Oh, yes, there will be a Hyundai Sonata wagon. The big question of course is whether Hyundai will ride its wave of momentum and take a risk on selling it in the United States.
This prototype is the European version, the Hyundai i40 wagon, and it obviously will go on sale there first given Europeans' consistent appetite for wagons. The 2011 Sonata sedan isn't currently sold in Europe, so this wagon will be their introduction to the new-gen Sonata. We'll expect it to be in attendance at this fall's Paris auto show.
It's pretty much guaranteed that Hyundai will offer the wagon with a four-cylinder diesel power plant in addition to the direct-injected 2.4-liter and D.I. and turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engines we get in the U.S. In addition, if Hyundai has any designs on selling a hybrid Sonata in Europe, it would likely be a wagon.
It certainly wouldn't be difficult for Hyundai to start building the Sonata wagon alongside the sedan at its Alabama assembly plant for, say, the 2013 model year. But this is a difficult market segment to tackle in the U.S., and only Volkswagen and Subaru have had any success at selling us wagons. Should Hyundai make the leap? Will they?
mrjost55 says:
08:10 AM, 06/ 1/10
It looks good with the camo on
ed124c says:
08:12 AM, 06/ 1/10
The wagon might be even better looking than the sedan-- if that is possible.
Hyundai is hedging their bet with the relativley severe slope of the roof to the back, (making it look somewhat like a hatchback). but it still looks like it has enough cargo holding to do the job.
The wheels look a little small, but then the ride will be better, more befitting of a wagon. It is not a sport hatch.
There are so many new models looming on the horizon; I think there will ultimately be quite a shake up among the already-large and the getting-larger brands. Quite a drama for us car lovers. And, yes, the drama will include some painful losses of car models and brands-- and even, perhaps, the demise of a few corporations.
guy1974 says:
08:14 AM, 06/ 1/10
Why wouldn`t they do it? Even if they sell only 5000-10000 a year, they are extra sales at very little cost. The development cost has already been paid for to get into Europe. Most of the parts will be the same as the sedan (dashboard, seats, engine, transmission etc). They could follow the VW route with TDi and only sell the top specification in that model. Thereby maximizing profit.
There is a market for this. Toyota and Honda have both recently started selling similar sized "wagons" - the Venza and Crosstour although they are scared of the term "wagon" for some reason.
c_w_hogan says:
08:14 AM, 06/ 1/10
I think that the US would do better with Wagons if we had some better examples. Companies like Audi give us a wagon but reserve the wagons with the spectacular engines for Europe. Case in point: RS6
06scooby says:
08:21 AM, 06/ 1/10
Unfortunately Subaru doesn't even sell wagons any more... They sell the SUV-ish outback and forester and the Impreza hatchback. I would like to see a comeback of wagons and I don't necessarily understand the stigma behind them. People will buy a sedan but make it a wagon and nobody wants it unless it 5" off the ground and has SUV "looks". Too bad I don't buy thousands of wagons every year to keep em alive in the US.
leokbelo says:
08:23 AM, 06/ 1/10
YES!!!
Hyundai: MAKE IT SO!
ed124c says:
08:36 AM, 06/ 1/10
@leokbelo: In a few years you might be saying MAKE IT SO #1
#06scooby: I agree. I am on my second OB wagon, but the '10 OB is just too big and lumbering and I am not sure my next car will be an OB. But at least they have made the folding mirrors standard on the 2011s-- Subaru seems to respond quite quickly to customer complaints, and if you read the buyers comments on the '10 OB and Legacy, you will find a lot of people complaining about the removal of the folding mirrors.
Ahem... back to the Hyundai: It would be a great Summer car-- especially with that full length glass roof (although, it does look a bit impractical) and the great gas mileage. I could keep my '05 OB for winter driving. But... if this wagon doesn't come here until 2013, I could be dead by then and the '05 OB long gone from my garage.
albook says:
09:32 AM, 06/ 1/10
Looks great, but the wagon is dead in the US. Ask Subaru. All they used to make were sedans and wagons. Now the Forester is a real Crossover SUV, and the Outback, the epitome of the wagon has one foot in the CUV game. I'd bet next generation it becomes a real crossover (looks wise, because it already has the capabilities and ground clearance). All this is with good reason. Subaru sees what the market wants. And they must be doing something right because they made the MT SUV of the year 2 years in a row.
captainvw says:
10:12 AM, 06/ 1/10
looks like the rump is HUGE. I bet with the sonatas strong bodylines it would look very fast as a wagon
iskch says:
10:57 AM, 06/ 1/10
Huhmm... I think they know that they are a whole lot of baby boomers having issues getting in and out of SUV's. If you need the space and confort the S.W is the solution. I guess!!
teach10 says:
11:24 AM, 06/ 1/10
Offer it in all-wheel drive, and I'll buy it. And yes please on the diesel.
gloss says:
11:26 AM, 06/ 1/10
Looks like it has the potential to be a pretty striking vehicle. Do it!
firstwagon says:
11:27 AM, 06/ 1/10
The Outback is a Legacy wagon. It stated out as a trim package on the regular Legacy (advertised as the anti suv) but somewhere along the line Subaru gave in and just started calling it an SUV.
