Shifting Sands: Luxury Station Wagons Are Here
Customer tastes are constantly changing and evolving as consumers seek “what’s next” and give something new a try including those products they might not have considered previously. The latest shift in tastes in the world of automobiles, at least for the American consumer, are luxury station wagons. Yes, those vehicles popular during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s haven’t ever gone completely away, but today’s consumers seem to want them as long as they are luxuriously attired.
2010 Cadillac CTS Wagon
Cadillac will soon be releasing the 2010 Cadillac CTS wagon, its latest iteration on the CTS theme. Though General Motors says that the car was designed with European shoppers in mind, Cadillac showrooms in America will sell the wagon too. European luxury makers including BMW with its 3- and 5-Series, Mercedes with its C-Class and Audi who seems to have a wagon for most of its lines have long led the charge. The European shopper has always embraced station wagons much as Americans have been drawn to minivans and sport/utility vehicles.
Now word is coming forth that some of the Japanese brands may get in the game. According to Car & Driver magazine, by way of Autoblog, Acura could soon join the fray by offering a wagon version of its TSX model. The TSX wagon is already sold in Europe where it is marketed as the Honda Tourer. The Acura brand is nonexistent on the continent as shoppers there aren’t as discriminating as North Americans when it comes to branding. Yes, the European spec Honda Accord is the same as the North American Acura TSX – the pictured Honda model would need only a fresh grille and some other minor changes before it could be shipped to the US.
From Japan With Love
Lexus and Infiniti could quickly produce their own sets of luxury wagons too. Wagon models sold as Toyotas and Nissans are currently built in Japan and can easily be repackaged as Lexus and Infiniti respectively.
But is demand for luxury station wagons that strong in the US? That’s hard to say. With the US automotive market struggling, it is difficult to tell what is popular or what will become popular once the market recovers. Sales of the CTS wagon will tell a lot – if buyers flock to the car, then competitors will quickly take notice and respond in kind. If the CTS wagon doesn’t sell, GM may still offer the wagon in the US but produce the lion’s share of wagons for the European market.
Times are a changing including sentiments about stations wagons which have been playing second fiddle to minivans for the last quarter century. Shifting tastes could bring the Acura TSX wagon to the market, one more luxe wagon for the premium car shopper.
See Also — Toyota Stays Number One, But Barely
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[...] Shifting Sands: Luxury Station Wagons Are Here – 1 day ago Customer tastes are constantly changing and evolving as consumers seek “what’s next” and give something new a try including those products they might not have considered previously. The latest shift in tastes in the world of automobiles, at… Topics: Acura TSX, Cadillac CTS Wagon, General Motors, GM, Honda Accord, Honda Tourer, New Models [...]