Editing Station wagon (section)

==Design characteristics==
===Comparison with hatchbacks===
[[File:Three body styles with pillars and boxes.png|thumb|Typical [[Pillar (car)|pillar]] configurations of a sedan [[three-box styling|(three box)]], station wagon [[three-box styling|(two box)]] and hatchback [[three-box styling|(two box)]] from the same [[car model|model range]]]]

Station wagons and [[hatchback]]s have in common a [[Three-box styling|two-box design]] configuration, a shared interior volume for passengers and cargo<ref name="Vehicle Dynamics"/><ref name="AutomotiveTech">{{cite book |first=Jack |last=Erjavec |title=Automotive Technology: a Systems Approach Chapter 4 |page=55, Body Styles |publisher=Cengage Learning |year=2004 |isbn=9781401848316 |quote=Liftback or Hatchback: The distinguishing feature of this vehicle is its luggage compartment, which is an extension of the passenger compartment. Access to the luggage compartment is gained through an upward-opening hatch-type door. A car of this design can be a three- or five-door model; the third or fifth door is the rear hatch. Station Wagon: A station wagon is characterized by its roof which extends straight back, allowing a spacious interior luggage compartment in the rear. The rear door, which can be opened numerous ways depending on the model, provides access to the luggage compartment. Station wagons come in two and four-door models and have space for up to nine passengers.}}</ref> as well as a hatch or rear door (often called a [[#Tailgate designs|tailgate]] in the case of a station wagon) that is hinged at roof level.<ref>{{cite web |title=Car Design Glossary—Part 2: One-Box (Monospace or Monovolume) |website=cardesignnews.com |quote=A three or five-door hatchback (no separate trunk compartment) is a 'two-box' car. |url= http://www.cardesignnews.com/site/home/new_cars/display/store4/item131867/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101201151939/http://www.cardesignnews.com/site/home/new_cars/display/store4/item131867/ |archive-date=1 December 2010 |access-date=31 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=American Cars of the '50s |first=Mike |last=Mueller |year=2003 |publisher=Crestline |isbn=9780760317129}}</ref> Folding rear seats designed to provide a larger space for cargo in place of passenger capacity, are also typical features for station wagons and hatchbacks.<ref name="ahd"/>

Distinguishing features between hatchbacks and station wagons include:
* D-pillar: Station wagons are more likely to have a [[Pillar (car)|D-pillar]] (hatchbacks and station wagons both have A-, B-, and C-pillars).
* Cargo volume: Station wagons prioritize passenger and cargo volume—with windows beside the cargo volume. Of the two body styles, a station wagon roof (viewed in profile) more likely extends to the very rearmost of the vehicle, enclosing a full-height cargo volume<ref name="AutomotiveTech"/>—a hatchback design (especially a [[liftback]] version) is likely to have steeply sloping roofline behind the B- or C-Pillar, prioritizing style<ref name="Hilliers"/> over interior volume or cargo capacity, sometimes having a shorter rear overhang and smaller side windows (or no windows at all).

