Times Colonist

Modern wagons offer antidote to boring crossovers

- CASEY WILLIAMS

The station wagon, exemplifie­d by the wood-grain 1970 Buick Estate that starred in the campy movie The Way Way Back, was the classic American family car of baby boomers and Gen Xers. In the age of crossovers, however, a new generation of wagons steers away from families with performanc­e, style and versatile luxury. The modern wagon is perfect for young profession­als and trendy empty nesters, for outdoor and driving enthusiast­s who appreciate all-wheel-drive or turbocharg­ed engines.

“On the whole, wagons offer practicali­ty and spaciousne­ss in a great-handling package,” said Dana Headrick, product manager at Mercedes-Benz. “We offer high levels of luxury, exquisite finishes, and intelligen­ce with a third-row seat. It’s a lot more unique than an SUV.”

It’s not just domestic brands, though, because wagons now wear Subaru and European emblems on their noses. And don’t call them station wagons either: They’re Estates, Sport Turismos or Sport Wagens.

Check the brawny wagon swagger dropped on the Geneva Motor Show in March.

Porsche debuted the 2018 Panamera Sport Turismo, a fivedoor wagon version of its large sedan. Enthusiast­s can tap into a 330-horsepower turbocharg­ed V-6, 440-horsepower twin-turbo V-6, 550 horsepower twin-turbo V-8, or 462 horsepower E-Hybrid. Sexy styling accompanie­s prices that can go well above $100,000.

Mercedes-Benz brought its E400 4matic and AMG E63 wagons (pricing yet to be determined). The former boasts a 329-horsepower biturbo fourcylind­er engine while the latter uses a 603-horsepower biturbo V-8 that leaps from 0-100 kilometres per hour in 3.4 seconds on the way to 290 km/h.

“Wagon buyers are among our most loyal customers,” Headrick said. “They expect the performanc­e and luxury of a car and appreciate it’s a little easier to drive and access the rear seat with children. The E63 wagon is wildly popular with AMG enthusiast­s.”

The E400 and E63 will immigrate to North America, but the trail-friendly E-Class All Terrain will not. Neither will the sleek new BMW 5-Series wagon that debuted in Geneva (though the 3-Series Sports Wagon is available).

In North America, wagons are geared toward outdoor and performanc­e enthusiast­s.

“One group that has noticed value in a wagon versus SUV is cyclists,” said Jessica Caldwell, senior analyst at Edmunds. “Many cyclists like wagons due to their extended length making it advantageo­us when lifting bikes in and out of the cargo areas.”

Wagons also seem to be popular with surfers, campers and skiers.

For 20 years, these downtime daredevils have embraced North America’s best-selling wagon, the Subaru Outback ($27,995). It’s equipped to haul sports gear on its configurab­le luggage rack while taking owners almost anywhere with advanced all-wheel-drive and SUV-challengin­g ground clearance.

During 2016, Subaru moved 182,898 Outbacks, or nearly three times more than its Legacy sedans. Subaru is an anomaly, as wagons usually account for 10 per cent or less of total model sales. Audi Allroad sales are just seven per cent of A4/S4 sedans. Headrick couldn’t say what percentage of E-Class sales are wagons, but mentioned they have decent volume globally. It’s a low-volume body style in the U.S., but appeals to buyers across demographi­cs.

“We don’t differenti­ate between buyers, but do focus on life stages,” Headrick said. “Customers with a couple of dogs and camping equipment may be looking at wagons as an alternativ­e. Wagon buyers know they are going to participat­e in activities and want a car that is ready for anything. Nostalgia could play a part with some of our shoppers.”

European popularity of wagons is key in their current and future availabili­ty here.

“Compact crossovers are still the top-selling vehicle type in the U.S.,” Caldwell said. “However, wagons are popular in Europe, so many automakers create them for the European market and the U.S. gets them to add diversity to their lineup. If the U.S. was the sole intended audience for wagons, their existence would be doubtful.”

New European wagons give sedan and crossover drivers fresh reasons to revisit the oncedying segment.

Volvo maintains its wagon reputation with the V90 and V60. The large V90 ($59,900) is swathed in Scandinavi­an luxury with real wood, Bowers & Wilkins audio, and pedestrian avoidance system. Cross Country editions ($61,900) add ride height and all-wheel-drive, while Polestar versions dispatch a 362-horsepower turbocharg­ed and supercharg­ed four-cylinder engine. The smaller V60 ($40,600) is available in Cross Country ($45,200) and Polestar trim ($69,000), the latter running 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds.

“The Americas markets are very strong for both Cross Country and Polestar,” said Lex Kerssemake­rs, president and CEO, Volvo Cars USA. “The Cross Country is the perfect luxury getaway car, as capable and comfortabl­e on the daily commute as it is taking the family hiking or skiing. Polestars are driver’s cars for the educated enthusiast seeking something unique.”

Volkswagen Group takes a more affordable road with the Golf Alltrack ($35,295), a raised Outback-challengin­g wagon based on the SportWagen ($23,145) with standard allwheel-drive and fortified bodywork. Step up to the Audi Allroad ($55,300), which puts its wheels firmly in the luxury segment.

Next year, the Outback gets competitio­n from a German Buick.

Automotive News reports Buick will sell a trail-ready version of the sleek new Opel Insignia dubbed “TourX” in 2018. Expect a 2.0-litre turbocharg­ed four-cylinder engine and allwheel drive. The German wagon is gorgeous, but will likely have little effect on crossover sales.

“Wagons will continue to be a niche market, but eye-catching styling will attract consumers who want a car with more cargo space,” Caldwell said. “Baby boomers have been the driver of the SUV craze, so they have historical­ly shunned wagons. Their sales are likely to decrease over time. Consumers just like the more flexible cargo space and having a better view of the road as attributes of SUVs.”

Indeed, boomer parents often drove large comfortabl­e wagons before migrating to minivans and crossovers. They’re probably not going back, but the new generation of stylish and engaging wagons can carry gear, tote families, and reserve a little fun for weekend adventures. Take the family and enjoy driving. That’s something you never could have done way, way back then.

 ??  ?? The Golf Alltrack is Volkswagen’s competitor to the Subaru Outback.
The Golf Alltrack is Volkswagen’s competitor to the Subaru Outback.
 ??  ?? Audi’s A4 Allroad is a popular choice in the luxury segment of the wagon market.
Audi’s A4 Allroad is a popular choice in the luxury segment of the wagon market.

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