Cars That Have a Different Names in Other Countries

What's in a name? Seemingly quite a lot if you ask an automaker. Many recognizable and popular cars we know and love have different names around the world, leading us to ask: Would you still purchase a vehicle like the Ford F-150 if it was called the Lobo?

Here’s a quick list of well-known cars that go by different names in different countries. 

2025 Mitsubishi RVR 

Following the departure of the subcompact Mirage hatchback, the 2025 Mitsubishi RVR holds the honour of being the most affordable new vehicle sold at a Mitsubishi dealership. The name is a callback to the ‘90s when the RVR designation was first issued to a compact wagon. The letters stood for “Recreation Vehicle Runner,” and the name was reissued in 2010 for the subcompact SUV we know today. 

However, if you cross the border to the south, Americans don’t know any such model. Instead, the RVR is called the Outlander Sport, drawing upon the reputation of the larger and more popular Mitsubishi Outlander. This name is also used in Argentina, Brazil, and Indonesia, but curiously enough, the RVR is known by another name in other markets. In the U.K. and Australia, for example, it’s called the ASX, which stands for “Active Sports Crossover.” 

2025 Honda HR-V

Now, here’s a doozy of a name drain. The Honda HR-V is a subcompact crossover that shares a platform with the Honda Civic, but with the added all-wheel drive and spacious interior of an SUV. If you see an HR-V in China, it’ll look familiar. When you see an HR-V badge in other parts of the world, however, it will be paired with a completely different vehicle. The HR-V in other markets can feature a hybrid or electric drivetrain and rides on a totally different platform. In Japan, the HR-V goes by Vezel, adding even more confusion to global car spotters. 

Where’s the HR-V we know and love? Well, it goes by the name ZR-V in the Middle East, Europe, and Oceania markets. While the HR-V sold in Canada and the U.S. is built in Mexico, others are built in China.

2025 Volkswagen Jetta

The cheap and cheerful Volkswagen Jetta has gone by several names. For example, it used to be called the Bora in Europe, the Atlantic or Clasico in Mexico, and we even called it the City Jetta for a while. 

Today, many markets have agreed upon the Jetta name, but there are a few standouts. In China, the seventh-generation Jetta is made through a joint venture between FAW Group and Volkswagen Group and sports the name Sagitar. However, on the other side of the world in Argentina, the sporty Jetta GLI goes by the name Vento GLI. Is there a loose theme here? 

VW loves to name its cars relative to wind and other meteorological phenomena. The Golf refers to the Gulf Stream ocean current, while Jetta is connected to that via the Jet Stream, which was coined by a German meteorologist. Vento is Spanish for wind. Sagitar is the odd one out, meaning something like “fast” or “gallop.” 

2025 Nissan Rogue

One of Nissan's most popular models is the Rogue, which sold over 30,000 units in Canada in 2024. It packs a spacious cabin, a unique three-cylinder turbocharged engine, and a hands-free driving feature that many of its rivals lack. The Rogue is guilty of changing personas when it leaves North America. In Asia, Europe, Australasia, Africa, and the Middle East, the Rogue is called the X-Trail. Interestingly, Canadians received the X-Trail in 2005 and 2006 before it was replaced by the Rogue. 

2025 Ford F-150

Let's end our list with a quirky one: the Ford F-150. Ford touts its F-Series trucks as the best-selling trucks in North America. But that record relies on combining the sales of the entire F-Series portfolio into one, meaning the light and heavy-duty models are counted together. 

We can’t help but wonder if the automaker's sales figures include the Ford Lobo, which is what certain versions of the F-150 are called in Mexico. What we know as the F-150 XLT (and its higher trims) goes by the Lobo name, with even the F-150 Raptor becoming the Lobo Raptor down south. However, entry-level F-150 XL models are still named that way, which is a curious decision.