Other differences are more variable and can potentially include:
*Cargo floor contour: A station wagon often has a fold-flat floor (for increased cargo capacity), whereas a hatchback is more likely to have a cargo floor with a pronounced contour.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}
*Seating: Some station wagons have three rows of seats, whereas a hatchback will have two at most.<ref name="Vehicle Dynamics"/> The rearmost row of seating in a station wagon is often located in the cargo area and can be front-facing, rear-facing, or side-facing.
*Rear suspension: A station wagon may include a reconfigured rear suspension for additional load capacity<ref name="Hilliers"/> and to minimize intrusion in the cargo volume.
*Rear Door: Hatchbacks usually feature a top-hinged [[liftgate]] for cargo access, with variations ranging from a two-part liftgate to a complex tailgate that can function as a full tailgate or a trunk lid. Station wagons have also been equipped with numerous [[#Tailgate designs|tailgate configurations]]. Hatchbacks may be called Liftbacks when the opening area is very sloped, and the door is lifted to open.<ref name="Vehicle Dynamics">{{cite book| first=G. Nakhaie |last=Jazar |title=Vehicle Dynamics: Theory and Application |pages=30, 1.8.3 Passenger Car Body Styles | publisher=Springer-Verlag |year=2008 |quote=Hatchback: Hatchback cars are identified by a rear door including the back window, that opens to access a storage area that is not separated from the rest of the passenger compartment. A hatchback may have two or four doors and two or four seats. They are also called three-door or five-door cars. A hatchback car is referred to a ''liftback'' when the opening area is very sloped and is lifted up to open. Station Wagon: A station wagon or wagon is a car with a full-height body all the way to the rear; the load-carrying space created is accessed via a rear door or doors. |isbn=9780387742434}}</ref> A design director from General Motors has described the difference as "Where you break the roofline, at what angle, defines the spirit of the vehicle", he said. "You could have a 90-degree break in the back and have a station wagon."<ref name="nyt1">{{cite news |title=The Hatchback Is Back (but Nobody Uses the H-Word) |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Dan |last=Neil |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/28/automobiles/the-hatch-is-back-but-please-don-t-use-the-h-word.html |date=28 April 2002 |access-date=31 July 2022}}</ref>

It has become common for station wagons to use a [[Car platform|platform]] shared with other body styles, resulting in many shared components (such as chassis, engine, transmission, bodywork forward of the A-pillar, interior features, and optional features) being used for the wagon, sedan, and hatchback variants of the [[car model|model range]].<ref name="pm"/>

===Tailgate designs===
Many modern station wagons have an upward-swinging, full-width, full-height rear door supported on [[gas spring]]s—often where the rear window can swing up independently. A variety of other designs have been employed in the past.

==== Split gate ====
The split gate features an upward-swinging window and a downward-swinging tailgate, both manually operated. This configuration was typical in the 1920s through the 1940s, and remained common on many models into the 1960s.

====Retractable window====
In the early 1950s, tailgates with hand-cranked roll-down rear windows began to appear. Later in the decade, electric power was applied to the tailgate window so it could be operated from the driver's seat and by a key-activated switch in the tailgate. By the early 1970s, this arrangement was available on full-size, intermediate, and compact wagons. The lowered bottom hinged tailgate extended the cargo area floor and could serve as a picnic table for "tailgating."<ref>{{cite web |title=1963 AMC Rambler Classic station wagon |url= https://digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A210924 |work=Detroit Public Library |access-date=31 July 2022}}</ref> 
* '''Side hinge:''' A side-hinged tailgate that opened like a door was offered on some three-seat station wagons to make it easier for the back-row passengers to enter and exit their rear-facing seats. 

{{Multiple image
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| image1            = Flickr - DVS1mn - 58 Chevrolet Brookwood (6).jpg
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| caption1          = Split tailgate
| image2            = 1964 Studebaker Commander Wagonaire (19020043732).jpg
| caption2          = rear roof retracted and tailgate hinged down
| footer            = 
}}

====Retractable roof====
A station wagon design featuring a retractable rear roof section and a conventional rear tailgate with a window that rolled down and the gate opened down. The sliding roof section allowed the carrying of tall objects in the rear cargo area. This configuration appeared on the 1963–1966 [[Studebaker Wagonaire]] station wagon and the 1998-2009 [[GMC Envoy|GMC Envoy XUV]] SUV model.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Estrada |first1=Zac |title=The Studebaker Wagonaire And GMC Envoy Offer Sliding Roof Fun |url= https://jalopnik.com/the-studebaker-wagonaire-and-gmc-envoy-offer-sliding-ro-5929470 |work=Jalopnik |date=29 July 2012 |access-date=31 March 2022}}</ref>

====Dual and tri-operating gates====
{{Multiple image
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| image1 = Cstailgate1.jpg
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| caption1 = Side-hinged tailgate
| image2 = Cstailgate2.jpg
| caption2 = Tailgate folded down
| footer = A dual tailgate on a [[Ford Country Squire]]
}}

