Wagon News

Audi is changing the way it names its cars. Kicking off with the new Audi Q6 e-tron electric car, Audi will ditch the numerical references  to power outputs (such as 30 TFSI or 40 TDI) that defined which variant was which, as well as altering the assignment of model numbers like ‘A4’ or ‘Q5’ depending on drivetrain.

Our ultimate list of hybrids worth waiting for in 2024.

BMW has piled on extra performance, technology and standard specification in a model year upgrade of its M3 performance sedan and M3 Touring wagon.

If you's an SUV hater upset that Volkswagen dropped the Golf R wagon you’ve got something to look forward to because the brand’s cool Spanish cousin is filling the gap with its new 245kW Leon Sportstourer. Timed to coincide with the facelifted Cupra Leon hot hatch range due in April 2025, the long-roof Leon VZx will hit Australian shores a few months later. "We've been really pushing hard for the Australian introduction of the Sportstourer,” said Cupra Australia Head of Product and Marketing Jeff Shafer.“We are now expecting this to enter into Australia next year a couple of months after the Leon and Formentor."The petrol flagship in the Formentor, and we expect it in the Sporstourer, is now a 245kW engine and that's paired with the torque vectoring all-wheel-drive system. So effectively the drift mode and the ability to send torque to wherever it is needed," said Mr Shafer. Those 245kW and 420Nm outputs and torque vectoring all-wheel-drive system are the same that feature in the existing Golf R 20 Years edition which should make the Sportstourer suitably spicy. Final figures aren’t in yet but a 0-100km/h time under five seconds is very likely, giving it a leg up on the front-drive only 221kW Leon VZx hatch. Cupra may also offer the Leon Sportstourer with a plug-in hybrid powertrain as it has seen recent success with the set-up. The facelift will bring a new 19.7kWh battery that should equate to a circa-100km electric-only driving range. The list of performance-oriented wagons in Australia has shrunk though the genre is enjoying a resurgence among enthusiasts. In the affordable camp it’s only the Skoda Octavia RS that offers true performance. The Volkswagen Passat is dead in Oz and very few others remain beyond the Mazda6.Cupra will look to capitalise on the cult appeal of wagons: Audi’s RS4 and RS6’s as well as BMW’s critically acclaimed M3 wagon and soon-to-launch plug-in hybrid M5 Touring.Prices for the updated Cupra models are not confirmed. The current VZx hatch lists at $65,690 drive-away, while the Golf R wagon left the market at $71,990 before on-road costs. A starting price around $75K drive-away for the full-fat Leon Sportstourer VZx seems realistic.

Here are the popular models no longer available in Australia that are living an extended or second life elsewhere.

Skoda has kicked off 2024 with a three-pronged attack on the Australian new car market, announcing a run-out version of its compact Kamiq SUV, an entry-level variant of the mid-size Karoq SUV and a value-focused SportLine grade for the Octavia Liftback and Wagon line-up.

A station wagon is superior to an SUV in most respects. They often offer more rear passenger space, match or better cargo space, and generally provide superior fuel economy, not to mention are more dynamic to drive.

Do you want to see a Warrior version of the Nissan Pathfinder? With the ongoing success of Navara Warrior midsized ute as well as the very promising start experienced by the Patrol Warrior full-sized 4x4 wagon launched at the tail end of last year, Nissan Australia admits that it is now looking at – and crunching the numbers for – such an edition of its vastly-improved large seven/eight-seater SUV

Packing a 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine supported by a single permanently excited synchronous electric motor, the new Mercedes-AMG E53 is a 430kW (585hp) / 750Nm plug-in hybrid powerhouse offered in sedan and wagon form.

Hyundai has said no to the return of the i30 wagon for Australia, citing consumer disinterest in an ever-contracting passenger-car market. With the company’s decision to source all i30 hatchback production globally out of the Czech Republic for 2024, there had been some conjecture that the stylish Tourer/estate model might have made a return to the local line-up.