5 More Cars You Probably Didn't Know Existed

Words by Rob McSorley

In July 2013 we published a post featuring 5 Cars You Probably Didn't Know Existed and now we have another five from all over the globe.

1. Saab 9-2x

If you lived in North America between 2004-2005 and really like the idea of a Subaru Impreza Wagon dressed as a Saab your prayers were answered. Due to a tie-up between Saab and General Motors (GM) who owned a stake in Subaru the 9-2x was born.

Essentially an Impreza with a Saab nose and tail grafted on the idea was to offer American buyers a compact hatchback to sit below the 9-3 inheriting the four-wheel-drive drivetrain from the donor car (hence the x tagged onto the name)

Changes inside were pretty sparse amounting to a new steering wheel, Saab-esque dials and additional insulation. Ultimately the 9-2x was far from a hit as most saw it for what it was but it’s still an interesting oddity.

2. Fiat Uno

In the UK we have the Panda city car but in Brazil the Uno was seen as a more suitable model for local tastes despite sharing much of its styling with its European cousin.

Based on the same platform the Uno has simple styling, a tall body and three grill intakes harking back to the original Uno. It also has fairly lofty suspension ideally suited to Brazil’s rougher roads.

Available with 1.0-litre 73 bhp and 1.4 83 bhp petrol engines the Uno is brilliantly frugal. The Uno has an interior that is much more basic than the Panda but is built to last with tough plastics and fabrics and a smart but functional design.

3. Toyota Prius C

Toyota and hybrids go back a long way and the Prius in particular is a very successful model globally. Recently in the UK a second Prius+ model was added to the range but elsewhere in the world there is a third version.

The Prius C (or Toyota Aqua in Japan) was launched in 2011 based on the Yaris platform. It’s a supermini-sized petrol-electric hybrid that features many of the trademark Prius styling cues but in the more compact body.

Sadly the car will never come to the UK as it sits too closely to the already established Yaris hybrid. It’s a bit of a shame as to our eyes the Prius C looks noticeably nicer than its Yaris cousin and has a similar interior to its bigger brother.

4. Nissan March Box

Back in 1999 when Nissan’s Micra (called March in Taiwan) was in its second generation some clever clogs thought it would be a good idea to bring an estate version to the market.

Called the Box it looks like a regular Micra with an additional...well box..added onto the rear along with large amount of chrome trim. Far from attractive it was even available with four-wheel-drive linked to an automatic transmission .

Judging by how rare they are today and there has never been another Box version of the latest two generations of Micra it’s fair to say that it wasn’t a big seller for Nissan.

5. Hyundai HB20

Launched in 2012 Hyundai Brazil has gone their own way and offer buyers a very different supermini to the European i20.

Called HB20 (HB for Hyundai Brazil) the small hatch is styled much like the larger i30 with Hyundai's sweeping Fluidic sculpture styling and trapezoid grill treatment at the front.

Arguably a more attractive car than the i20 the HB20 is available with 1.0-litre 75 bhp and 1.6-litre 128 bhp petrol engines and is based on the same platform at the Kia Rio. Its interior also echo's larger Hyundai models with its stylish instruments and switchgear.

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