THE GERMANS understand it. Cast an eye over the new-car sales figures of our Bavarian counterparts and you’ll notice a strange anomaly: wagons account for 17 percent of their total sales. Dig a little deeper and the stats get even more interesting. Single out the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, for example, and you’ll discover that two out of every three cars sold is the ‘estate variant’.
That’s a phenomenal stat but also one that’s easy to fathom. Want a car that can seat five, is a tidier handler than most SUVs and has room for dogs, bags and ski gear? Buy a wagon. Aussies used to get it, too – who else grew up with a station wagon in the driveway? – but then the SUV arrived and wagon sales didn’t so much drop. They nosedived.
But, and I barely want to whisper it in case it somehow jinxes things, is the humble station wagon making a comeback in 2022? Not on the sales charts, obviously – the ‘long roof’ is still very much a niche player Down Under – but there seems to be more wagons on sale now than we’ve had in years. Subaru has revived the WRX wagon. BMW is about to reveal a new M3 Touring. A fresh Golf R wagon has just launched locally, there’s the excellent Passat wagon and Skoda has the Superb and Octavia. And if you really want to terrify your Labrador with a practical car infused with supercar performance, you can buy an Audi RS6, Porsche Panamera Cross Turismo or Alpina B5 Touring.
This story is from the August 2022 edition of Wheels Australia Magazine.
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This story is from the August 2022 edition of Wheels Australia Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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