Unavailables: 20 interesting cars not sold in the UK

Desirable and undesirable alike, we consider 20 of the most covetable cars that can't be bought in the United Kingdom

Richard Bremner Autocar

by Richard Bremner

26 October 2019

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You have to dig deeper than you once did, but there are still plenty of new models we Brits can’t buy.

Not all are desirable, even for ironic reasons, but others more certainly are. Here, then, is our wistful list of 20 covetable cars we’re being denied:
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Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio manual

Right-hand-drive conversion costs mean UK Quadrifoglio buyers are denied the pleasure of a three-pedal hot Giulia.

The shift isn’t Alfa’s slickest, but hand-channelling 503bhp should be electrifying, making a great Alfa greater still.
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Cadillac CTS-V

Mmm, 631bhp should do it. And 630lb ft. Both are more than a BMW M5 can muster and will spear you to 60mph in 4.1sec.

The CTS-V runs a Corvette engine to mix American muscle with European handling and ride. It’s a great drifter, apparently…
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Opel Ampera-E

The original range-extending Ampera was a fascinating lost cause. The simpler, pure-electric Ampera-E is notable for its range, but all the noting is going on in mainland Europe and the US, where it’s been a bigger hit than its ancestor.
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Citroën E-Mehari

It’s draughty, has decidedly less staying power than its humped namesake and has glazing arrangements familiar to anyone erecting a tent. Bit if you’re living in the sun, this electric Citroën is a brilliant beast for the beach.
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Daihatsu Copen Xplay

Remember the Copen? Japan’s star builder of odd kei cars and Lilliputian sportsters has excelled with the XPlay, a 63bhp Tonka toy-like Copen variant of great charm and (mostly) fun handling. Recaros and a limited-slip diff are options.
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Dodge Hellcat

While the US basks in global warming denial, the beast that is Hellcat is able to live on. You could wrestle with 707bhp and 650lb ft, too, if FCA sold it here (specialist imports are available), and even choose the Widebody or madder still Redeye version, which pumps out a full 786bhp.
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Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack:

Only Dodge would decorate its homepage with a photo of two muscle cars in a synchronised drift. If you need muscle with four doors, there’s the Charger, an ageing but potent beast that it’s easy to option for minimal tyre life and loads of crude fun.
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Ford Flex

If you want to carry large quantities of people and things in a strikingly proportioned and not unstylish motorised box, the out-of-reach Flex could have been for you. It’s quick, too: the V6 Ecoboost nails 60mph in a mildly startling 6.2 seconds.
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Genesis G70

The Genesis brand’s 3 Series rival is really rather good, especially with a 3.3-litre V6 turbo, which returns 0-60mph times in the mid-fours, combined with a fun rear-drive chassis. Downsides? A cramped rear and some dated tech.
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Ford F-150 Raptor

Never mind the Ranger Raptor – for maximum menacing presence you need the 444bhp twin-turbo V6 F-150 Raptor, complete with 10-speed transmission, Fox Shox, seating for six and ready-for-rock-climbing style. The load bed is big, and options include powered pedals, Recaros and carbonfibre trim.
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Honda S660

The Copen’s tiny arch-rival is fitter of chassis but electronics smother much of the fun. Still, you actually get some feel from the clutch, brakes and steering, and you can see some of the NSX in its sculpture – if you squint…
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Hyundai Veloster N

The original oddball Veloster failed to charm, but the new 2019 model is vastly improved. Better still, it comes in high-performance N guise that delivers a great drive, and in a wrapping more interesting than that provided by its i30 N brother.
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Jeep Gladiator

If you’re a pick-up driver who likes making a statement – and the macho look of those crew-cab Navaras, L200s and Amaroks suggests plenty to do – then the rugged, Wrangler-like Gladiator should top the lot. You can even drive it with the doors off.
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Kia Telluride

The handsome Telluride is a refreshing contrast to some of those aesthetically troubled German SUVs, besides delivering stout V6 performance, loads of three-row room, a soothing ride, plenty of kit and a stylish cabin. US buyers evidently love it.
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Lada Bronto

Car nuts who still love the timeless, 42-year-old Niva will be pleased to know it survives, and in ultimate form as the chunky Bronto. These days it has 1.7 litres rather than 1.6, and Renault parts now surface among the Lada and Fiat components.
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Lada Xray Cross

The lightly funky XRay propels Lada into the 21st century – just – with a heated windscreen, auto wipers, heated seats and sculpted wings and doors. It’s less dated than the Bronto, has up to 120bhp and gets a two-tone interior. And two airbags.
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Lincoln Aviator

The all-new Aviator is a premium SUV by Ford, a Discovery/X5/XC90 rival with a capacious monocoque body, great towing ability and a tastefully plush interior. It’s refined, it handles and there’s a plug-in hybrid version.
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Renault Espace

We Brits gave up on the Espace but Renault didn’t, the interestingly planted stance of today’s version surely tempting some buyers out of SUVs. Inside it’s as airy as the Espace always was, while the asymmetric centre console is worthy of a concept.
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Renault Kwid

The baby SUV-alike is Indian made and cheap enough that you’ll forgive it’s cheapnesses, especially as it gets a touchscreen, digital dials and even a reversing camera. Its 0.8- or 1.0-litre triples struggle a bit but, at £3400, who’s complaining?
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Toyota Century

Fancy a retro saloon with hints of modernity – and curtains? The Century is for you – but only in Japan.

It has the deportment of a Rolls, light touches of chrome, a 5.0-litre V8 and drapes for shy passengers. Proof that nostalgia is what it used to be.

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