While the United States is home to some of the most iconic cars ever made, we’re actually missing out on a few automotive gems. Whether it’s due to political reasons or emissions/crash test standards infringements, some cars just can’t touch American soil. Thus, even if money is no object, we still can’t enjoy some actually incredible cars that are easily accessible in other countries.
As regulations are far beyond our control as consumers, for now, we can only grieve and hope that things will change at some point. In the meantime, and in pure masochist style, I’ve gathered eight of the coolest cars that aren’t available for purchase in the US today.
Let the torture begin!
Suzuki Jimny
Since 2013, Suzuki has given up on selling vehicles in the US. It’s quite unfortunate because this list kicks off with the brand’s most legendary off-roader, the Jimny.
Since the first generation in 1970, the Suzuki Jimny has been a compact off-roader ready to tackle any terrain. Skipping through nearly 50 years and three generations later, the fourth-gen Jimny was introduced in 2018. And no need to mention, it was a blast!
Powering this funky mini Jeep is a nippy 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder engine producing 102 hp. While it might not seem like a lot, the Jimny is still a competent off-roader, thanks to its full-time 4WD system and low-range gearbox. It’s a real shame the US doesn’t get to enjoy this brilliant little truck, especially when it costs just around $18,000 for the manual version and $1,000 more for the automatic. It would’ve been an affordable little warrior for tackling the Rubicon Trail or Johnson Valley.
Suzuki designed and assembled the latest model in Japan, and there are two versions available — the Jimny (JB64W) and Jimny Sierra (JB74W). The JB64W is Japan’s exclusive Kei-car version, while the rest of the world (except the US, *sigh*) gets the JB74W with pronounced fender flares and larger bumpers.
There are rumors that a longer five-door version will make a global debut in 2022, but don’t expect it to come to the US any time soon anyway.
Honda e
There are barely any other words to describe it; the Honda e is a cute little electric hatchback. Available exclusively in the European and Japanese markets, the ‘e’ is the production model of the Honda Urban EV Concept introduced in 2017. Honda began mass production in 2020, and assembly takes place at the Honda Motor Saitama Factory in Japan.
Powering the Honda e is a relatively small 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, producing either 134 hp in the basic model or 152 hp in the Advance variant. Both versions will be similarly nimble around town, with a 0-60 mph sprint in less than 10 seconds. While the 137-mile range is relatively poor by today’s standards, it’s still one of the most fun-to-drive EVs on the market.
Besides, it’s hard to find anything wrong to say about the design, which is undoubtedly the Honda e’s most appealing feature. There’s a certain element of nostalgia, reminiscent of the first-generation Civic released in 1973. Even the cabin has a modern-retro vibe, thanks to the dual 12-inch colorful infotainment screen and wooden panel that stretches across the dashboard and center console. Oh, and the use of cameras instead of side mirrors brings a definitive welcome-to-the-future feeling too.
As disappointed as I am with its absence in the US market, it’s fairly easy to understand that the Honda e is not for the average American consumer. Its small size, short range, and unjustified $30,000 price tag just don’t add up to a sensible purchase decision. However, it’s cars like these that people buy with their heart rather than their brain, no?
Toyota GR Yaris
The Toyota GR Yaris was one of the most anticipated cars of the COVID-19 era. It’s essentially a new Toyota hot-hatch and a masterpiece from the brand’s new in-house motorsport arm, Gazoo Racing.
Powering the small beast is a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine producing 257 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque, which turned out to be the world’s most powerful production three-cylinder engine ever. And thanks to its clever AWD system, the 0-60 mph sprint is covered in only 5.5 seconds, and the top speed is 143 mph. Not to mention its superbly precise handling, as the different driving modes allow to configure the torque splits between the front and rear wheels. Thus, skids or grip is entirely up to you.
Priced around $42,000, the GR Yaris was a product of the homologation program Toyota needed to deal with to enter the 2021 World Rally Championship (WRC). Toyota was planning to use its newly engineered Yaris WRC rally car, and the FIA demands at least 25,000 production units to be made for the car to be homologated.
Now, to be frank, Toyota could’ve just homologated the normal 2021 Yaris, but CEO/racing driver Akio Toyoda wanted something special for the consumers—and he sure delivered on his words!
Regardless, while the pandemic stole the actual Yaris WRC’s chance to shine, Toyota fulfilled the required production number of the GR Yaris. All of them proceeded to go on sale in many countries, apart from the land of the free — yes, I feel your disappointment.
Following in the footstep of the Subaru Impreza 22b STI, Ford RS200, Nissan Pulsar GTI-R, and many homologation specials, once again, the US is missing on another brilliant road-legal rally car.
Lynk & Co 01
You may have never heard of it, but Lynk & Co is actually the result of a Chinese-Swedish automotive brand marriage between Geely and Volvo. And although only five years old, the new car manufacturer is maturing at a fast pace, currently offering nine different models in China.
The Lynk & Co 01 caught our attention as it just arrived in the European market this year. Underneath the futuristic-looking skin, it’s admittedly a Volvo XC40 T5 PHEV. It has the same 1.5-liter turbocharged hybrid engine producing 261 hp, good enough for a 0-60 mph time in 7 seconds, and a 30 mpg rating—not bad at all. And it even comes with most of the luxury and safety features available in Volvos.
But the most interesting thing about the Lynk & Co 01 is the brand’s car-sharing business model. Whether you’re buying the hybrid crossover for roughly $46,000 or just subscribe to the $600 monthly membership fee, the 01 has an in-car share button, allowing you to lend the car to other people at an hourly/daily rate when you’re not using it. Pretty neat, right?
