Where are the wagons?

Motor Trend recently posted an article about the official launch of the Audi RS6 Avant - aka wagon - in Europe ("2014 Audi RS6 Officially Revealed, Still Not Coming Here"). Lower on the page, in the "related articles" section, you can see articles and photos of Audi's smaller, RS4 Avant, also not destined for these shores.

No doubt, the RS6 would not be for everyone. Indeed, its price tag alone (I'd guess we're talking close to six figures for this one) would be enough to send most shoppers to another car. But, I don't think I'm alone in saying the mere fact that I CAN'T buy the car in America, makes me WANT to.

1996 Chevrolet Caprice Classic

I also don't buy the logic that Americans don't want wagons. True, nobody wants a vintage 90's Chevy Caprice Classic wagon with faux wood paneling. But, if you suggested to a person that you could get a car that was the right size, maintained good mileage, looked cool, AND had enough space to haul the family's luggage for a week's vacation, I think you'd get more demand than you think. And, I'm not the only one.

For years, Volkswagen has made sure that its Jetta Sportwagen model has been available to consumers. Subaru's Outback was the first wagon-based crossover vehicle , and has had a place it the lineup ever since. And, if Audi were to bring the RS6 Avant to America, it would not be the first luxury sport wagon with a huge engine. Cadillac currently holds claim to the fastest wagon in America with its $65,000 CTS-V wagon.

Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

There was a time when we declared the hatchback dead. It was ugly and clunky, and relegated to Saabs (even Saab stopped making hatchbacks in the early 2000's).Now look and you'll see these designs everywhere, from the ubiquitous Prius to the gorgeous Audi A7. It turns out that the problem wasn't the hatchback concept, but the examples themselves that people didn't love.

I'm not suggesting that any wagon could suddenly enter the market to success. I am suggesting that a manufacturer COULD find success with a wagon IF it was willing to make an appealing car that happened to have the utility of a wagon. For the record, no car with faux wood paneling counts as "appealing".