Volkswagen Golf R Variant Priced at €43,000, Goes on Sale with Standard DSG

Going on sale in Germany today, the Golf R Variant is the most expensive Golf made so far, putting to shame even the electrically powered Golf GTE and e-Golf (costing about €37k and €35 respectively). So what's so special about this car that it can venture it can demand BMW or Audi money?

For starters, the Golf R Variant is more powerful and faster than any 2015 Passat. In fact, with the exception of the Touareg V8 TDI and Hybrid models, this is the most powerful car in Volkswagen's range. Featuring a cavernous boot with 605 liters (loaded to the backrests of the rear seats) of space, it's also one of the most practical.

The 300 horsepower coming from a 2.0 TSI turbo engine are channeled through a 6-speed DSG gearbox and 4Motion all-wheel drive system, both of which come as standard. Compared to a normal Golf Variant, the R rides 20mm lower, comes with progressive steering and will sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in only 5.1 seconds. That means this is VW is actually 0.7 seconds faster than the base model Boxster.

A normal Golf R hatchback costs €39,000, but for that money you get a 3-door body and no DSG gearbox.

Standard kit also includes a hot R-specific body kit with larger air intakes and chrome lines on the front bumper, as well as larger wheels and twin exhaust pipes. Also standard are bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights and tinted taillights.

There's no question this is going to be an interesting car, but at €43k, very few people will be able to afford it. Still, it's nice of Volkswagen to offer a performance estate model.