Los Angeles

Volkswagen Golf R Variant: The Ultimate VW Is A Wagon

by Frédérick Boucher-Gaulin
All photos
Photo: Benjamin Hunting.

For the first time in the history of sporty Golfs, the alpha male of the pack won’t be a 3-door hatchback (like the Golf R and R32 of yore). At the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, the manufacturer will unveil the Golf R Variant, which is essentially a station wagon Golf with the innards of the R.

Instead of a diesel or an efficient little motor, the Golf R Variant receives the 300 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque powerplant that is found in the regular Golf R. This cavalry is sent to all four wheels via the 4Motion system and a six-speed DSG gearbox. The Golf R Variant can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds and eventually hit 250 km/h. Even better, it can achieve a fuel consumption of 7 litres/100 km, provided you are gentle enough with the throttle. Just like in the regular Golf R, the mode selector can be switched to Race and Individual in order to optimize the car’s various systems for spirited driving.

Sales should start next spring in Europe. There is no mention of a North American release, but the car is being unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show, so Volkswagen might be trying to tell us something…

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