All Cars, All the Time

Wagons Ho?

First there were rumors of a Mustang wagon. A negative reaction quickly ensued and Ford tripped over itself to distance the Mustang brand from any future wagonage. (I still wouldn't be shocked to see a wagon based off Mustang underpinnings, just not called Mustang.)

Now Automotive News is speculating that Cadillac may add a coupe and or wagon to the CTS lineup ala BMW 3-Series.

I'm a big fan of wagons myself, so I'll be the first to encourage GM to take the plunge.

HOWEVER it's my belief that many wagon efforts have left consumers wanting and therefore languish on showrooms floor while hurting future wagons' prospects in the process. Many times wagons are merely sedans with a cargo area grafted on and are not designed to take full advantage of all the things that a wagon bodystyle can do. Here are some observations as a wagon owner:

1. Just because I'm practical doesn't mean I don't like performance. Be sure that all the goodies are available for the wagon. I'm talking about things like sport suspensions, performance brakes, etc. Leave these things off due to the wagon's niche position and you may lose buyers. Lexus lost me as a buyer for its IS SportCross when it failed to offer a manual transmission.

2. Make it practical. Sure I like interiors to look rich and refined, but a wagon by its very nature needs to be readied for cargo hauling. Make sure that the cargo area stays usable and not too rounded off. Reversible cargo liners that have carpet on one side and rubber on the other are great. How about cargo trays that slide out for bulky loads? An abundance of tie down hooks, 12v power points and lots of lighting are also great add ons. Comb the brochures of existing wagons and appropriate anything that looks useful.

3. Make it roomy. We're a big people and we need to spread out. A wagon's rear seat should be able to slide fore and aft to make more cargo/legroom available as needs arise. I realize that this will take some additional engineering because the sedan's seat is fixed, but please do it anyway. I hate the fact that when driving my co-workers to lunch their legs get mashed up against the front seats when they could be riding in limo like comfort if the seat slid backwards.

It's my belief that you can make a sexy, high end wagon that will appeal to customers. There are buyers out there who prefer the Euro image of the wagon over crossovers and vans. Of course having a coupe and wagon would greatly help the CTS' sales in Europe as well. Why not take a plunge and go for it? I'll take a loaded CTS wagon to go!