I thought so too when they first announced the new body design.
Special ordered the short wheelbase XLT EcoBoost wagon (w/liftgate) back in the Spring of 2014 and have been super happy with it's performance/daily driveability thus far.
Now that it's over a year old; with a fair amount of various-sized machines moving in and out of it due to the low liftgate and cavernous interior, I can confidently say it's an awesome pin-hauler.
NPTransit.jpeg

Since I went with the short wheelbase I usually can only take one on it's belly but, if I REALLY needed to carry more than one I could 69 them (Hiyo!) on their respective sides and make the unexpected two machine trip work if I absolutely had to. DMD's wouldn't really fit properly due to the taller cabs and I'd probably need to properly support/space the cab off the floor for each head of a standard machine but, it could be done if I knew I was picking up two.
With the flat floor and low liftgate, my usual method of loading DMD/SS machines is to use a piece of remnant carpet slightly larger than the machine to "glide" the pin in with very minimal effort. My Harbor freight table lift is used in the very beginning to position and to get all four legs off the ground. After I remove either the front or rear legs, I push 1/4 of the machine (still raised) into the vehicle, stopping the lift just before the bumper. Once the machine is positioned, I slide the start of the carpet between the pin and the floor and lower the machine into the floor to keep the carpet from moving. Once that's done, I can push the machine in enough to take off the remaining legs no problemo.

Not that Whysnow or the majority of Pinsiders on here care but, you can ALSO put about FOUR woodrails vertically into it as well if need be...

I'll go measure...
Ooooohhh, pretty close for newer Sterns but unfortunately the narrowest part of the cargo area hinders it at 47-1/4" wide. The interior portion of the sliding doors on both sides ARE a tad bit wider (57-ish") than the 47-1/4" but, I don't know if the machines could angle that tiny bit more to fit at the narrowest point.
Heads off though, no problemo!
Plenty of room to spare.

I guess I just have to try it since most standard DMD cabs are around 22" wide with roughly 3" of overhang from the edge of BB.

Probably not the way you envisioned it Whysnow but as of 2:30AM PST I give you "Exhibit A", of the short bus Transit hauling prowess/goodness.
image.jpg
Note all that extra space on top for even MORE various pinball booty plunderings; all while getting around 34mpg on the highway too!

Snow?!?!? Pfffft...
Man, this thing needs to see some real rain first before it can even think about snow!
It IS just a FWD vehicle Whysnow but, I also specifically chose it because it had the biggest/widest wheels/tires out of all it's direct competitors. (250/50 R17's 95H Conti pro contacts are on it now)
I can attest on pavement anyway that this sucker handles like a chunky sportscar in the twisties and still feels pretty good loaded down but, that doesn't matter much if it's riding on Wisconsin's finest slush.
I really wish they made an AWD model and went with the Escape's 2.0 EcoBoost to improve the hauling prowess but, it is what it is.
The bottom of the vehicle does have a protective shield running under almost the entire car which is kinda interesting and the assisted foglights when you turn is a nice touch too when you actually have some weather to deal with.
Trying to defrost the huge front window might be a problem though.
Best thing to do is to try driving one and I guess, PM me if you have any more questions?
Your local dealer can probably give you a better rundown on the snow stuff methinks. lol

My seats come out easily for a flat cargo area so, I think that's a "Yes" to the question.
(Two yellow-coated push down tabs under each seat and then lift away.)
They do the standard fold and also can be flipped up if you need a bit more room.
Pins need the seats gone though on the short wheelbase.
The long wheelbase's seats can only go flat and can't be removed without a little help from "Mr. Socket."
Kinda dumb that Ford didn't make the seven passenger wagon's seats easy to remove as well...
Loading pins in that baby would suck hard because they make you go up another level with the machine two feet in to get to the real "flat" portion of the cargo area. Plus, you're still smashing down on the seats.
As for my hitch,
It's mainly used for bikes if I'm taking a road trip with three or more friends.
Hauling two pins (as seen in pic above) is currently no problem but, yeah- if I was going to take more than the interior can carry then the hitch is ready for action.
If I can remember correctly my wagon can tow around 5100lbs?
More than enough for my needs, fortunately.