We’ve covered the best wagons still available in New Zealand, now here are some of our favourite wagons pretending to be SUVs, writes Damien O’Carroll.
Subaru Outback
Subaru (with Volvo close behind) basically invented the jacked-up wagon with an off-road cladding category, and the Outback remains one of the best at it.
Originating as a version of the Legacy wagon, the Outback would eventually become a de facto Legacy wagon when the actual Legacy wagon was dropped. This might be a list of ‘‘pretend’’ SUVs, but there is nothing pretend about the Outback’s off-road abilities – it is capable of tackling some quite rough stuff. Although it won’t be tackling the Rubicon Trail, it is capable of going far further than most would be willing to take it.
Skoda Superb Scout
While many people would be expecting to see the Audi A6 allroad in this list, its harsh ride and a rear end that is overly sensitive to bumps put us off it. That is why we love the Superb Scout.
The Scout is sublime over bumps and road imperfections in a way that the Audi should be but isn’t, plus it also looks sensational.
Packing some real off-road additions, like underbody protection, the Scout isn’t just for show. Although it has a slightly raised ride height, it is still more of a gravel road warrior than something a bit more mud-capable like the Outback.
Volvo V90 Cross Country
It might be getting on a bit now, but the V90 Cross Country is still a fantastic package and a stunning looking thing.
With 204mm of ground clearance and a brilliantly minimalist aesthetic, the big Volvo would be our pick over the admittedly still-excellent XC90 SUV any day, just for the way it looks.
Luckily, it is still a superb drive as well, with a strong emphasis on comfort (as you would expect), and plenty of space inside for the whole family. Plus, at the end of it all, it’s still a Volvo wagon, so is inherently cooler than the majority of other cars on the road.
Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo
Although we have emphatically declared our love for the Panamera Sport Turismo wagon, the one car that can beat it for sheer wagon sexiness has to be the all-electric Taycan Cross Turismo.
A high-performance, all-electric, off-road wagon probably doesn’t need to be a thing, but no-one would have expected such a thing to look so stunning. But it is.
The Cross Turismo comes packing all the spec, power and performance of the equivalent Taycan models, but with added ground clearance and that fantastic wagon roofline.
Mercedes-Benz E400 All-Terrain 4x42
This is a wildcard because Mercedes-Benz does not sell the All-Terrain E-Class here, and the awesome 4x42 is a one-off that will also never see production.
But look at it! We desire a jacked-up E-Class wagon and so, it seems, did a lone Mercedes-Benz engineer called Jurgen Eberle who is responsible for the mighty 4x42.
In G-Wagen terms, the 4x42 label means portal axles and a ridiculously wide track, which is exactly what Eberle did here. It is quite mad, utterly superb, and we dearly wish Mercedes-Benz would put it into production.