With these 10 station wagons you are confident on the road

In the SUV and electric boom, station wagons are often in the second row. With sportier driving characteristics, plenty of space and often lower fuel consumption, they are still the largest on long distances – and are now also becoming electric.

BMW M3 Touring

Take a sports car and disguise it as a family carriage – that has been the concept behind BMW's M3, the top model in the mid-range series, for 36 years. Until now, however, four doors and a boot lid had to suffice. because it was only available as a limousine. But for the model update, the Munich-based carmaker is finally adding a station wagon. For the first time in BMW history.

The sports talent of the M3 and the family suitability of the 3 Series Touring: The five-seater brings parents with their offspring and a lot of luggage to the front thanks to 510 hp and also switchable all-wheel drive. And it's very entertaining, because there's a completely new infotainment system with the legendary BMW pushbutton, but also touch function for operation. It could probably also play out the record drive of the M3 Touring on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.

• Price from CHF 131'200.-
• Drive: Petrol 375 kW/510 hp
• Trunk: 500 – 1,510 l
• Consumption: 10.1 l/100 km petrol
• CO₂ emissions: 229 g/km
• Efficiency class F
• Total emissions (at 200,000 km): approx. 81.2 t
• Cost/year (for 15,000 km): approx. CHF 23,967

Citroën C5 X Hybrid 225 ë-EAT8

Station wagon or SUV? That is the question here. Not only when you are looking for the right family car, but also when looking at the new Citro C5 X. It somehow cuts a good figure in both segments. Large flap and slim silhouette speak for the former, robust look and plenty of ground clearance for the latter. But the extravagant Frenchman is not one of the off-road talents after all. In addition, it lacks all-wheel drive.

We don't have to choose one or the other when it comes to the drive either. In addition to two gasoline engines, the C5 X also has a 225 hp plug-in hybrid drive. This means that the French part-time electric car can cover up to 55 kilometres purely electrically – enough for most everyday journeys. The C5 X, typical of the Citroën comfort brand, lets us virtually float over the roads. This is ensured by an active suspension with several modes, comfortable seats and top noise insulation. Driving like a god in France.

• Price from CHF 54'690.-
• Drive: Petrol plug-in hybrid, 165 kW/225 hp
• Luggage compartment: 485 – 1,580 l
• Consumption: 1.6 l/100 km + 22.4 kWh/100 km (equivalent to 2.5 l/100 km petrol)
• CO2 emissions: 36 g/km
• Efficiency class A
• Gesamtemissionen (bei 200’000 km): ca. 36,8 t
• Kosten/Jahr (bei 15’000 km): ca. CHF 11’813.-

Fiat Tipo Kombi 1.5 Hybrid 130 PS

The best price-place ratio is offered by this criminally underrated Italian. With 1,650 litres of cargo volume with the rear seats folded down, the compact Fiat Tipo is on a par with many mid-range station wagons – and sometimes even more. The secret is in the body profile: a towering space giant instead of a lifestyle station wagon with a flat roof and a tight interior. Space en masse in a handy car at a fraction of a mid-range price.

In return, Fiat dispenses with all unnecessary bells and whistles with the five-door model. The Tipo is not for those who get ten different rolls from the bakery, but simply decide between a light or dark pounder. A gasoline engine and a diesel engine are available - but that's enough. The Tipo is a sensible and above all practical car for a small budget, as it used to be on every street corner, but is hardly built today. However, it does not lack today's standards in terms of assistance systems and connectivity.

• Price from CHF 32'490.-
• Drive: Petrol hybrid, 96 kW/130 hp
• Trunk: 550 – 1,650 l
• Consumption: 5.4 l/100 km
• CO2 emissions: 123 g/km
• Efficiency class C
• Total emissions (at 200,000 km) approx. 49.3 t
• Costs/year (for 15,000 km) approx. CHF 9,807

Kia ProCeed 1.6 T-GDi 7 DCT GT

Combinations? Stuffy and boring – or paint-splattered craftsmen's cars. That's how people thought about the loadmasters on wheels for a long time. This is an advantage for the SUVs, which have never been confronted with such prejudices due to their sympathetic and shirt-sleeved appearance. But station wagons have long been able to do things differently, as Kia proves with the ProCeed. The Shooting Brake – flat line, spacious rear – even steals the show from the normal hatchback model. Especially since the cool look doesn't cost a bit in terms of utility value and load volume.

