Could have, would have, should have: join Autocar as we take a look at the best metal we never got
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 .If the Toyota Alphard looks familiar to UK drivers, it’s because plenty have ended up in the UK as personal imports from Japan.
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