I totally agree that you can make the argument that people didn't buy them because they weren't sexy. Post-2008, new cars became luxury items almost exclusively. So given that, there's no reason they would catch on now unless somebody makes a sexy one.
Chevy made it about as fuckin’ unattractive as they could manage,
AND THEY WERE STILL GREAT CARS.
You can buy them at the right price even today, and people have been adding range to them.