We look back at recent history and look at the small station wagons.
Well, ladies and gentlemen. You will not have missed it. The Mini Clubman’s career is coming to an end and with it comes an end to the small station wagon. The Estate is already a European affair and a Northern Europe in particular. The crossover is popular worldwide, so you see that many brands opt for it.
At first it was in the higher segments, but the crossover is also immensely popular in the small segment. So if you are looking for a compact and practical car, you can no longer go for a small station wagon (new), not like the small MPV that you hardly see anywhere anymore.
That’s why we’re going to look at the station wagons in the A and B segment. And yes, we know: formally the Mini Clubman is a C-segment car, but we’re making an exception this time.
Fiat Palio Weekend (178)
1997–2001
This was one of the few cars where we only got the station wagon variant and not the hatchback, because that was also there. The Fiat Palio was a world car from Fiat that scored mainly on the South American market. A little bigger, coarser, more robust and simpler than the European Fiats.
The basis was far from that of the old Fiat Uno. In the Netherlands, this model was also available from 1997 to 2001. You could get it with two petrol engines (75 and 100 hp) and a diesel. Despite the fact that Fiat made a furore with common rail diesels, it was still an old-fashioned unit. After 2001, it was not over for the Fiat Palio Weekend.
In some South American markets, they appreciated the car. Fiat turned it into a kind of tough Allroader in 2000:
And then gave it a facelift in 2004:
In 2008 Fiat thought: we are doing a thorough facelift:
To tighten the model again in 2012 so that the Palo could last until 2020:
Kia Pride Wagon
1996 – 2000
The cheapest station wagon in the Netherlands. Although this car served a purpose, it was of course life-threatening scrap. Not only because the thing vaporized your cornea, but also because it was actually a very old car. The Kia Pride was in fact a further development of the Mazda 121 from the 1980s. So a South Korean manufacturer recreates an 1980s car and sells it in the new millennium. So why did you have to consider this car? Simple, for less than 20 grand you had a practical car with a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Mini Clubman
2007 – 2023
In the end, Mini has held on the longest with this concept, because production is only now coming to an end. It’s a shame that even with a brand like Mini, the Clubman does go out, but the Countryman can stay.
There are two generations of Mini Clubman. The first is the nicest. The Clubman of the R55 generation. Mini not only lengthens the car, but also the wheelbase. That’s why the proportions are still correct. The car is roomier, but that’s also because a standard Mini is rather, er, Mini. In addition to regular petrol versions and diesels, there are also a lot of cool versions, of which the JCW is of course the coolest with a 218 hp engine.
As said, the second generation Clubman is actually a C-segment car and the station wagon is far from dead in this segment. The car sits on the UKL platform and is therefore equivalent to the Mini Countryman and BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, for example. Here too, the JCWs are the best, especially the latest variants with the 306 hp strong B48.
Volkswagen Polo Variant (6N)
1997–2001
One of the most remarkable Polootjes is the Polo Variant. Volkswagen was quite late with the station wagons in the smaller segments. For example, there was never a station wagon of the Golf I and II, while the Ford Escort Clipper and Opel Kadett Caravan could not be towed. But with the Polo Variant VW tried it a class lower. VW has not really given the car a chance. Volkswagen was even too lazy to give the Variant the Polo 6N2 facelift!
The Variant did get the completely new interior, but kept the old nose. There were no interesting engines or versions. It has become a cult car in the tuning scene. So if you’re looking for a fun base to spoon a VR6 into and apply a Harlekin livery, grab this one.
Renault Clio Estate
2008 – 2020
At Renault, the extra spacious Clio will only be available from the third generation in 2008. The car seems to have been designed by a completely different team at the front than the rear. Strange, because the concept was really cool:
But with 439 liters you have more luggage space (up to the tarpaulin) than a C-segment hatchback. In short, mission accomplished. Unfortunately, there are no nice RS versions. It doesn’t get more sporty than a TCe100 Dynamique.
The second generation, on the other hand, is a bull’s eye. Sloping roofline, broad shoulders: this is a nice car to see! Usually the little station wagon is a kind of dorky-looking car, like a First Class that has packed all its freshly bound books into its Eastpak backpack. But in this case it shows as one whole. The nicest is the TCe120 in GT version, with a top speed of 199 km/h!
