- Mercedes-Benz’s chief operating officer, Markus Schäfer, told the U.K. publication Autocar that even though some markets still love their wagons—sorry, estates—”this market is under pressure.”
- For the U.S., Mercedes said the few station wagon models it sells remain important thanks to loyal customers.
- Other model segments that Mercedes could shrink or discontinue include coupes and cabriolets, in part because making a beautiful electric cabriolet is an engineering challenge, he said.
Station wagons have been all but eliminated in the U.S. thanks to the popularity of crossovers and SUVs, but they are certainly not dead in the hearts of many. Which is why it’s notable that Mercedes-Benz’s chief operating officer, Markus Schäfer, has hinted that the automaker is questioning what role these wagons—called estate models in Europe—will play in the company’s future.
“[With] estate cars, we have to see,” Schäfer told Autocar. “This market is under pressure as more and more customers move to SUVs, and there are just a few markets left for estates and station wagons. So we have to see how the volumes are developing. They’re technically absolutely possible—that wouldn’t be a problem—but it’s more a question of how this niche is developing. I know the U.K. is a great market for station wagons.”
Autocar, which is based in the U.K., said it has heard from other Mercedes-Benz representatives that the fact that today’s SUVs are getting more efficient, especially when it…
