Estate cars may drop from the lineup completely by 2030 as the German premium carmaker continues optimizing its product range, Automobilwoche reports, pointing out that the company needs more money to develop EVs.
The CLA Shooting Brake (see video) will allegedly be the first to drop from the lists in 2025, leaving no successor. Introducing a new five-door wagon on the C-Class platform is apparently also out of the question.
The E-Class family hauler will stay around the longest, the German newspaper points out. The current generation received a mid-life refresh in 2020 and should spawn a successor next year. It will be offered in multiple body styles to choose from, including wagon, but only until 2030.
Insiders are reporting that Mercedes suffers from declining estate car sales on all main markets, including the USA and China. As this body style falls out of popularity, SUVs are shaping up to be its main alternative.
Curiously enough, the company is also considering high-riding sedans as one possible replacement for the wagons, claiming that they would combine the benefits of four-door cars and crossover SUVs. Just how practical a lifted sedan can be compared to a wagon remains unexplained.