. If you do want one, you’ll need to look to countries such as Brazil and St Martin in the Caribbean.