The station wagons that are wolves in sheep’s clothing

The practical family station wagon is no longer as popular as it used to be. Unfortunately, sedans and wagons are often overlooked by families due to the rise of SUVs. However, in the past, several manufacturers have given parents the option of riding with hidden performance if they chose this option.

These cars are known as ‘sleeper estates’. It essentially means that it is a station wagon with a very discreet appearance, so that it blends in anonymously with the crowd, but has a large and powerful engine at the front.

This year Skoda unveiled a unique example of its popular Superb station wagon, but with a twist. From the outside it looked like nothing more than a practical family car, but under the bonnet lies a 2.0-litre turbo engine from the standard car, but it has been completely reworked by the specialists at RE Performance.

The company installed a larger turbocharger and a beefier intercooler so the engine could produce 470 hp – a power upgrade of 194 hp. The car also features an upgraded exhaust system, all-wheel drive, sports suspension, upgraded sports brakes and six-piston brake calipers.

Like a hot hatchback, they offer motoring without any drawbacks, in the sense that they are fast and comfortable, but are also excellent for taking the kids to school, taking flatpack furniture and going on holiday.

Here is a list of station wagons that offer powerful performance that you may not have known at first glance.

It may look like a traditional Mercedes E-Class Estate, but the E55 has a very special engine beneath that anonymous exterior design.

The car is powered by a 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine that produces 475 hp and 701 Nm of torque. The top speed is 250 km/h and the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h takes just 4.1 seconds.

Furthermore, the E55 Estate has the added benefit of two extra seats, making it a seven-seater.

The car will be sold in very limited numbers and uses the same 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V10 powerplant as in the sedan. This gives the car a total power of no less than 514 hp and a top speed of 250 km/h.

Boot space also measures 535 liters or 1,650 liters with the rear seats folded – making this family rocket ship even more practical than the sedan it’s based on.

Back in the 1990s, Volvo decided to take its very successful touring cars on the road and thus the Volvo 850R was born.

It looks like an anonymous Volvo brick, but under that very long hood lies a 2.3-liter inline-five turbo engine that produces 246 hp and 350 Nm of torque. Not as much as some of the German cars on this list, but back in the day this was seen as a very fast and capable car that would fool anyone on the road.

Volvo station wagons always have gigantic trunk spaces, and the 850R is no exception. With all seats up there is a total of 941 liters and with the rear seats folded down the space increases to 1,586 liters.

Like the larger E55 Estate, the C63 Estate uses a large engine in a small estate package.

But fast forward a few years after E55 production ceased and Mercedes began abandoning supercharging in favor of naturally aspirated engines, which then led to turbocharging.

The C63 uses a 6.3-liter naturally aspirated engine that produces 451 hp and sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds. The top speed is 250 km/h and the car also has rear-wheel drive.

In terms of luggage space, the estate offers up to 485 liters, which expands further to 1,500 liters when the rear seats are pushed down – ideal for those tip runs and trips to Ikea.

The last car on this list is from Audi and its S6 Avant that came onto the market in 2006. What makes this car special is the fact that it is the very definition of a ‘sleeper’. The exterior styling doesn’t look much like a standard A6, yet under the hood is a 5.2-liter V10 engine from a Lamborghini.

It is equipped with Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive and the engine produces 429 hp and 539 Nm of torque. The car can reach a top speed of 250 km/h and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just five seconds.

Boot space measures 565 liters or 1,660 litres, making it one of the most practical cars on this list.