In the United States, Ford's full-size station wagons for 1966 introduced a system marketed as "Magic Doorgate"—a conventional tailgate with retracting rear glass, where the tailgate could either fold down or pivot open on a side hinge—with the rear window retracted in either case. Competitors marketed their versions as a ''Drop and Swing'' or ''Dual Action Tailgate.''<ref name="pm"/> For 1969, Ford incorporated a design that allowed the rear glass to remain up or down when the door pivoted open on its side hinge, marketing the system, engineered by [[Donald N. Frey]]<ref name="time1">{{cite magazine|url= https://time.com/archive/6890312/autos-the-thinker-detroit-style/ |title=The Thinker (Detroit Style) |magazine=Time |date=21 April 1967 |access-date=1 July 2024}}</ref> as the "Three-Way Magic Doorgate". 

Similar configurations became the standard feature on full-size and intermediate station wagons from General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, and [[American Motors Corporation]] (AMC).<ref>{{cite web |access-date=1 July 2024 |page=4 |title=American Motors Presents: four ways you can be the 1970 wagon master (brochure) |url=https://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/AMC/1970_AMC/1970-AMC-Wagons-Brochure/slides/1970_AMC_Wagons-04.html |website=oldcarbrochures.org}}</ref> Some full-size GM wagons added a notch in the rear bumper that acted as a step plate; a small portion of the bumper was attached to the tailgate to fill the gap. When opened as a swinging door, this part of the bumper moved away, allowing the depression in the bumper to provide a "step" to ease entry; when the gate was opened by being lowered or raised to a closed position, the chrome section remained in place making the bumper "whole".

====Clamshell====
{{Multiple image
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| image1 = 1971 Buick Estate wagon rear.jpg
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| caption1 = Closed tailgate
| image2 = 1971 Buick Estate Wagon with clamshell-type tailgate system 3of7.jpg
| caption2 = Tailgate folded open
| footer = 1971 [[Buick Estate Wagon]] with a "clam shell" tailgate
}}

Full-size General Motors, from 1971 through 1976 station wagons ([[Chevrolet Kingswood Estate|Chevrolet Kingswood, Townsman, Brookwood, Bel Air, Impala, and Caprice Estates]]; [[Pontiac Grand Safari|Pontiac Safari and Grand Safari]]; [[Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser]], and the [[Buick Estate]] models) featured a 'clam shell' design marketed as the ''Glide-away'' tailgate, also called a "disappearing" tailgate because when open, the tailgate was entirely out of view.<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Clair |first1=Jim |title=Collectible Clamshells |url= https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2008/05/15/collectible-clamshells |work=Hemmings |date=15 May 2008 |access-date=19 January 2023}}</ref> On the clamshell design, the rear power-operated glass slid up into the roof and the lower tailgate (with either manual or optional power operation), lowered below the load floor. Manually operated types included a lower tailgate counterbalanced by a torque rod similar to the torque rods used in holding a trunk lid open. It required a {{convert|35|lb|kg|adj=on}} push to lower the gate. Raising it required a {{convert|35|lb|kg|adj=on}} pull on a handhold integral to the top edge of the retractable gate.<ref name="popsci">{{cite magazine |title=The '71 Wagons, Big Changes Coming Up |magazine=Popular Science |date=October 1970 |pages=74–75 |first1=Jan P. |last1=Norbye |first2=Jim |last2=Dunne |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=QwEAAAAAMBAJ&q=%22glide+away%22+tailgate&pg=PA75 |via=Google Books |accessdate=31 March 2022}}</ref> Power-assisted operation of both the upper glass and lower tailgate became standard equipment in later model years. Station wagons with this design were available with an optional third row of forward-facing seats accessed by the rear side doors and a folding second-row seat. They could accommodate {{convert|4|x|8|ft|m|adj=on}} sheets of plywood or other panels with the rear seats folded. The clamshell design required no increased footprint or operational area to open the cargo area. This enabled access even if the station wagon's rear was parked against a wall. 

