The station wagon has basically become extinct in America. Crossovers took over as the default family car long ago, and as they did, affordable and practical wagon options like the VW Golf Sportwagen have departed. The wagon market these days basically consists of the Subaru Outback — an SUV shaped like a wagon— and a few sporty luxury options.
But the wagon is making a comeback, even if manufacturers will never admit that’s what they’re building. SUVs are going hybrid and electric, and placing greater emphasis on efficiency. The way to make SUVs more efficient is by lowering and streamlining them, while still offering practical space out the back.
The resulting vehicles will still be classified as SUVs for “marketing” (not to mention federal EV tax credit purposes), and they may throw in a rakish back roofline to throw you off the scent. But they definitely look a lot like station wagons.
Here are eight SUVs on sale in 2024 that, in our book, are actually wagons.
Kia EV6
Kia- Height: 60.8 in
- Ground Clearance: 6.1 in
- Cargo Space: 24.4 cubic feet
