Meet, the VW Golf R Wagon – a 315-hp family vehicle with Drift mode 

If you’re a fan of the Golf and of wagons, then this might get your socks off. Volkswagen officially launched the all-new Golf R Estate that will be available in the German and European markets by July 2021. 

The new Golf R Wagon: more power, more dynamism, more emotions, more space

Of note, this is the sportier version of the current Golf Mk8, which was released back in 2020. But do note that the Golf hatchback and the Golf Wagon aren't available in the Philippines. Nevertheless, the news of VW’s new sportier version of their wagon is just too cool to pass up. Let’s check it out. 

Exterior 

The all-new 2022 VW Golf R Estate

As with the regular VW Golf Estate, the new Golf R Estate maintains its recognizable wagon dimensions. On top of that though, it features R-specific pieces like the front bumper with splitters, side wings, as well as a rear bumper with a high gloss black diffuser. The rear also gets quad exhausts, while the side mirrors are colored in silver. Also included with the R-package is a set of 19-inch alloy wheels.  

Interior 

Inside, the Golf R Estate can comfortably seat up to five. It has 38mm more legroom than the Golf hatchback, and it has a total of 611-liters of default cargo room. Fold the rear seats down, and that space can then fit up to 1,642 liters. As a side note, this new R wagon is 349mm longer compared to the old model, which of course means more passenger room and cargo room.  

The seat' offers a lot of bolstering

As with the exterior, the new model also received R-specific interior features like its new premium sports seats, and a new leather-wrapped steering wheel. And of course, the interior comes with blue-colored R logos to home in the fact that this is a true R model. 

Tech and Safety 

For the driver, the new Golf R Estate provides the R-specific digital cockpit pro. It can be adjusted to display what information one needs, and it can even display track times.  

The Golf R Estate's cockpit

As for the infotainment system, VW decided to keep the 6.5-inch touchscreen that’s found on the Golf hatchback models. It is capable of connecting to a smartphone via Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and it looks like it is seamlessly molded into the digital gauge cluster via a gloss black trim piece. 

Engine 

Under the hood of the Golf R Estate is a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 gasoline engine. It is the same engine found on the Golf R hatch, and it too can make up to 318 horsepower and 420 Nm of torque. Power is then sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission system.  

The drivetrain for this wagon model is VW’s 4Motion torque-vectoring four-wheel-drive. Combined with the powertrain, this allows the Golf R Estate to reach a zero to 100 km/h time of 4.9 seconds. It also has launch control.  

So yeah, its a family friendly car that can drift 

The new R Wagon also has multiple drive models, including a drift mode and a special mode if one opts for the optional Performance package. The drift mode does what it says: more power to the rear, thus encouraging oversteer. The special mode in turn, sharpens the transmission and throttle, to tackle race courses. In fact, this mode was specially designed to take on the famous Nürburgring-Nordschleife race track in Germany. 

With that kind of power, technology, and interior space, the Golf R Wagon/Estate is indeed one of the sportiest cars that can function well as a family car. Too bad that the possibility of a Philippine launch is slim. Heck, it isn’t even available in the US market. 

As mentioned, though, the new Volkswagen Golf R Estate will be available first in Germany and the rest of Europe this month. Prices will start from EUR 51,585, or around Php 3.03 million sans taxes.  

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