You can probably date the demise of the estate (or station wagon) in American life to the release of the 1983 film, National Lampoon's Vacation, in which Chevy Chase as Clark W Griswold drives across the US with his family in a chunk of unlovable Americana known as the Wagon Queen Family Truckster. Designed for the film by legendary car customiser George Barris, the pug-ugly machine seemed the nadir of the American family wagon, and sales have been on a decline ever since.
That has hurt Volvo more than most. The Swedes are famed more for their estates than any other type of car, and the US remains a crucial market for the car with the iron mark. Two years ago, Volvo discontinued sales of the V70 estate in the US thanks to falling demand, hoping that the more rugged XC70 4WD version would instead take off. It hasn't.
Still, Volvo is bullish on the future of the estate car, and the future for the Swedish brand begins to look ever more wagon-like. The gorgeous Concept Estate shown at Geneva this year looks set to become the face and shape of a production V90 next year.
Speaking to AOL, Volvo’s US boss John Maloney tried to reassure estate fans that the wagon was not yet dead. “We don’t think the segment is huge, but it’s starting to come back,” he said.
