Volkswagen has turned its phenomenal MkVIII Golf R into an estate, meaning that the whole family (and the dog) can now enjoy VW’s fast-paced wagon life.
Powered by the same two-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine as its smaller counterpart, the Golf R Estate produces 315 BHP and can hit 62 MPH in just 4.9 seconds (or 0.2 seconds slower than the hatchback variant), before going onto a top speed of 167 MPH if the special R package is equipped.
Other things have been borrowed from the hatchback, such as the 4MOTION all-wheel-drive torque vectoring system, the high-performance brakes, electronic differential locks and adaptive chassis control, which all come together to make sure the car puts the power down correctly for a precise and nimble, yet very fast, drive. Elsewhere, the Estate comes with “Drift Mode” which is great for power sliding around race tracks, while other modes such as “Comfort,” “Sport,” “Race” and “Individual” are poised towards on-road performance.
As expected, the wagon comes with a revised body kit in line with VW’s R cars, meaning the bumpers, diffuser, and other exterior add-ons are more pronounced than usual. The look is accentuated with the help of an ovular quad-tip exhaust set-up, 19-inch rims, and a choice of colors in R-typical “Lapiz Blue Metallic,” “Pure White” or “Deep Black Pearl Effect.”
The Volkswagen Golf R Estate is expected to launch in Germany and elsewhere in Europe on July 8 — meaning it won’t be coming to the U.S. as expected — and is set to cost from €51,585 EUR (approx. £44,000 GBP).
In related news, ABT Sportsline recently tuned the VW Golf R.