Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson shared with Motor1 that he believes car buyers will eventually “shift back” to station wagons. All we can say is, we hope so.
Locally, MPVs and crossovers have taken over the Philippine market. In 2025, the Mitsubishi Xpander became the best-selling vehicle in the country, while Toyota Motor Philippines led the overall industry with the Vios, the Avanza, and the Hilux.
The market’s preference is one thing, but availability is a whole other. BMW Philippines offers a comprehensive lineup of station wagons, but its price points and performance are not suited for the average car buyer. The same goes for Subaru and the WRX wagon.
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While Volvo is also not a volume seller (at least locally), the carmaker did create more than a few influential two-box vehicles, including the 200 series, the V90, and the 850. For the Swedish carmaker to indicate that a resurgence is coming shows a lot of hope for the future of station wagons.
Overseas, other global carmakers have also not given up on wagons. Chinese juggernaut BYD has released a Touring version of its plug-in hybrid Seal 6 DM-i, which was recently updated to achieve 300km of fully electric driving.
In the same report, Samuelsson did explain that wagons have the ideal shape for energy efficiency. “So I think for various reasons, we need the lower cars. So air resistance is one, because we talked about range, and, of course, if you have a lower front area, it's easier. Everything is easier,” he said.
With the consistent rise of electric vehicles, perhaps station wagons will have a place in that trend. Who knows, those longer wheelbases and extended cargo areas could be prime real estate for big batteries and dual-motor setups. All we can do is hope.
