http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/12/h...aul-stuff-***/

 

Look for it to arrive arrive in Australia this October and in the U.S. as a Pontiac, well, never. (Pontiac has no plans to bring over the Commodore Sportwagon, remember.)


Dammit! They kill off the Magnum and this would have been a good one to fill that void!

 

Since station wagons are not popular at all in the USA, GM has no reason to sell them.

 

I can't win for losing! I tried to be patient and wait for a V70R wagon, but came across a great deal on an Explorer Sport . . . so the Taurus is gone and I have a 2-Door "mini" Bronco . . . but no wagon!

 

The only reason they have been unpopular is because the styling looked like crap and the performance was absent. The Magnum has a huge following....however Dodge failed to market the car properly and dropped it after only 4 years of production and not even giving it a chance. If you give Americans something with style AND performance then a wagon can and will do well.

 

Exactly. I've used the following reference before, but it still maintains it's relevance so I'll pull it out again. This reminds me of Ford's position on the Ranger during most of the last decade. Ford refused to invest the money needed to redesign the little pickup because, in their opinion, sales of the same weren't high enough to justify a redux. Of course, the problem here is that sales were likely so poor because the truck needed a redux meaning that Ranger effectively ended up the victim in a circular argument within which it couldn't hope to win.

We have seen the same with wagons. I genuinely cannot recall a wagon which was both remotely affordable and more importantly interesting/attractive being offered in our market in many years outside of the Magnum which, unfortunately, suffered from an appearance which was by most accounts an exercise in 'love it or hate it'. Outside of those we've seen little more than a slew of boring vanilla offerings from domestic and Eastern companies and small volume, high end iron from Germany.

I think a well executed wagon could be very popular in the US market, but we'll never know until somebody actually tries. However, I will say that I don't like the chances of a G8 wagon on our shores. While not boring by any stretch, and not terrible expensive either, the truth is that it would suffer from the same maladies that already plague the G8 sedan, none of which has anything to do with being a sedan or a wagon, but all of which would lead to a G8 wagon's demise just as surely as they have doomed the G8 sedan.

 

Pretty much every car company in Europe is offering a station wagon because people actually buy them. They've been offering some of those station wagons in the USA and barely anyone is buying them.

Audi A4 is a beautiful wagon and pretty cheap too for its class. Base MSRP $33,000. I never saw one on the streets.

BMW 3-Series is a best selling entry level luxury car and they don't even offer a station wagon.

 

We do sell station wagons in this country. A lot of them actually. However, we jack them up and call them SUVs.

 

The European market is VERY different from the U.S. market when it comes to the style people like. The Audi while not bad looking is too rounded and looks like a slightly tweaked jelly bean for the most part. And while not bad it is not something that relates anywhere near the idea of a Muscle Car for the U.S. market. This is more of an upscale soccer mom wagon and not something your average gear head/car enthusiast male will go purchase.

The Magnum filled that niche as well as others....and while it was a love/hate with the styling for a few....you could picture the car with a Shaker hood(which they make), dished wheels and still haul stuff like lumber in it. This idea fit with the American car market.

The current problem is the slew of SUV's.....with those dying the wagon is a more feasible option for many or can be if pulled off the right way.

But just like these Hybrid cars....if it is visually unappealing then it will not sell. Sure the Hybrid cars do sell but imagine how many MORE they would sell if the company motto for these cars didn't have "Make it as ugly as sin". For Example...the Toyota Echo....just an amazingly STUPID looking car from any angle with absolutely ZERO chance of making it look better no matter what you do. Americans like to change and accessorize cars so a great many often buy a car with plans to add something whether it be wheels or more.

 

How about the IMSA RS4 version (it's got a bit more of a "muscle" look).....

http://www.seriouswheels.com/cars/20...A-Audi-RS6.htm

 

That's better....it does need more dish on the rear wheels though

 

Its rather sad that the only place I can see a cool wagon is the internet now