A car body style with extended cargo area behind the rear seats. Also called estate (UK) or station wagon. Practical alternative to SUVs.
Wagon (also called station wagon, estate, kombi, or break depending on market) is a car body style with an extended cargo area behind the rear seats, accessed through a rear hatch (or sometimes a side door in older designs). The body has the front section of a sedan and a longer cargo section, providing significantly more cargo capacity than a sedan or hatchback equivalent.
Wagons span the automotive market. Volume wagons include the Volvo XC, Subaru Outback, Toyota Corolla Cross (sometimes considered a wagon-derived crossover), and various others. Sport wagons (Audi RS6 Avant, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon, BMW M5 Touring) combine wagon practicality with sport sedan performance. Luxury wagons (Volvo V90, Mercedes E-Class Wagon) are common in European markets.
Wagon popularity varies dramatically by market. European markets (especially Germany, Sweden, UK) maintain strong wagon demand. American markets have largely shifted away from wagons toward crossover SUVs. The Audi RS6 Avant has cult following globally; the Volvo V60 Cross Country and Subaru Outback represent the modern American wagon market. Some manufacturers (BMW, Audi, Mercedes) keep wagons in production despite limited American demand.