- volkswagen has released a station-wagon version of the volkswagen golf r, which uses the same 315-hp turbocharged inline-four as the hatch.
- the estate reaches 62 mph in a claimed 4.9 seconds. with the r performance package, which also adds a drift mode, vw says top speed reaches 168 mph.
- the golf r estate is only for the europe market, where it will cost the equivalent of $60,835.
in the united states, where crossovers currently reign supreme, the performance station-wagon market is restricted to the top-end models, with the 591-hp audi rs6 avant and the 603-hp mercedes-amg e63 s wagon as the only two options. over in europe, however, there's a breadth of sporty wagons, also known as estates, and the latest addition joins the lower end of the spectrum. meet the volkswagen golf r estate, which is essentially a longer version of the golf r hatchback we drifted through the snow in earlier this year.
the new wagon utilizes the same powertrain, a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four producing a healthy 315 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque routed through the 4motion all-wheel-drive system, which includes torque vectoring. volkswagen says this can get the golf r estate to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds, two-tenths behind the lighter hatchback. the only transmission choice is a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. the car can also be specced with the r performance package, which adds two drive modes—drift, for your tire-shredding needs, and special, set up for track driving—and increases the top speed by 13 mph to 168 mph.
but it's not only fun; the golf r estate is a hugely practical vehicle. with the rear seats down, the wagon can pack in nearly 60 cubic feet of luggage; in two-row configuration, vw says the cargo volume is 21.6 cubic feet. the golf r estate can also be ordered with a trailer hitch, allowing the speedy wagon to tow more than 4000 pounds. sales begin in europe this month starting at the equivalent of $60,835. americans will have to make do with the golf r hatchback, which should provide plenty of fun when it goes on sale later this year.