View Photos of the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R Wagon

Volkswagen

Volkswagen has given up on station wagons in the U.S. market, but in Europe it offers a wagon version of the current, Mk8-generation Golf. That includes the range-topping all-wheel-drive Golf R.

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The VW Golf R wagon takes the all-wheel-drive hot-hatch formula and applies it to a longroof body style.

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The powertrain is shared with the hatchback, with a turbocharged 2.0-liter EA888 four-cylinder engine making 315 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, paired with a seven-speed DSG twin-clutch gearbox and all-wheel drive.

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The Golf R wagon sits on a 1.9-inch-longer wheelbase than the hatchback, and overall length has been extended by 13.9 inches. It is also 240 pounds heavier than the hatch.

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As with the regular Golf wagon sold in Europe, the Golf R wagon’s cargo hold is impressively large: about 60 percent larger than the hatchback’s.

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We expect the Golf R wagon to get to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, just 0.3 second slower than the corresponding figure for the hatchback.

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Like the Golf R hatch, the wagon gets a torque-biasing rear differential, and buyers can pay extra for an optional Drift mode.

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Adaptive dampers are optional, with the DCC system offering no fewer than 15 levels of firmness when the Golf R is in its Individual mode.

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In the U.K., where we drove the car, the Golf R wagon costs 1955 pounds more than the hatchback. That’s $2400 at current exchange rates.

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Plaid cloth upholstery is standard in Europe, with leather available as an option.

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