Hyundai estate cars are dead – at least for the foreseeable future, European boss Xavier Martinet has told Auto Express.
The i30 SW is the brand’s sole remaining wagon in European markets including France, Germany and Italy, but the C-segment car has already exited UK showrooms. Despite five new Hyundais flowing down the pipeline, none will scratch your estate-car itch.
“There’s a reason we don’t talk about estates much: in this segment demand is not growing,” Martinet told us. “The i30 is a vehicle that’s historically mostly been a fleet vehicle, where the price is often low and profits not so high.”
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Global demand for estates is also minimal, he added, with the bodystyle ignored in the world’s two biggest markets – China and the USA – in favour of SUVs. “Usually we manage to make more money with an SUV than a station wagon,” he added.
So cold, hard economics have put SWs on ice. “You allocate your investment and [engineering] resources to projects that make the most sense. Right now there’s some demand, but not a lot, so it doesn’t justify it.”
Hyundai is in the midst of a big wave of new model introductions. First up is the compact but spacious Ioniq 3 hatchback, with two more small cars – replacements for the i20 hatchback and Bayon small SUV – also on the way. The next-gen Tucson SUV and a revised Kona are the final two pieces in the jigsaw.
The i30 came off UK sale in summer 2025. While it continues in left-hand drive markets, Hyundai says it was a simple decision to stop offering a version with the steering wheel on the right.
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