Wagon Reviews

The special 20th Anniversary Edition Mazda 6 wagon shows its history but what about its future? With some luxuriously-appointed rivals to contend with, does it offer enough to be considered by a modern family?

Alfa Romeo will launch an all-new, all-electric Giulia in 2025, but before that happens the Italian brand has one final flourish for its petrol-powered version. We headed to France to sample this performance hero's final upgrade that's due in Australia by the end of the year. It also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the brand's Quadrifoglio performance division.

The Volkswagen Passat 206 TSI R-Line offers sporty performance while offering space for a family, but is the price point going to be the sticking point?

Volvo has history when it comes to wagons, and even though the Swedish maker has embraced the SUV, it has also stuck to its roots. The V60 Cross Country is a neatly executed, mid-size, premium, five-seat wagon able to hold its head high in the city, with the sneaky ability to take you and your family on AWD adventures.

The Touring is the top grade in the Outback line-up and has a list price of $55,990.

The Sport XT is the turbocharged version of the Sport grade and lists for $52,190.The Sport XT has a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine making 183kW and 350Nm, with a continuously variable auto transmission. Like all Outbacks the Sport is all-wheel drive, too.Subaru says that after a combination of open and urban roads the 2.4-litre turbo engine should use 9.0L/100km.Coming standard on the Sport are LED headlights, LED fog lights and LED running lights, roof rails, privacy glass and 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside there’s an 11.6-inch central touchscreen with sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, power front seats, a proximity key, push button start, 'X-Mode' drive modes, paddle shifters, a power tailgate, heated front seats and sports pedals.A cool feature of the Sport grade is its water repellent seats. All Outbacks come standard with an excellent array of advanced safety tech including Subaru’s 'Eyesight' system which uses two cameras to scan the road ahead. 

The Touring is the top grade in the Outback line-up and has a list price of $50,990.This isn’t the most expensive Outback in the range, however. The Touring XT is more expensive because it’s the turbocharged version of the Touring.The Touring has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine making 138kW and 245Nm, with a continuously variable auto transmission. Like all Outbacks the Touring is all-wheel drive, too.Subaru says that after a combination of open and urban roads the 2.5-litre engine should use 7.3L/100km.Coming standard on the Touring are LED headlights, LED fog lights and LED running lights, roof rails, privacy glass and 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside there’s an 11.6-inch central touchscreen with sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, power front seats, a proximity key, push-button start, 'X-Mode' drive modes, paddle shifters, power tailgate, heated front seats and sports pedals.The Touring grades also has nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, a heated steering wheel and Nappa leather seats. The Touring also comes with a CD player… yes, really.All Outbacks come standard with an excellent array of advanced safety tech including Subaru’s 'Eyesight' system which uses two cameras to scan the road ahead. There’s AEB, autonomous emergency steering, lane keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert with reverse auto braking and blind-spot warning. 

The Sport grade sits above in the entry model Outback in the range with its list price of $47,190.Don’t confuse the Sport with the Sport XT. While both have the same standard features, the XT is the turbocharged version and costs more.The Sport has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine making 138kW and 245Nm, with a continuously variable auto transmission. Like all Outbacks the Sport is all-wheel drive, too.Subaru says that after a combination of open and urban roads the 2.5-litre engine should use 7.3L/100km.Coming standard on the Sport are LED headlights, LED fog lights and LED running lights, roof rails, privacy glass and 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside there’s an 11.6-inch central touchscreen with sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, power front seats, a proximity key, push-button start, 'X-Mode' drive modes, paddle shifters, a power tailgate, heated front seats and sports pedals.A cool feature in the Sport grade is water-repellent seats. All Outbacks come standard with an excellent array of advanced safety tech including Subaru’s 'Eyesight' system which uses two cameras to scan the road ahead. There’s AEB, autonomous emergency steering, lane keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert with reverse auto braking and blind-spot warning. 

The Subaru Outback has been loved by those looking for a bit of adventure and now the new updated range has added a turbo engine which offers better towing capability and faster acceleration.

An electric people mover is a bit niche, but it could be a great solution for hire car operators, or just people with big families, who want to go green.The Mercedes-Benz EQV is one of the first electric MPVs to hit the Australian market, but is it the answer to a question no one asked?