Americans buy wagons in large numbers as long as they are not called wagon.
Call it a Touring model, a five door, a CUV and it will sell.
Has no one noticed the each new model of crossover is less truck like and more like the full size wagons of old?
Some are only slightly taller then the sedans they are based on and I'm bettting soon they will the same height. (makes it light and more aerodynamic to meet the new MPG numbers).
Hyundai is a very forward thinking company these days. Not surprised they have a wagon.
mazda609 says:
11:52 AM, 06/ 1/10
They should make this without a doubt. Manufacturers seem to be releasing cars where they dont need them or where there is so much competition that its not worth it. If Hyundai release a wagon they will probably compete with non other than the Optima wagon if the rumor is true. After that companies will probably see their success and try to make their own but it will take years. Perfect example is the Fit and the Fiesta which happens to come so f**king late that I wouldnt be suprised if Ford of europe had a facelift in no time. My dad and I have been looking for a wagon but the segment does not exist here which is sad since vans are ugly and SUV's are pricey, impractical and well...useless. He still brings back memories of the early Taurus.
ptcdawg says:
01:18 PM, 06/ 1/10
Make it all wheel drive and put the big 6 in it....
levyrob says:
03:00 PM, 06/ 1/10
Quite a lot of different sheetmetal. No chrome strip along the side of the hood. Wheel wells have different stampings. Hood appears to open aft of the front grille, rather than at the top of the grille. Rear door openings are also different. I wonder if this is still in the Sonata family, but going the direction of the Accord Crosstour? Strong resemblance with little reused sheetmetal.
ed124c says:
04:03 PM, 06/ 1/10
@captainvw: The "rump" is not big, the car is a typical looking station wagon-- like a Legacy or Jetta or Outback or Passat.
Except that it has quite a sloping roof, making it more like a 3 series BMW and, thus, less useful but more sexy, and probably more saleable.
dg0472 says:
07:47 PM, 06/ 1/10
It probably won't be coming to the US because the i40 and YF Sonata sedan aren't exactly the same car. Hyundai's already said the i40 will be smaller with different styling to satisfy European tastes. That's why the Sonata was just introduced in Australia as not the i40 but the i45. So there won't necessarily be all kinds of parts shared with the US Sonata sedan. Don't hold your breath.
calspecial68 says:
08:12 PM, 06/ 1/10
I see a lot of the CTS Wagon in that roofline. Should look pretty good. Dunno if id ever buy it, but that new Sonata line is a pretty great value.
stovt001 says:
11:28 PM, 06/ 1/10
This is the one vehicle that would make me consider selling our Taurus wagon and actually buying a new car. I only want a wagon, but I don't want to pay luxury car prices or have complicated maintenance. Hyundai, if you offer it here I can almost guarantee I will buy one.
jwnrw says:
04:42 PM, 06/ 2/10
Were this available when I replaced my 06 Sonata with a 09 Santa Fe, I think I would have balked on the SUV and gone with the wagon. Tough to argue the value and style of Hyundai nowadays.
dfschim says:
12:28 AM, 06/ 3/10
They need to make a hatchback version for the US.
tenta20 says:
11:51 AM, 06/ 7/10
I like it. The design kind of reminds me of Mercedes Benz's Shooting Break concept. I think Hyundai should make a wagon variant of the Sonata. AND they should put in their upcoming turbocharged powerplant (the engine making 270+ hp)
billymay says:
08:11 PM, 06/ 7/10
Why are they camouflaging a Hyundai station wagon? How revolutionary is it really going to be?
motoman3 says:
10:25 PM, 06/10/10
Wagons are going to be the next big thing in the USA. People are dumping their big SUV's and those stupid CUV's will be next. Bring this to the USA with AWD and the turbo, and punish Subaru for abandoning the wagon. And yes, I think Subaru has shown that wagons and CUV's can co-exist without cannibalizing each others sales. Being bold is paying off big time for Hyundai, the need to keep it up!
BTW: this thing is a looker!
jkp1187 says:
05:43 AM, 06/12/10
If I seriously thought they were going to bring it, I'd hold off on my next car purchase until it was released. We really want to get a wagon....