The coolest new wagons in Australia (and they’re affordable!)

After decades of SUV dominance, is the renaissance of the wagon finally upon us?

The nostalgic body style has fallen out of favour in recent years, with Australia experiencing a mass exodus of wagons as buyer tastes favoured taller, boxier models with more ground clearance, but (in this writer's opinion) less kerb appeal.

First, we farewelled the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon wagons, then the Euro brands followed suit, discontinuing some of their wagon offerings in the Australian domestic market.

Even the wagons that remained – most notably the Subaru Outback – slowly transformed into SUVs before our very eyes, leaving behind only a handful of true wagons offered by European brands including Skoda, Audi and BMW.

Of these, not many were affordable. There was a focus on more niche performance offerings with a substantial price tag, such as the BMW M3 Touring, Audi RS6 or Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo – all with starting prices in the six figures.

But in 2026, after decades of pricey European 'estates' and 'shooting brakes', the wagon cause might finally have found its unlikely champion in affordable Chinese brands and Japanese-made EVs.

Big players, including Toyota, Subaru and BYD, have set their sights on bringing back the station wagon at volume.

BYD officially sells the most affordable wagon in Australia with the launch of its Seal 6 Touring – a wagon version of its popular Seal 6 plug-in hybrid sedan – that has a starting price just under $40,000 before on-road costs. It's available to order now.

"I think we can make wagons cool again,” BYD Australia chief operating officer Stephen Collins previously told Drive. “I think the body style does suit a lot of people who aren't necessarily after an SUV ... I think it's a really, really good family car and, you know, I think there's good opportunity for it."

Australia's favourite car brand, Toyota, is also hoping to win the hearts and minds of wagon buyers everywhere with its bZ4X Touring wagon, an elongated version of its bZ4X electric car that will be priced from just under $70,000 (before on-road costs).

Subaru is simultaneously releasing its slightly more affordable Trailseeker, an all-electric, all-wheel-drive, high-riding wagon that serves as an electric counterpart to the Subaru Outback.

Finally, electric fans will also have the choice of the Denza Z9 GT, a luxury electric wagon with ultra-fast charging and a price tag that may slot in just under $100,000.

Brands including Polestar, Zeekr, BMW and Audi are also planning all-new wagon models for the global market, with an Australian debut likely, if not confirmed. For a full list of what's coming soon, keep reading.

Susannah Guthrie has been a journalist for over a decade, covering everything from world news to fashion, entertainment, health and now cars. Having previously worked across titles like The New Daily, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, People Magazine and Cosmopolitan, Susannah now relishes testing family cars with the help of her husband and three-year-old son.

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