The GM design, as used in a Pontiac Grand Safari, with a forward-facing third-row seat and the clamshell tailgate, was less popular with consumers and was described as the "least convenient of all wagon arrangements" with difficult passenger egress and problematic tailgate operation in comparison to the 1974 [[AMC Ambassador#Seventh generation|AMC Ambassador]], [[Dodge_Monaco#Third_generation_(1974–1977)|Dodge Monaco]], and [[Mercury_Colony_Park#Fifth_generation_(1969–1978)|Mercury Colony Park]], full-size station wagons conducted by ''Popular Science'' magazine.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Norbye |first1=Jan P. |last2=Dunne |first2=Jim |title=The Big Wagons: They do a great job—at a high price |magazine=Popular Science |date=May 1974 |volume=204 |issue=5 |pages=12, 21, 24, 26, 28 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=j989VTOlPwMC&pg=PA12 |via=Google Books |access-date=31 July 2022}}</ref>
Subsequent GM full-size wagons reverted to the door/gate system for its full-size wagons.

====Lift-gate====
[[File:VW Passat Variant Typ B5GP Pic06 trunk.jpg|thumb|upright|A lift-gate on a [[Volkswagen Passat Variant|Volkswagen Passat]] Variant]]

A simplified, one-piece lift-gate on smaller wagons. The [[AMC Hornet]] Sportabout was introduced for the 1972 model year and featured a "liftgate-style hatchback instead of swing-out or fold-down tailgate ... would set a precedent for liftgates in modern SUVs."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Notte |first1=Jason |title=29 Classic Station Wagons We Miss From Childhood |url= https://blog.cheapism.com/best-station-wagons/#slide=6 |website=cheapism.com |date=9 April 2021 |access-date=31 July 2022}}</ref> The 1978-1996 GM's mid-size station wagons also returned to the upward-lifting rear window/gate as had been used in the 1940s.
* '''Swing-up window:''' An upward-lifting, full-height, full-width rear door, where the window on the rear door can be opened independently from the rear door itself. The window is also opened upwards and is held on pneumatic struts. The [[Renault Laguna]] II station wagon and [[Ford Taurus]] wagon featured this arrangement.
* '''Fold-up license plate:''' Wagons (including the [[Volvo Amazon]] wagon, early models of the [[Range Rover Classic|Range Rover]], and the [[Subaru Baja]]) had an upward folding hinged [[Vehicle registration plate|license plate]] attached to the lower tailgate of the split rear door. When the tailgate was folded down, the plate hung down and remained readable. The wagon versions of the [[Citroën DS]], called the Break, Familiale, or Safari, had a different solution: two number plates were fitted to the tailgate at right angles to each other so one would be visible in either position.

===Safety equipment===
[[Cargo barrier]]s may be used to prevent unsecured cargo from causing injuries in the event of sudden deceleration, collision, or a [[Vehicle rollover|rollover]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Byard |first1=RW |last2=Bourne |first2=AJ |last3=James |first3=R |journal=Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health |date=August 1999|title=Childhood deaths and cargo barriers in cars |pmid=10457305 |volume=35 |issue=4 |pages=409–10 |doi=10.1046/j.1440-1754.1999.00379.x|s2cid=5675364 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

=== Performance models ===
Performance models of station wagons have included the 1970 [[Ford Falcon (XY)]] 'Grand Sport' pack,<ref>{{cite web |title=Grand Sports |url= http://www.aus-ford-uk.co.uk/html/grand_sports.html |website=aus-ford-uk.co.uk |access-date=1 July 2024}}</ref> the 1973 [[Chevrolet Chevelle#Third generation (1973–1977)|Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS-454]] and the 1992 [[BMW M5#E34|BMW M5 (E34)]].

