The rise of the estate car
Ten years ago estate cars were primarily built to be practical. It’s because of this they were usually boring to look at and no fun to drive. Today manufacturers are breaking the mould.
By origin estate cars have a much large loading capacity than your average saloon or hatchback. It’s because of this that speed, looks and performance have often been compromised. Buyers in the market for an estate car were perceived as not requiring great looks or sizzling performance as part of the package. However, more and more car manufacturers are rewriting the law book on what an estate car should be and so there now appears to be an estate car revolution occurring.
Manufacturers have always understood what these cars needed to do. They were required to have longer bodies than saloons or hatchbacks that they were based on. This meant that their design was often overlooked for that of space which provided designers with a huge challenge. However, it appears that this is a challenge that designers are finally starting to win.
Instead of manufacturers solely basing estate cars on their hatchback or saloon equivalents, they are now looking at design and aesthetics as a key selling point to potential buyers. They are now making them more desirable with a good example being the Audi A4 Avant where Audi have somehow managed to make this estate car tell you a little more about its owner rather than the fact that whoever he or she is has a dog!
Buyers are now spoilt for choice when it comes to buying a new estate. Manufacturers from Audi right through to Kia now have great looking models which do not compromise on space. Here’s three very good examples.
1. Jaguar XF Sportbrake
The entire automotive industry raised its eyebrows when Jaguar announced that it was going to release an estate version of its hugely popular XF. However, they seemed to have found the ideal combination of looks, handling and practicality which makes it such a winner. Feel free to browse our selection of XF Sportbrakes to see if you agree.
2. Volkswagen Passat Estate
The brilliance of the Passat is that owners can actually increase the capacity from 603 litres to a phenomenal 1,731 litres! It also has some neat tricks up its sleeve such as allowing you to open the tailgate by waving your foot under the bumper. Economy is excellent too with some models giving you up to 60mpg. Click here to take a look at some Passat estates.
3. Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer
The Insignia is a fine example of a manufacturer changing its view on how an estate car should look. Vauxhall replaced the old Vectra estate with the Insignia Sports Tourer. Where the old Vectra was big and clunky, the Insignia sacrifices some of this space for a sleek and sporty dynamic. The curvaceous styling certainly makes this one of the most attractive estates around. Why not take a peek at some of the Vauxhall Insignia estates by clicking here?
With the large practicality of 4x4’s there’s an argument that there will soon be no need for the estate car. However, if you still want the speed of a hatchback and practicality but don’t want the costs associated with owning a 4x4 then there’s plenty of options in the car marketplace.