Of course, not everyone (especially not true petrolheads) would treat their car as a rental vehicle. But even so, the idea of paying less for your car by sharing it with other people is still worth exploring. I’d say it’s a miss to some of us in the US who wouldn’t mind the idea of lending their car and therefore being able to afford a more expensive model without having to pay it on their own.
Cupra Formentor
SEAT cars are often seen as just rebranded Volkswagens. While that statement is somewhat true, Cupra (SEAT’s performance-oriented division) made sure its vehicles adopt unique design elements. And boy, has it done it right with the new Formentor.
With its aggressive styling, the Cupra Formentor easily became one of the sportiest looking compact crossovers on the market today. And while it’s still partly a VW, the Formentor features only the best bits. For instance, it sits on top of the new Volkswagen Group MQB Evo platform used on the Mk8 Golf and Audi A3 — two of the sportiest German hatchbacks out there.
Like the Golf, the engine variants start with a 1.5-liter to 2.0-liter TSI, with various power ratings. Even the top-of-the-range AWD VZ3 variant has the same 2.0-liter turbocharged unit as the Golf R with 306 hp. However, the VZ5 variant with Audi’s 384 hp 2.5-liter TFSI engine is coming later this year to win over that range-topping title.
This Spanish performance SUV starts at around $33,000 and goes up to $52,000. Although the price is relatively high for a SEAT, I believe crossover enthusiasts in the US would’ve warmly welcomed the stylish Formentor. It’s basically a high-performance SUV in a macho suit, and who wouldn’t want that?
Alpine A110
The unavailability of French cars in the US has become a norm at this point, and that’s sad because we are missing on plenty of great models. Only to name a few, there’s the Peugeot RCZ, Renault Mégane RS, Citroën DS3 Racing, and many more. However, the French car we miss the most is by far the reborn Alpine A110.
Following the path of its predecessor from the 1960s, the new A110 maintains the two-seater, lightweight sportscar configuration. It’s powered by the Renault Sport Mégane’s 1.8-liter turbocharged inline-four unit producing 249 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. The power is sent to the rear wheels via a dual-clutch automatic transmission, resulting in a 0-60 mph time in a blistering 4.5 seconds.
While the design is quite modern while staying faithful to the original, it’s really the maneuverability and versatility that are the main talking points here. In normal mode, the A110 feels soft and comfortable. But crank it up to race mode, and everything becomes sharper and more agile, resulting in almost an inch-perfect precision handling. According to many, it might just be the most agile sports car at the moment.
In the US, the Alpine A110 would’ve challenged the Porsche 718 Cayman T and Audi TT RS with its $68,000 rough price point—tough rivals indeed—which may explain why it’s not sold across the ocean. Yet, if you can ignore its third-rate interior quality and appreciate the heritage it carries, you’d surely appreciate cruising down twisty roads in this French sports car.
Morgan Plus Six
Morgan is a famous British sports car manufacturer dating back a hundred years. And although it did sell a few cars in the States, they were only the iconic 3-wheeler model. While some of us were still questioning why the four-wheeled Morgans never made it to the US (which were supposed to be safer, duh), the carmaker upped the ante with the launch of the new Morgan Plus Six.
As a successor to the discontinued Morgan Plus Eight, the beautiful Plus Six appears refreshed and more spacious while maintaining its classic shape. The BMW’s 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 under the hood is also new, producing 336 hp. Combine that with the RWD configuration, lightweight body, and open roof, and the sensation you get from driving this sleeper classic is like nothing else out there.
The Morgan Plus Six starts at around $85,000, pretty reasonable for a car that carries a lot of sentimental and distinctive value. While every Plus Six produced is pretty much bespoke according to each customer, we just can’t book one in the US. I guess we’ll have to wait for our government to lift the ban for vehicles without airbags to sell in America, which in all likelihood, will never happen.
Hongqi L5
Although there’s only a slight chance you’ve ever heard about it, the Hongqi L5 is the most expensive luxury sedan to be currently made and sold exclusively in China. It cost around $800,000 (no it isn’t a typo) and is the Chinese’s equivalent of a Rolls Royce Phantom — a full-size luxury car with 3.6 feet of rear legroom and packing a 6.0-liter V12 producing 408 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque.
The Hongqi L5 is a successor to the Hongqi CA770, one of the first Hongqi cars ever built. That car was made specifically for the government, and thus, the L5 is also the presidential car in China. There’s even a convertible version used as a parade car, which looks like a baller four-door low-rider. But we can’t have that in the States either.
Like the Alpine A110 covered earlier, the Hongqi L5 maintained the design of its predecessor, while adding a few modern touches. But unlike the A110, the interior quality represents one of the finest craftsmanship ever applied to a car. The carefully hand-stitched natural leather and precise-cut wooden panels are present everywhere inside. Furthermore, there are jade door handles and digital instrument panels for a more contemporary vibe.
Jeremy Clarkson (a presenter at The Grand Tour) once briefly reviewed the Hongqi L5 and described the 219-inch long sedan as magnificent and evil. “It’s like a cartoon baddies car, where’s in real life, nobody could be that bad,” he stated. And as a modernized limousine, the L5 fits into a class of its own, which doesn’t exist in the US. In reality, the main rival of the L5 would be the new Toyota Century, which unfortunately isn’t available in the American market either.
Final Words
Although we can’t own any of these nice wheels just yet, the best we can do is dream about them. We’ll have to hold our craves as we salivate while watching or reading on our computer screens, praying that someday they’ll make it to our shores.
But what about you? If you could just pick one from the list, which one would you let enter the US soil? Let us know what you think below!
