In the United States, selling wagons is difficult. American buyers prefer crossovers and among the few wagons sold here, many are lifted off-road variants like the Audi A6 Allroad. Volvo still offers its V90 as a standard wagon or lifted CrossCountry variant but with the recent facelift to the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, it seems like the three-pointed star will be following Audi's lead, not Volvo's.

We recently covered the reveal of the new 2021 Mercedes E 450 4Matic All-Terrain, a lifted, off-road-focused version of the E-Class Wagon. But what we didn't know is that the All-Terrain isn't just an addition to the E-Class lineup. It is a replacement.

A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson confirmed to CarBuzz, "at this time, the US will introduce the E-Class All-Terrain to replace the Mercedes-Benz series E-Class Wagon." This means you will no longer be able to buy a non-lifted version of the E-Class wagon here in the US, at least in E 450 guise. It also means the all-new E 53 Wagon (pictured below) will remain forbidden fruit here in the US. American buyers will only be able to enjoy their mild-hybrid E 53 as a sedan, coupe, or convertible.

But what does this mean for the E 63 S Wagon? Mercedes would not confirm the car's future, telling us to "stay tuned for the E 63 news." The 2021 E 63 hasn't been revealed yet but our sources seem to indicate the wagon will be safe. The E 63 S wagon is only available via special order anyway, so it seems like a minimal financial risk for Mercedes to offer it in the US.

This strategy seems to be what's best for Mercedes. Selling two wagon models in the US would be expensive but offering a lifted version helps appeal to the crossover-crazed US market. Audi has taken the same approach, only offering the A6 wagon as an Allroad in the US but also offering the RS6 Avant. This way, Audi has the wagon body style certified for crash testing (because of the Allroad) and it also has the V8 engine certified for emissions (because of the RS7 and RS Q8). While we are a bit sad to see the standard E-Class Wagon go, the All-Terrain and E 63 S Wagons are suitable replacements.