Seven cars Britain turned its nose up at

Toyota has this week confirmed the Land Cruiser V8 is leaving the UK.
 
Poor sales are doubtless to blame: in a world of Ranger Rover Sports and BMW X5s, what chance did a £65,000 Toyota stand, as the criteria of 4x4 buyers moved from the fields and mountains to the school gates and shopping centres?

Unpretentious and single-mindedly focused on its task, we’ll miss the big old V8 Cruiser nonetheless. Sales continue overseas, though, where its placing of substance way ahead of style is properly appreciated.
 
That’s a situation which brings to mind a host of other cars that us British buyers have scared away. And feel free to point out any glaring omissions we’ve made…

A teeny 2+2 coupe only available with a hybrid transmission was always going to be quite niche, but Honda ought to be applauded for a relatively daring idea.
 
The problem? The CR-Z falls between two camps, neither satisfying those wanting something fun to drive, nor providing the practical, easy-going nature hybrid buyers lap up.
 
Promise arrived in the form of the supercharged Mugen CR-Z concept, which proved more niche still, but Honda found no market for a sportier CR-Z, and last year pulled the model as a whole from the UK.
 
It lives on in the US and Japan, though, and receives a facelift this year.

Another wee coupe that has fallen by the wayside on British shores. And another exceedingly niche product, largely thanks to its curious door layout: two on the passenger side, one on the driver’s.
 
Hyundai’s logic – beyond sheer quirkiness – is unclear. But in truth the Veloster, in 184bhp Turbo form at least, is a modestly talented car and one that presents a stimulating alternative to the bullish hot hatches it’s priced alongside.
 
Or should we say ‘presented’, for poor sales once again catalysed the departure of an interesting car from UK showrooms. Boo.

Maybe it’s time to establish a running theme: coupes, no matter how stylishly appointed, will not sell without a premium badge.
 
The Laguna Coupe is a real high point in recent Renault design, looking not unlike a Smartprice DB9 from certain angles (okay, you might have to squint), and arguably appearing a much more desirable car than the 3-Series coupe and Audi A5 it effectively rivalled.
 
Without their cachet, though, it was always vulnerable, and when Renault sliced its UK range in half after being heavily winded by the credit crunch, the loveliest Laguna was an inevitable casualty.
 
In cheerier news, the heavy hand of depreciation means you can currently get one that’s a mere five years old for £4000. Try finding an A5 for that…

The choice of wannabe gangsters and budget wedding car firms alike, the 300C – regardless of its slightly slipshod dynamics – has always been an unlikely star. For those who aren’t too fussed on having the sharpest saloon car on the planet, why not have one that looks like it belongs in The Sopranos?
 
In its first generation, there was a mighty 425bhp V8 version, as well as an icy cool wagon. It got a little more serious in its second generation, going diesel-only to gun down the Germans, but Chrysler’s imminent departure from the UK means it won’t be marked down as a success.
 
And bad news for Lord Sugar: that means the Grand Voyager is off, too…

You might be mistaken for thinking this is still on sale in the UK. Nope. Subaru now only imports the more practical Outback estate. It’s a wonderfully fit-for-purpose car in its own right, but the Legacy range it’s spun from has always been more desirable.
 
That’s because Subaru knows a thing or two about clothing a characterful engine and sharp chassis with a subtle body. In the mid 2000s we could buy perhaps the best of the lot, the Spec B: a 3-litre flat-six engine (a little like a Porsche 911), a manual gearbox and four-wheel drive hid beneath a handsomely anonymous body.
 
Those bloody BMWs and Audis, though, don’t make it easy for cars like this, and a few years later Subaru has trimmed things right down to a farm-hack estate.

Okay, this one only just slides in: UK sales ceased relatively recently, it’s been on sale since 2002, and the Phaeton is set for replacement in the near future anyway.
 
But after selling fewer than three per month in 2014, VW stopped UK sales early, though it blamed stricter emissions regulations for the departure.
 
There will be a new one, but with such, erm, modest sales in Britain, we’re dialling our expectations to ‘realistic’ as to whether you’ll be able to buy one here or not. Because if history has taught us anything, you won’t bother.