Vehicles such as the Smart ForTwo and the Scion iQ get no love from American gearheads due to their cramped confines and small engines. Unfortunately for Americans, it appears as if the city car is here to stay, as indicated by the fact that even luxury automakers are now getting in on the small car craze. Fortunately, we don't predict for city cars to replace your typical sedans and coupes anytime soon. Still, the market for them is growing. If you like luxury in small spaces, then continue reading below.

The Lotus Ethos looks nothing like a traditional Lotus, which may not be a bad thing for eco-warriors. Lotus' city car was greenlit for production long ago, and should be in dealer showrooms sometime in 2013. The Ethos will have a hybrid engine capable of doing 0 to 60 in 9 seconds and a top speed of 106 mph.

Jaguar's design head Ian Callum stoked the rumor flames when he told What Car? that he would personally like to see a city car created by the British brand. Callum went on to say that he didn't think a city car from Jaguar was likely, but that could be just a diversionary tactic. Could a city Jag look something like Sam Clark's CX-C concept featured here?

The Belumbury Dany is the one car on this list that would never, ever sell in the states. That may sound like a bold prediction, but it sounds a little more realistic when you peep the Dany's stats: a 13hp engine and a top speed of 59mph. It sure does look pretty, though.

Audi made quite the splash at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show when it showed off its funky city car concept. The concept came in either coupe or spyder, with both sporting a rear-mounted 15kW brushless electric motor. The car had a range of 31 miles and a top speed of 62mph.