While the station wagon is a rarity in the US, the body style is still sold in most parts of Europe – even featuring some pretty sporty versions.
The wagon is a great alternative to the big, heavy, and un-economical SUV which offers the same level of practicality. The SUV may have more off-road capabilities, but the majority of them are never taken off the beaten path.
Wagons were invented as an alternative to the traditional sedan, offering more cargo space in the trunk. Many wagons were even extended to have even more space – as done by Volvo in the past. Today, the wagon has almost been completely absorbed by the crossover and SUV segment, with singular models within automaker line-ups still offering a wagon body style. The US’s wagon popularity peaked in the 1970s and 1980s, although the segment is still alive and kicking in Europe – specifically the UK and Germany. All the largest manufacturers still produce wagon versions of their cars, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, VW, Skoda, Peugeot, Citroën, Renault, and more.
While the modern station wagon is a rarity in the US, the body style is still sold in most parts of Europe – even featuring some pretty sporty versions. Here are eight of the coolest wagons on sale in 2022.
The VW Arteon is essentially the more stylish version of the Passat, featuring a liftback rear and a shooting brake body style. Unfortunately, the wagon is only available in Europe, and it is only there where the Arteon gets the full R treatment.
The Arteon R Shooting Brake is fitted with the same drivetrain as the Golf R, meaning a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder producing 316 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, going to all four wheels via a 7-speed DSG transmission. The Arteon is definitely one of the best designs to come out of VW for the last few years.
The Audi A6 Allroad is a lifted version of the regular A6 Avant, but with bigger wheels, plastic covers for the wheel arches, and an improved Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Think of it as the German equivalent to the Volvo V90 Cross Country.
The A6 Allroad is sold for the first time in the US in the 55 TFSI trim, meaning a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 producing 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. In Europe, the A6 Allroad is exclusively available with turbo-diesel engines.
The Skoda Octavia is basically a VW Golf which is bigger, more practical, cheaper, and less expensive to run. The Octavia is available as a sedan in standard form, but the best version is the Estate. With Skoda being such a versatile carmaker, the sportiest vRS model features the same drivetrain as the Golf GTI.
The Octavia vRS Estate is fitted with a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder producing 245 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. The model is mated to a 6-speed manual as standard, but a 7-speed DSG is an option as well. The vRS model is front-wheel-drive, but all-wheel-drive can be optioned. Interestingly, the vRS model is also available with a diesel engine and a hybrid – just like the Golf GTI, GTD, and GTE.
The Genesis G70 is the Korean alternative to the German sport sedans and is so far quite a good vehicle. The G70 launched in its sedan form but gained a shooting brake body style in 2021. The latter is only offered with the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder, as opposed to the twin-turbo V6 in the sedan.
Still, 241 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque aren’t bad for a family-orientated wagon, but a V6 or even an N version to rival the faster German competitors would be pretty cool. The G70 Shooting Brake is a beautiful piece of styling and accentuates Genesis’ new design language perfectly.
The Audi RS4 is an awesome vehicle. Since the original with its terribly unreliable twin-turbo V6, to the glorious V8s that followed, the RS4 has been the go-to mid-size sports wagon on everyone’s shortlists.
For the current generation, Audi had ditched the harmonic V8 for a Porsche-designed 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 – which is more powerful and faster in every way. Unfortunately, this has taken away some of the RS4’s spirit, and is now just another downsized sports car. Even the lesser S4 gets a diesel engine in Europe!
The Peugeot 508 is a masterclass in automotive design. Peugeot seems to have ditched their terrible car-making abilities and is back to producing some properly good vehicles. The large 508 sedans and wagon are proof of this.
The 508 SW PSE is the top spec model and while it doesn’t come close to the likes of the BMW M340i, it’s still pretty rad. The 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid system sends power to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic and provides a combined 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. The performance combined with the styling makes it a really desirable vehicle. Unfortunately, it is only available in Europe.
An awesome wagon that is available in the US is the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo. Based on the Taycan Sport Turismo but with a more off-road-oriented stance, the Cross Turismo is Porsche’s answer to the Audi A6 Allroad.
Available in four different trims ranging between $100,000 and $190,000, the Taycan Cross Turismo range has something for everyone. The base 4 produces 470 hp and has around 235 miles of range, while the top-spec Turbo S model pushes 750 hp and 220 miles of range. It may be electric, but it is still an amazing piece of technology.
Probably the most talked-about wagon currently, the BMW M3 Touring is a model well overdue. BMW planned to sell an E46 M3 Touring mode, but canceled it due to low demand, but have decided it was time to make one for the current G80 – or G81 in this case.
The M3 Touring will only ever be sold in Competition trim with xDrive as standard, meaning there will be no manual rear-drive option. This means a 503 hp, 479 lb-ft family hauler which broke the Nürburgring wagon record during development, beating the Mercedes-Benz E63S AMG Estate in the process. It is truly one of the best wagons on sale.
Michael De Kock is passionate about cars and everything from avocados to particle accelerators. He has studied psychology and knows a little bit about fixing cars (old Land Rovers mostly). He also blogs and has a book, 125 Creative Writing Prompts for Petrolheads, available on Amazon. His philosophy in life: Stop the hate – Adopt a V8.
