I was talking to a guy who owns a Ford dealership several years ago, and he said Ford had changed its design philosophy and was designing their cars to appeal to women. He said their research showed that women were making more of the buying decisions for families.
He pointed out that the layouts of the dash and interior were designed to appeal to women. Also, women tended to like the functionality of trucks, but dislike vehicles that ride and look like trucks. Ford had just introduced the Windstar, which he said was the way Ford was going with its designs. Lots of room like a truck, but sits lower to the ground, and drives and feels more like a car than a truck.
The trick is to create a vehicle like this without having it called a station wagon, which is the kiss of death to sales. Women want the functionality and ride of a station wagon, but the association with the '50s suburban housewife stereotype make women reject them.
Isn't that an El Camino....:)