As a child of the seventies, long before the days of the MG5, it wasn’t too hard to spot estate cars on the road when growing up. Many manufacturers made them and they were very popular vehicles. Not too big, but still very spacious.
However, over the last twenty years or so the estate car has pretty much been replaced by SUV style vehicles as the car of choice. This, it seems, is a trend that may be going back the other way. There is greater demand for estate cars, especially electric estate cars, than there has been for some time. Unfortunately, if you were to Google “electric estate cars” you may be disappointed by the choice available. Currently there are only two to choose from (counting the two versions of the Porsche Taycan estates as one), the Porsche Taycan Turbo and the MG5.
More, though, are on the way. Here is my little ode to the estate cars of the electric revolution. What is available and what to expect in the very near future.
The MG5 and Porsche Taycan
It is interesting that only two manufacturers have chosen to expand into the electric estate car market. You can understand the reticence at wanting to go down this route. After all, the estate car had been out of fashion for some time. Why would you want to take the risk in bringing it back in?
However, bringing it back is exactly what Porsche and MG decided to do. The Porsche Taycan Turbo estate cars are on a seriously premium level as you would expect. Luxury interior and an incredible performance that is worthy of the badge. It is also, as you would equally expect, pretty highly priced as well.
At the other end of the scale is the MG5. Although not at the premium end of the car range, this estate car is still a really nice car to look at. Sharp edging that you would be familiar with on estate cars of old have now been softened to give it a more modern appearance. This is an electric car you would be happy to be seen in.
Practically Perfect Performance
The MG5 is a no-thrills, no-frills vehicle. You won’t be getting the same luxury level that you find in the Porsche. However, this is no bad thing. After all, not every electric car needs to do 0-60mph in 3 seconds or be made from wood that has been hand-carved by elves (I cannot say one way or another if elves were involved in the manufacture of the Porsche).
The MG5 is a really comfortable car to travel in (and I do mean REALLY comfortable). Its design language in the interior is clean and uncluttered, however still containing physical buttons that you really want them for. It is a really lovely interior.
The tech is there as well. A great infotainment system is available with a wide range of applications, including the ability to connect to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The main infotainment screen and the display screen behind the steering wheel have excellent graphics and can display a lot of information to assist the driver. Overall, it’s pretty brilliant.
When it comes to performance, the MG5 holds its own pretty well. There is a range of 270 miles, which means it is very practical for family trips. The top speed is a stunning 115mph (save it for the Autobahn) and you can achieve 0-60mph in a very respectable 7.5 seconds. You see, who needs elves.
What and When – The Next Generation of Electric Estate Cars
It seems that electric estate cars are like buses. You wait ages for one and then suddenly a whole load turns up at the same time. Here are the electric estate cars that you can expect to see over the next 18 months.
What’s Up in 2023
First up (not necessarily by release date) is the Peugeot e-308 SW (which stands for Sports Wagon). Peugeot are on a bit of a roll at the moment and it seems that the estate car is next up. This is a nice looking vehicle that will have a range around 250 miles and can charge at speeds of up to 100kW.
The Vauxhall Sports Tourer will be turning up in 2023 with its smouldering good looks. This electric estate car will also have a range of around 250 miles. Not too much of a surprise due to the fact that a lot of the cars mentioned here are sharing the Stellantis Group electric platform.
Audi is releasing the A6 Avant e-tron this year and it will be sure to get many admirers. A quality build that has the same luxurious style language that is shared amongst the e-tron range. Expect a whopping range of up to 435 miles from this gorgeous beast.
Volkswagen is having plenty of fun bringing out such a wide variety of vehicles. There are the ID.3 and ID.4 which are great family vehicles. Then there is the ID.Buzz which is a really fun family van. Now, though, they are branching into the world of the estate car with, what is expected to be, the ID.7. There has not been an official confirmation of the name at the time of writing, but ID.7 does seem to be the production name of the ID.Vizzion concept vehicle.
And 2024
In 2024 we can expect two more electric estate cars to turn up. These will be the Audi RS6 e-tron and the BMW i5 Touring. I have no doubt that these cars will be as superb as their siblings that are already available.
A Brief Summary
The electric estate car has been a bit slow getting going so far. However, there is a real demand for them. If there wasn’t then we wouldn’t see so many highly respected manufacturers getting in on the game. The estate car is coming back in fashion and we expect to see plenty of them on the road very soon indeed.
No elves were harmed in the writing of this blog.
