Photo: Volkswagen
Don’t get your hopes up, the Volkswagen Golf R Wagon, Variant, Estate, or whatever you want to call it, is still a forbidden fruit in the United States and Canada, but it has now officially launched on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
The German automaker has announced that it starts at €51,585 ($60,455) in its home market, €1,280 ($1,500) more than the Golf R hatchback. That sum could otherwise get you a brand new BMW 5 Series in the same country, or for a bit more, you could get the five-door Touring version of the executive car, which starts at €52,900 ($61,996). In the U.S., you could buy an Audi SQ5 or S5 Sportback from $53,900 each.
Now, it may seem like a lot of money for a Golf, but this isn’t your average compact estate. It is a sporty model with lots of power, 4Motion all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring, and even a dedicated drift mode. The 2.0-liter turbo-four, shared with the Golf R hot hatch, develops an identical 320 ps (315 hp / 235 kW) and 420 Nm (310 lb-ft) of torque.
Hooked up to a seven-speed transmission, it rockets the Golf R Variant to 100 kph (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds, and 250 kph (155 mph) or 270 kph (168 mph) with the optional R-Performance Package. Besides the higher top speed, the bundle brings 19-inch wheels, and the Drift and Nurburgring driving modes that set up the dynamics to tackle the famous racetrack or for tail-happy fun respectively.
Sporting 58 mm (2.3 in) more between the two axles over the hatchback, the Golf R Variant has a spacious interior and a maximum boot capacity of 1,642 liters (58 cu-ft) with the rear seats folded down. An electrically-retractable trailer hitch improves the practicality and is found on the options list, next to other amenities.
Now, it may seem like a lot of money for a Golf, but this isn’t your average compact estate. It is a sporty model with lots of power, 4Motion all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring, and even a dedicated drift mode. The 2.0-liter turbo-four, shared with the Golf R hot hatch, develops an identical 320 ps (315 hp / 235 kW) and 420 Nm (310 lb-ft) of torque.
Hooked up to a seven-speed transmission, it rockets the Golf R Variant to 100 kph (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds, and 250 kph (155 mph) or 270 kph (168 mph) with the optional R-Performance Package. Besides the higher top speed, the bundle brings 19-inch wheels, and the Drift and Nurburgring driving modes that set up the dynamics to tackle the famous racetrack or for tail-happy fun respectively.
Sporting 58 mm (2.3 in) more between the two axles over the hatchback, the Golf R Variant has a spacious interior and a maximum boot capacity of 1,642 liters (58 cu-ft) with the rear seats folded down. An electrically-retractable trailer hitch improves the practicality and is found on the options list, next to other amenities.
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