5 new cars I’m mad we don’t get in the U.S.

Honda Fit (Fourth Generation)

Now I know how Marlin from “Finding Nemo” feels, but instead of my son going missing, he was taken from me.

Okay, maybe I’m being a little hyperbolic, but I can’t help it as someone who has owned both a second- and third-gen Fit.

I get why the Fit was discontinued in America, as SUV-shaped things sell better than hatchback-shaped cars, but I’m still bummed.

The silver lining? At least an Si or Type R version isn’t offered.

Suzuki Jimny

“Why don’t they make small off-roading vehicles anymore?” Well, they do–and by “they,” I mean Suzuki.

Launched in 2018, the fourth-gen, two-door Jimny measures in at under 140 inches long and 65 inches wide. In comparison, the smallest new Jeep Wrangler you can buy is 166 inches long and nearly 74 inches wide–making the Wrangler roughly 2 feet longer and almost a foot wider than the Jimmy.

Need a usable back seat? Suzuki also introduced a four-door model in 2023.

To add insult to injury, the Jimny is sold in Mexico–close enough that I can almost taste it.

Subaru Levorg

I don’t care if it’s only available with a CVT, it’s a freaking WRX wagon. That alone would solve several problems in my life.

Depending on the market, this Subaru performance wagon is either called the Levorg (Japan), WRX Sportswagon (Australia) or WRX GT (New Zealand), with power coming from one of two turbo flat-fours: the 1.8-liter, 175-horsepower CB18 or the 2.4-liter, 271-horsepower FA24F.

Fold down the rear seats and you get over 30 cubic feet of cargo capacity on top of the WRX performance you also know and love.

Daihatsu Copen

Blame “Gran Turismo” for this one.

I drove the heck out of a Daihatsu Copen in “Gran Turismo 4” when I was a kid, long before I really “got into” cars.

Fast-forward to today, and the Copen is now in its second generation–and available in a Gazoo Racing flavor.

Why does a Daihatsu get a GR trim? The short version is that Daihatsu is owned by Toyota.

(Perhaps in an attempt avoid any confusion, the GR Sport Copen doesn’t feature any badging from Daihatsu or Toyota, however.)

As a kei car, the Copen features a sub-700cc, turbocharged inline-three engine mated to a choice of either a five-speed manual or a CVT with seven simulated gears.

The GR trim doesn’t get any additional power, but it does get a more aggressive front face, BBS wheels and a Momo-branded steering wheel, and that’s plenty of steeze for me.

Nissan Juke (Second Generation)

I’m proud to stand here as one of the rare fans of the Nissan Juke, and I won’t change my mind no matter how much rotten produce you throw at me.

Yes, the Juke featured some very unconventional styling, but that’s exactly why I liked it. The car world needs more funk in its designs, and that’s exactly what the Juke gave us.

Sadly, that funk got a bit marred by a problematic CVT. Had a more conventional automatic been included, I’d wager the Juke would have stuck around a little longer.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the world, Nissan offers a new generation of Juke based on the same platform that underpins the Renault Clio.

The choice of powertrains might not be anything to write home about–the most powerful option is a hybrid with a combined output of 141 horsepower–but I still stand by the Juke to this day.