Seven American Cars That Americans Can’t Buy
The interior of the 2024 Buick Century sold in China is finer than any found in a Cadillac sold stateside.
Vehicles sold overseas by American automakers that could prove popular in the U.S. market — if given the chance.
THE DETROIT BUREAU.COM | April 26, 2023
If you want an American-made sedan from an American automaker, you have few choices. And if you wanted a modern-day version of the Chevrolet El Camino, you’d have no option. But if you lived overseas, you’d have your pick.
It seems that GM, Ford and Stellantis seem intent on inundating Americans with SUVs, even as other forms of automobiles are abandoned.
Here are seven choice automobiles you can’t buy.
Buick Century
GM hasn’t fielded a minivan in years. Maybe if it offered one like this it would be popular.
The top-of-the-line version of the Buick GL8 minivan is priced at $76,470, and is built on an all-new architecture. Certainly, this rig is loaded with luxury in a way that U.S. Buicks haven’t been for decades.
Offered with four seats or six, the four-seat model comes with an in-vehicle partition with an integrated 32-inch sliding screen, perforated Nappa semi-aniline leather, 18-way adjustable seats with five-zone independent heating and 18-point zoned massage, flip-up footrests, 13-liter refrigerator, 366 LED-lit ceiling with multiple lighting modes, cabin air purification, 5G technology, premium carpets and a 21-speaker Bose Executive Edition sound system.
An intercom allows rear passengers to see and talk to the driver. Power comes courtesy of a 233-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with a 48-volt hybrid system and a nine-speed automatic transmission. Drivers also get a massive 30-inch screen and a head-up display.
Nice, huh? How about nicer than any Cadillac sold here?
Buick LaCrosse
The 2024 Buick LaCrosse will share its instrument panel with the Buikc Century.
While GM dropped the LaCrosse in 2019, Buick’s luxury sedan soldiers on in China, where it’s about to get a redesign that recalls the Toyota Avalon as much as it does a Buick, despite a front end inspired by the latest Buick Wildcat concept car.
Online photos leaked from GM show an instrument panel identical to the one used in the Buick Century. Built exclusively for China, it measures 196.7 inches long and 73.5 inches wide, it rides on a 114.4-inch wheelbase.
A 177-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, and a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with 227 hp is offered in the 2023 Lacrosse, whether they will carryover remains unknown. A 9-speed automatic transmission is standard.
Chevrolet Montana
Built for the Brazilian market, this lifestyle-oriented front-wheel-drive truck lacks all-wheel drive, and is powered by a 133-hp 1.2-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine and a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission. Measuring 13.9 inches shorter than a Ford Maverick, this Lilliputian sports a 30.8 cubic-feet bed with a tonneau cover, much like the Hyundai Santa Cruz.
In theory, it’s not unlike a modern-day El Camino, with a front end reminiscent of the Chevrolet Blazer.
Given that Americans prefer pickups, but one sense this could not be built affordably here, and if imported, it would be subject to the chicken tax.
Chevrolet Monza
If you’re hankering for a new compact Chevrolet sedan, go to China.
There you can buy a Chevrolet Monza, powered by a 111-hp 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and a 6-speed dual clutch gearbox transmission or a 161-hp 1.3-liter 4-cylinder mild-hybrid system. The interior features dual 10.25-inch screens, an instrument cluster, the other an infotainment touchscreen.
Other amenities include Apple CarPlay integration, 23 storage compartments, rear air vents, a rear center headrest and a 14.3-cubic-foot trunk in a vehicle measuring 182.3-inches long. Prices start at a mere $13,695.
Jeep Avenger
This is a landmark vehicle for the brand, being Jeep’s first battery-electric vehicle. Too bad it’s sold everywhere except the U.S. At 161 inches long, it’s small for a modern Jeep, but nearly three feet longer than the original Jeep CJ and more than 5 inches shorter than a Jeep Renegade, and has a 20-degree approach angle, a 32-degree departure angle and 7.9 inches of ground clearance.
Initially, only a single electric motor model will be offered, with power going to the front wheels. A dual-motor, all-wheel drive 4xe model is due to follow sat some point in the future. Rated at 154 hp and 192 pound-feet of torque, power comes from a 54 kWh battery pack that can be fast charged at 100kW, meaning recharging from 20% to 80% takes 24 minutes. A 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen is standard, as is a 7-inch or 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The center console features wireless charging and can hold a 1.5-liter bottle. The cargo area can swallow 13 cubic feet of lifestyle debris.
Lincoln Zephyr
The only country in the world where you can buy a new Lincoln sedan is China, where a redesigned Lincoln Zephyr debuted sporting many of the design cues seen in the forthcoming Lincoln Nautilus.
Offered in iCool and iEnjoy trim, the luxury sedan comes with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 27-inch infotainment screen. It comes with a feature that projects a starlit night sky inside the car, as well as ambient lighting with 128 colors, a virtual personal assistant, 13-speaker Revel audio system and Sync with vehicle-to-everything functionality. A 246-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and 8-speed automatic transmission are standard.
But some things never change, as the new Zephyr shares its platform and engine with the Ford Mondeo, which is also still being built, but only for China.
Ram 700
Starting at $16,770, this trucklet is sold in Mexico and South America, where it competes with the Chevrolet Montana.
This small but mighty Ram has a 1,653-pound payload capacity, 40.4 cubic feet of cargo space, and can tow 882 pounds of your favorite plaything. Based on a Fiat Strada platform, it’s offered in SLT Single or Crew Cab, as well as Big Horn or Laramie Crew Cab trim. Under the hood resides a 100-hp 1.3-liter mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard. Why such compact pickups aren’t sold in pickup-crazy America is a mystery.
Perhaps its 176-inch length might be too emasculating for overly-sensitive American men. Then again, perhaps not. After all, Ford sold 74,370 Mavericks last year, while Hyundai retailed 36,480 Santa Cruz pickups.