The 1994 [[Audi RS2]], developed with Porsche, has been described as the world's first performance station wagon.<ref>{{cite web |title=How Porsche Helped Audi Create the World's First Performance Wagon |url= https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/a10297476/audi-rs2-history/ |website=Road and Track |date=12 July 2017 |access-date=13 August 2022}}</ref> This was followed by the [[Audi RS4]] and [[Audi RS6]].

The 2006 through 2008 [[Dodge Magnum]] SRT-8 model brought power and performance with station wagon features. The cars featured a 6.1&nbsp;L [[Chrysler Hemi engine|Hemi]] V8 engine rated at {{convert|425|hp|kW PS|0|abbr=on}}. The Dodge Magnum SRT-8 shared its platform with the [[Chrysler 300C]] Touring SRT-8, which was only sold in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://fastestlaps.com/models/dodge-magnum-srt8 |website=fastestlaps.com |title=Dodge Magnum srt8 specs |access-date=16 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.carscoops.com/2022/01/the-chrysler-300c-srt8-touring-is-the-muscle-wagon-you-always-wanted-but-still-cant-get-in-the-usa/ |title=The Chrysler 300C SRT8 Touring Is The Muscle Wagon You Always Wanted (But Still Can’t Get In The USA) |date=6 January 2022 |first=Stephen |last=Rivers |website=carscoops.com |access-date=16 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Veazey |first1=Nick |title=The Dodge Magnum SRT-8: The Station Wagon Built for a Family On the Go |url= https://www.motorbiscuit.com/dodge-magnum-srt-8-station-wagon-built-for-family-go/ |work=MotorBiscuit |date=25 July 2022 |access-date=13 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Bedard |first1=Patrick |title=Tested: 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8 |url= https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a18202251/dodge-magnum-srt8-short-take-road-test/ |work=Car and Driver |access-date=13 August 2022 |date=20 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Redgap |first1=Curtis |title=2007 Dodge Magnum Full Throttle test drive |url= https://www.allpar.com/d3/reviews/2007/magnum.html |website=allpar.com |date=2006 |access-date=13 August 2022}}</ref>

Other German manufacturers have produced station wagon versions of their performance models, such as the [[Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W205)|Mercedes-AMG C63]], [[Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W213)|Mercedes-AMG E63]], [[BMW M5#E60|BMW M5 (E60/E61)]], [[Volkswagen Golf R]] and [[Volkswagen Passat (B6)|Volkswagen Passat R36]] wagons.<ref>{{cite web |title=The World's Best Station Wagons |url= https://gearpatrol.com/2015/08/17/worlds-best-station-wagons/ |publisher=Gear Patrol |access-date=27 November 2018 |date=17 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Is this Super Rare BMW M5 Wagon Worth $130,000? |url= https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a11327600/super-rare-bmw-m5-wagon-for-sale/ |website=roadandtrack.com |access-date=27 November 2018 |date=3 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=E61 BMW M5 Touring: One of the best M cars of all time |url= https://www.bmwblog.com/2016/01/22/e61-bmw-m5-touring-one-of-the-best-m-cars-of-all-time/ |website=bmwblog.com |access-date=27 November 2018 |date=22 January 2016}}</ref>

The Cadillac CTS-V Wagon introduced for the 2011 model year was considered the most potent production station wagon offered with a manual transmission, and the Corvette-engined version continued until 2014.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Skwarczek |first1=Matthew |title=We Still Can't Believe Cadillac Built a 556-hp CTS-V Station Wagon |url= https://www.motorbiscuit.com/we-still-cant-believe-cadillac-built-a-556-hp-cts-v-station-wagon/ |work=MotorBiscuit |date=10 June 2020 |access-date=13 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Courtney |first1=Will Sabel |title=The Ultimate, Hyper-Rare Family Supercar Is Up for Sale |url= https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/a34930033/cadillac-cts-v-wagon-stick-for-sale/ |work=Gear Patrol |date=12 December 2020 |access-date=13 August 2022}}</ref>