In keeping with the sporty look, the drive is also powered by a 204 hp turbocharged petrol engine. Kia has additionally hybridized it with the model revision in the summer. This now makes the ProCeed even more economical with minimal but efficient electric power. If you are constantly under pressure, feel the urge to move and who mainly cultivate sporting hobbies, the ProCeed should fit perfectly into their lives. In front of the theater as well as in the parking lot at the tennis court.

• Price from CHF 44'300.-
• Drive: petrol, 150 kW/204 hp
• Luggage compartment: 594 – 1,545 l
• Consumption: 6.8 l/100 km petrol
• CO₂ emissions: 153 g/km
• Efficiency class D
• Total emissions (at 200,000 km): 56.5 t CO₂
• Cost/year (for 15,000 km): approx. CHF 11,241

Toyota Corolla Touring Sports 2,0 HSD Premium e-CVT

Millions of customers can't be wrong: Toyota's Corolla is nothing less than the best-selling car in the world – even the short intermezzo under the name Auris has not changed that. And: The Corolla is the only hybrid station wagon without a charging plug. This makes it interesting for all those who need space but do not have a charging facility – this is also where lamppost parkers are electrified. The combination of gasoline engine and electric motor is now even available in two performance levels: sporty or economical.

True to the motto of CEO and company patron Akio Toyoda, according to which Toyota should never again build boring cars. In terms of design, the Corolla also meets this requirement. Compact station wagons are the masters of reason in the car world – but that doesn't mean they have to look like this. And because Toyota has made huge progress, especially in the interior, the materials and their workmanship, people are always happy to get into the Corolla. And millions of times.

• Price from CHF 42'100.-
• Drive: Petrol hybrid, 144 kW/196 hp
• Trunk: 581 – 1,591 l
• Consumption: 4.6 l/100 km petrol
• CO2 emissions: 105 g/km
• Efficiency class B
• Total emissions (at 200,000 km): n/a
• Costs/year (at 15,000 km): n/a

Genesis G70 Shooting Brake Diesel 2.2

Shooting Brake – the body shape dates back to those days when a station wagon was still considered a commercial vehicle and was by no means considered befitting of its status among fans of noble automobiles. The term roughly means hunting station wagon – and only then were cars with a large cargo space tolerated: if they could carry the hunting equipment, but still shone with an elegantly tapered rear. A typical shooting brake? Volvo's "Snow Coffin" P 1800 ES from 1971.

The interpretation of Hyundai's noble brand Genesis, on the other hand, is entirely a child of the present: In addition to the flat rear, the brand's typical headlights as double lines and a noble interior with style and contemporary infotainment ensure the grand entrance. And because the G70 with luggage backpack is predestined for long tours in style, it is also available as an economical turbodiesel.

• Price from CHF 60'100.-
• Diesel drive 147 kW/200 hp
• Trunk: 485-1,580 l
• Consumption 7.8 l/100 km (corresponds to approx. 8.7 l/100 km petrol)
• CO2 emissions 204 g/km
• Effizienzklasse F
• Gesamtemissionen (bei 200’000 km) k.A.
• Kosten/Jahr (bei 15’000 km) k.A.

Mercedes E-Klasse E 200 T-Modell

Coupé und Cabriolet der Mercedes E-Klasse mussten sich ebenso wie eine spezielle Taxiversion mit der frisch lancierten neuen Generation verabschieden. Aber den Sternenkreuzer mit XXL-Laderaum wollte uns Mercedes dann doch nicht vorenthalten – zu beliebt ist der Luxus-Lademeister. Fürs Wohlfühl-Ambiente sorgen neben mehr Platz dank längerem Radstand viele digitale Details. Neu kannst Du das Fahrzeug mit Smartphone entriegeln und optional kann der Beifahrer vorne auf seinem eigenen Touchscreen die Musik auswählen oder Videos schauen – perfekt für lange Strecken.

The drives lack an electric car, but each still has an electric motor - for mild hybridization or even as plug-in versions for charging at the socket, which should be able to cover up to 100 kilometers purely electrically. The air suspension on the rear axle, which still ensures driving comfort even when fully loaded, can also be ordered as an option for the front axle. And if you have to drive to the lonely forest cabin with a full trunk every now and then, there's also an off-road version called Allterrain with more ground clearance.