Seat Córdoba Vario (6K)
1998–2003
If the Polo sounds familiar to you: it was actually an extra boring Seat Cordoba Vario. That was quite a popular model that looked a bit smoother than the very mature Polo anyway. Also nice, Seat gave you big diesels. You could get it with the 1.9 TDI with 110 hp in GT trim. Ha!
Unlike the Polo, the Cordoba Vario did get a fair chance with the facelift. The car received a new nose and a new interior. The thickest version was now the 1.9 TDI Sport. Later there was a successor in the form of the Ibiza ST.
Peugeot 206 SW & 207 SW
2000 – 2009
Normally B-segment station wagons were quite boring cars. Not surprising in itself, because they had to be functional. But Peugeot proved that a little visual pepper really couldn’t hurt. Now the front of the 206 is perhaps the most accomplished of all small hatchbacks ever built, but the rear is wonderfully original. Quite a pimple has been added, but thanks to the high rear lights with the Nike-esque ‘Swoosh’ it still looks smooth. The car could also be smooth, because there was even a real GTI!
After the success of the 206 SW, the 207 also gets a SW variant. Besides a lot of relatively simple and boring versions, there are two original versions. The Outdoor is a fun all-road-esque 207. The other is the 207 SW RC, complete with sports fairings, 175 hp engine and 17-inch rims. After the facelift in 2009, Peugeot removes the RC from the range, unfortunately. With the successor to the 207 – the 208 – Peugeot scraps the SW, CC and three-door variants.
Skoda Fabia
1999 – 2022
The biggest success story of the small station wagon has to be the Skoda Fabia. It is a car that appeals to reason. You have Polo technology for a fraction of the price. The first generation (the 6Y) appears in 2000. Special, because of the favorable aerodynamics, the combination is slightly faster in terms of top speed than the hatchback and sedan (yes, there was one too). In terms of performances, there was nothing fun or exciting, just sensible.
That changes with the second generation Fabia, the 5J. There is a real RS version of that! That means a 1.4 TSI four-cylinder with turbo and mechanical compressor! The fun package is good for 180 hp and linked to a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission. This combination is not very reliable. Not really popular either, but definitely a nice option if you are looking for super fast transport for your dogs for less. Special: technically this is more of an old Fabia. The car is again on the PQ24 platform, while the A1, Ibiza and Polo are on a more modern base plate.
The NJ generation will not get it until 2014. The Combi actually looks pretty good. It doesn’t look like they decided at the last minute “oh guys, we need to make it into a station wagon too!”. This model will remain in production until 2021, there is no longer a Combi of the current generation Fabia. Then you just buy a Kamiq or something. Apart from a Monte Carlo version, there were not really interesting versions.
Dacia Logan MCV
2005 – 2020
If you have to recommend a car to people who don’t care about cars and only care about the important things in life, the Dacia Logan MCV is a masterpiece. This car is the opposite of the Mini Clubman. Technically it is a B-segment car, but in terms of dimensions there are smaller C-segment cars. In fact, it’s a previous-generation Clio, but stretched out.
Toyota Starlet Combi
1978–1981
In Japan, small cars are very popular anyway and station wagons have sometimes been made of them. Although we have compiled the list with the utmost care, we may have forgotten one. Not this one, because you could even order the Starlet Combi in the Netherlands!
Bonus: Nissan March Box
1999–2002
Nissan had a knack for making all kinds of body variants of one model. So where until recently you could only get the Micra as a five-door hatchback, you could also get the K11 generation as a three-door, sedan, convertible and station wagon.
SUPERBONUS: Ghia Touring Ka
1997
The coolest is the Ghia Touring Ka. This car was a concept that unfortunately never saw the light of day. The idea was simple, take a Ka and turn it into a five-door station wagon. The OZ rims, lowering and yellow paint color helped to make it something thick. It remained a concept. The Ka was there to be as cheap as possible and this Touring would be more expensive to produce than a Fiesta.
This article Small station wagons through the years: list fodder! appeared first on Autoblog.nl.
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