After A-Class Sedan, Mercedes-Benz to cut C-Class and E-Class wagons, CLA Shooting Brake
Hans · Feb 14, 2022 10:44 AM
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No more Mercedes-Benz wagons after 2030
Current generation S206 C-Class Estate and next-gen 2022 E-Class wagon (S214) to be the last
Sales of wagons have been falling in all key markets
Enthusiasts rave about wagons, but few outside of Europe actually buy one, and for a lot of car manufacturers, the business case for wagons is becoming less and less sustainable. German publication Automobilwoche has learned that Mercedes-Benz will drop all wagons from its line-up by 2030.
The recently launched W206 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the next generation W214 E-Class however, will be the last Mercedes-Benz sedans to be sold with a wagon variant (S214), before terminating by 2030.
Even the CLA Shooting Brake will be culled, along with the regular CLA, which like the A-Class Sedan, will not be replaced after the current generation model has lived out its planned model lifecycle.
Wagons, sometimes also referred to as Estates, are only popular in Europe, buying more than 70 percent of world’s wagons, followed by USA and China (less than 10 percent each).
Sales of wagons in Europe peaked in 2016, with around 2 million units sold. By 2025, sales is predicted to drop to 1.5 million units, as more Europeans migrate to SUVs.
Even in Europe itself, wagons are actually not that popular, contrary to popular believe by enthusiasts living outside of Europe.
Wagons are only popular in Germany, Sweden, and other smaller Scandinavian countries. Together, these countries buy more than half of wagons sold in Europe.
Elsewhere in Europe, buyers in the UK, Italy, and France, which used to be major markets for wagons, have migrated to SUVs. Every year, sales of wagons in these markets are dropping by more than 10 percent.
This comes after reports of Mercedes-Benz cutting its compact cars range, namely the A-Class Sedan and CLA from USA in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
Italy, UK, and France used to be big markets for wagons, now no more
These models will remain on sale in other parts of the world, but will not be replaced when their model generation’s lifecycle ends.
The move is part of Mercedes-Benz's reorganization of its product portfolio to focus more on products with higher profit margins, and to reduce the company's emphasis on chasing ever higher sales volume.
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Over 15 years of experience in automotive, from product planning, to market research, to print and digital media. Garages a 6-cylinder manual RWD but buses to work.
