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SUV Dominance Has Remained, Chery Official Says

Chery has predicted SUVs will continue to outpace wagons despite recent sales growth in the Chinese market.

Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Car Types

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Chery global design director Steve Eum expects SUVs to continue outpacing station wagons in global demand due to consumer preference for higher driving positions. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Chery global design director Steve Eum has stated that SUVs will maintain their position as the preferred vehicle body style over station wagons. While wagon sales in China climbed by 27.8 percent to 161,000 units in 2025, consumer preference for the high driving position of SUVs remains dominant.

Why it matters

Buyers continue to prioritize SUVs for their superior visibility, ease of ingress and egress, and high driving position. These factors keep SUVs at the forefront of global automotive demand even as niche wagon markets experience modest growth.

Wagon sales in China reached 161,000 units in 2025, representing a 27.8 percent increase. Meanwhile, the Australian market now offers just 11 station wagon models, a decline of approximately two-thirds from the levels seen in 2016.

The players

Chery

Chery is a major Chinese automotive manufacturer known for producing a wide range of SUVs and passenger vehicles for global markets.

Steve Eum

Steve Eum serves as the global design director for Chery and oversees the aesthetic and structural evolution of the company's vehicle lineup.

The details

Chery unveiled a Tiggo V model at the Beijing motor show that utilizes crossover design techniques to transform from a three-row SUV into a utility vehicle. This configuration allows owners to remove the rear canopy and rearmost seats to adjust the vehicle's capacity.

Timeline

  1. Station wagons faded in popularity in the US and Australia during the 1990s and 2000s.

  2. The Australian market contained approximately three times as many wagon nameplates in 2016 compared to today.

  3. Wagon sales in China grew by 27.8 percent in 2025.

  4. Wagon sales in China are projected to grow 16.1 percent in 2026.

Roadmap

The automotive industry continues to pivot toward crossover-based configurations that blend utility and passenger comfort. This shift highlights a broader migration away from traditional wagon body styles as manufacturers prioritize the features most valued by modern SUV buyers.

Car buyers should expect to see fewer traditional wagon options on dealership lots as manufacturers shift focus to SUV-based designs. Consumers prioritizing cargo flexibility may increasingly turn to modular crossover models like the Tiggo V rather than classic station wagon variants.

The takeaway

While station wagons are seeing a minor resurgence in some markets, the SUV remains the primary choice for global consumers. Manufacturers are responding to this trend by engineering vehicles that offer SUV-style seating with the modular flexibility previously found in wagons.

Further reading

Explore more industry analysis on Car Types.

Source note: This article includes information reported by The West Australian.

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