Wagons are great. They look good, they’re practical and sadly they’re a lot less common on our roads than they were a decade or two ago.
With the market dominated by SUVs, new wagons are as a breath of fresh air and the perfect way to stand out from the crowd.
Here are some great new wagon options available in New Zealand currently that offer great performance and versatility.
- BMW M340i xDrive Touring from $132,900 (+ORC)
BMW have made some fantastic wagons over the years, and the new M340i xDrive Touring is no different.
The wagon’s new 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine produces 285kW and 500Nm, which propels you from zero to 100km/h in just four and a half seconds. Combined fuel efficiency sits at 8.0L/100km, with a CO2 emissions rating of 183g/km. Combine this with the Adaptive M suspension, variable sports steering, M Sport differential and M Sport brake system, and you’ve got yourself a very capable high performance wagon.
The interior is exactly what you’d expect from BMW – very high quality, and full of cutting edge technology. The Head-Up Display (HUD) is crisp in colour and full of information, making it one of the best we’ve tested so far. Wireless Apple CarPlay is included, as is gesture control, which allows you to do things like accept a call with just a flick of your wrist.
Overall the new BMW M340i xDrive Touring is a versatile car, which doubles up well as a family car and a performance wagon.
Click here to read our review of the BMW M340i xDrive Touring.
- Audi S4 Avant from $125,900 (+ORC)
Say the words ‘performance wagon’ to a car lover, and there’s a good chance that the first manufacturer they think of is Audi.
Their wagons are desirable, and they currently have three based upon the popular A4 – the A4 Avant, S4 Avant and the top-end RS 4 Avant.
At the heart of the mid-spec S4 Avant is a 3.0-litre six-cylinder TFSI engine, producing 260kW and 500Nm – giving you power for days. Just like the BMW and Mercedes-AMG, the S4 Avant has an AWD system. It’s slightly more efficient than the other two German wagons on our list at 7.5L/100km, with a CO2 rating of 179g/km.
Audi’s virtual cockpit, which replaces the standard dash, uses an interactive 12.3-inch display and displays lots of driving information, including the sat nav map (if you want).
The interior is a bit more rugged compared to other European wagons on market, but it’s still a very pleasant cabin.
The wagon would be perfect to take the family away in with 495 litres of boot space. On top of this, safety features like Audi Side Assist, Audi Active Lane Assist and Audi Adaptive Cruise Control.
Click here to read our review of the 2020 Audi S4 Avant.
- Mercedes-AMG C 43 Estate from $131,800 (+ORC)
Mercedes-AMG are renowned for their powerful, luxurious wagons, which allow you to travel from A to B in style.
The Mercedes-AMG C 43 Estate boasts a 3.0-litre direct-injection bi-turbo V6 engine, which yields 287kW and 520Nm. This translates to a fuel efficiency rating of 9.6L/100km and a CO2 rating of 219g/km.
Both the Vision and COMAND packages come as standard, which include features like the Burmester® 13-speaker surround sound system, Traffic Sign Assist and a Driving Assistance Package with Active Lane Change Assist and Enhanced Automatic re-starting in traffic jams.
There are lots of AMG-specific extras, too, like the nappa leather Performance Steering Wheel, a sports exhaust system and 19-inch five twin-spoke bi-colour alloy wheels.
The 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system helps keep all four wheels planted, and allow a zero to 100km/h time of just 4.8 seconds.
- Skoda Octavia RS from $58,990 (+ORC)
By far the most affordable wagon on our list, the Skoda Octavia RS has just arrived in NZ and has been very popular so far – all Octavias arriving in the country over April and May have been sold already.
The 2.0-litre TSI engine powers the front wheels, creating 180kW and 370Nm. Unsurprisingly, it has (by far) the best fuel efficiency rating on our list at 6.6L/100km, and a CO2 rating of 151g/km.
A large luggage capacity of 610 litres is perfect for families, as are the back-friendly Ergo seats.
Both the headlights and the taillights are LED, which go well with the new compact and angular look of the wagon.
Travel assist takes some of the stress out of driving, allowing you to let the car take over in busy stop/go traffic. On top of this, safety features like Crew Protect Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Assist with Auto Light Assist are all included.
Find out more on how the AA can help you when buying a new car:
- AA Money - aa.co.nz/money
- AA Insurance - aa.co.nz/insurance
- AA Car Reviews - aa.co.nz/car-reviews
- AA Running Cost Reports - aa.co.nz/runningcosts
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