Lexus IS vehicles sold in North America, as well as the Japanese hatchback/station wagon version called the Gita (called Lexus IS SportCross in the U.S. and Europe) were only available in the 3.0 liter 6-cylinder version (2JZ-GE). In the U.S. market, sales fell below expectations; after hitting a high of 30,475 units in 2001,IS sales dropped below the 12,000-unit mark in 2004. The IS 200 fared better in Europe and Asia, but still fell well short of the sales volume achieved by the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and other, mostly German-made competitors. This trend was indicative of Lexus' smaller global status; while Lexus' range of cars is very successful in North America, the marque's sales still lag behind its German rivals in Europe and several other markets. In Europe the IS 300 was only available with the 5-speed automatic transmission; the lack of a manual gearbox option may have limited sales in contrast to its rivals, the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes C-Class.