A Golf estate has never been something to lose your head over… until this week, when Volkswagen officially took the wraps off the all-new Golf R Variant at the Los Angeles Auto Show. By combining the 2-liter turbo from the Audi S3 with the body of an estate, they've managed to create a car unlike anything else before it, one which we think is the start of a small revolution.
Nobody was ever surprised about the looks of the Golf 7 R. It was just like the 6th version, only better. However, the R Variant is something different. Seeing a family estate body and popping, farting sounds from a quad exhaust system is really strange, though that's exactly what we have in the very first video of the car.
Would we buy one? Maybe. There's just too much performance on offer from this relatively light and sleek car to keep buying fake sports SUVs.
The 4Motion all-wheel drive system isn't a drain of fuel either. Most of the time, power goes to the front wheels and is sent to the back whenever slip is detected. That's why on the European driving cycle, this car achieves a very impressive 7 l/100km combined, which is equivalent to about 34 mpg in the US.
Remember, with only a 2-liter turbo engine, this Golf is able to reach 100 km/h in just 5 seconds. For instance, Nissan's 3.7-liter V6 sportscar, the 370Z, needs slightly more than that. And if you want to compare it to something that's a bit more practical, how about the Audi SQ5. The twin-turbo 3-liter TDI makes 313 hp and requires 5.1 seconds to push the 2-ton vehicle to 100 km/h. And get this, the official rating for the size of the trunk is in favor of the Golf R Variant, which has an extra 65 liters of space.
A 300 hp bike carrier
Like we mentioned at the beginning, the Golf R Variant could be the start of a revolution, one that predictably rises from the same auto group. Spanish carmaker SEAT will launch a FWD hot estate with 280 hp next year, while Skoda is planning an Octavia vRS Combi with increased power as well.
We've saved the bad news for last. This car is set to hit German showrooms in Spring 2015, but there are no plans to sell it in America yet. As for Skoda and SEAT, well they don't even exist. If you want a fast compact wagon, you'll just have to go ask Volvo for one.
Would we buy one? Maybe. There's just too much performance on offer from this relatively light and sleek car to keep buying fake sports SUVs.
Marriage of power and sensibleness
The Golf R may be powerful (300 horses), but the guys at Volkswagen have also given it selectable driving modes. You can put it in comfort and just waft along, letting the six-speed DSG gearbox do most of the work.The 4Motion all-wheel drive system isn't a drain of fuel either. Most of the time, power goes to the front wheels and is sent to the back whenever slip is detected. That's why on the European driving cycle, this car achieves a very impressive 7 l/100km combined, which is equivalent to about 34 mpg in the US.
Remember, with only a 2-liter turbo engine, this Golf is able to reach 100 km/h in just 5 seconds. For instance, Nissan's 3.7-liter V6 sportscar, the 370Z, needs slightly more than that. And if you want to compare it to something that's a bit more practical, how about the Audi SQ5. The twin-turbo 3-liter TDI makes 313 hp and requires 5.1 seconds to push the 2-ton vehicle to 100 km/h. And get this, the official rating for the size of the trunk is in favor of the Golf R Variant, which has an extra 65 liters of space.
A 300 hp bike carrier
Like we mentioned at the beginning, the Golf R Variant could be the start of a revolution, one that predictably rises from the same auto group. Spanish carmaker SEAT will launch a FWD hot estate with 280 hp next year, while Skoda is planning an Octavia vRS Combi with increased power as well.
We've saved the bad news for last. This car is set to hit German showrooms in Spring 2015, but there are no plans to sell it in America yet. As for Skoda and SEAT, well they don't even exist. If you want a fast compact wagon, you'll just have to go ask Volvo for one.