• Price from CHF 73'271.-
• Drive gasoline mild hybrid 150 kW/204 hp
• Luggage compartment: 615–1,830 l
• Fuel consumption 7.8 l/100 km Petrol
• CO₂ emissions 173 g/km
• Efficiency class E
• Total emissions (at 200,000 km) n/a
• Costs/year (at 15,000 km) n/a

Peugeot E-308 SW

The electric cars are currently conquering the showrooms of garages. Only in one segment does it look thin with electric versions: the station wagons. The Peugeot E-308 SW ends this doldrums. Thanks to a new drive and more battery capacity, the five-seater comes with 156 hp and 51 kilowatt hours for a range of up to 409 kilometres. So you can easily roll into the holidays with the whole family and luggage. Especially since the battery in the underbody does not take up any space in the trunk. Up to 1,634 litres of children's stuff can be held in the cargo compartment with a flat loading floor.

Inside, you'll find Peugeot's typical cockpit with the small steering wheel, over which you look at the instruments with 3D effect – it makes the station wagon electric car feel even more manoeuvrable. A cool detail is the narrow touchscreen under the infotainment, on which you can save your favorite functions as a shortcut. And as noble as the interiors at Peugeot are now, you feel comfortable in a higher-class model.

• Price from CHF 42'950.-
• Electric drive 115 kW/156 hp
• Luggage compartment: 608–1,634 l
• Consumption 15.8 kWh/100 km (corresponds to approx. 1.7 l/100 km petrol)
• CO₂ emissions 0 g/km
• Efficiency class E
• Total emissions (at 200,000 km) approx. 31.5 t CO₂
• Costs/year (for 15,000 km) approx. CHF 10,063

Skoda Octavia

Kombi, kompakte Abmessungen, viel Platz – und Allrad: So wurde der Skoda Octavia zum Liebling der Schweizerinnen und Schweizer. Im Elektro-Boom geriet er ein wenig ins Hintertreffen, aber jetzt startet er mit einer Modellauffrischung voll durch. Zu den neuen LED-Scheinwerfern gibts Design-Feinschliff und viele Anpassungen im Infotainment.

Bei den Antrieben bleibt der Fünfplätzer mit dem Platz-Plus im Fond breit aufgestellt. Eine Elektroversion fehlt zwar und auch die bisherigen Plug-in-Hybride werden gestrichen. Dafür reicht die Palette bei den Benzinern von 115 bis hinauf zu 265 PS – so stark war der Octavia RS noch nie. Optional werden sie mild hybridisiert. Einen Turbodiesel für Vielfahrer findest du ebenso wie ab kommendem Jahr einen Allradler mit nagelneuem 204-PS-Benziner. Du suchst einen preiswerten Familienkombi mit pfiffigen Details von der Smartphonetasche zum Eiskratzer im Tankdeckel? Hier ist er.

• Preis k.A.
• Antrieb Benzin-Mildhybrid 85 kW/115 PS
• Kofferraum: 640–1’091 l
• Verbrauch k.A.
• CO₂-Ausstoss k.A.
• Efficiency class n/a
• Total emissions (at 200,000 km) n/a
• Costs/year (at 15,000 km) n/a

VW Passat Variant 1.5 eTSI

Friend of sales representatives and family carriage: With the Passat, Volkswagen once made the station wagon socially acceptable. The five-seater with the large flap put up with a lot without immediately looking like a craftsman's car. And its name said it all: Variant, because it could be variably adapted to all requirements. But the newly unveiled new generation is now losing this name suffix. Ready for the sedan – from now on, the loadmaster will only roll off the production line as a station wagon.

At launch, in addition to infinite expanses in the trunk - almost two cubic meters of luggage fit behind the lid - and plenty of space in the interior, there are initially only two combustion engines with 150 hp or 110 kW. But the best is yet to come: For example, plug-in hybrids with a purely electric range of around 100 kilometres, with which you will become a rare guest at the petrol station. And of course, the all-wheel drive option will follow later.

• Price from CHF 48'700.-
• Drive gasoline mild hybrid 110 kW/150 hp
• Luggage compartment: 690-1'920 l
• Consumption 5.4 l/100 km
• CO2 emissions 122 g/km
• Efficiency class C
• Total emissions (at 200,000 km) n/a
• Costs/year (at 15,000 km) n/a