Super Golf’s whole (kitchen sink) in one
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Super Golf’s whole (kitchen sink) in one

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By ByronGoAuto - 18 August 2015

WHAT car would you buy if you could only ever have one?

A Ferrari? Sure, but it’s frightfully expensive and not very practical as a day-to-day proposition - even the FF wagonoid thing. A Range Rover Vogue? OK, but again, not cheap, quite large, and unfulfilling if you want to actually connect with the vehicle dynamically.

We could go on - what, with over 65 brands offering the widest variety of cars imaginable in Australia. But after a few days behind the wheel of one particular model, we’re prepared to say that - for some of you at least - the car that can be all things to all people is right here. Well, here in a few weeks.

There has never been a more powerful Golf sold in Australia than the R, thanks to a 206kW 2.0L direct-injection four-cylinder turbo.

Welcome, then, to the Volkswagen Golf R Wagon Wolfsburg Edition - a handful of a name certainly, but also a veritable world full of everyday transportation solutions, rolled into one evocative package. As the badge suggests, it ushers in the first-ever Golf R wagon in Australia.

Wolfsburg, of course, refers to VW’s home city - a German industrial town chosen by the Third Reich to build the People’s Car during the 1930s. And in the context of this Golf R Wagon’s ‘everyday performance’ populist aspirations - as well as its predatory position as leader of the hot-hatch pack - the name isn’t so daft.

From the B-pillar back the wagon is different to the regular Golf R hatch, with a 1620L luggage capacity for very speedy deliveries!

Only a couple of hundred Wolfsburg hatch and wagon versions will come into Australia initially from next month, and will carry a $1750 price premium compared to the regular hatch, or $3750 extra in wagon guise (the model we’re looking at here, priced at $58,990 plus on-road costs).

While emulating the hatch from the B-pillar forward, the R wagon gains its own look after that, with redesigned doors, roof, and rear panels, as well as a unique bumper, specific diffuser, four exhaust outlets, and darker tail-light lenses.

A Haldex AWD system channels up to 99 per cent of torque to the wheels that need it most, helping to make the Golf R wagon a sure-footed all-weather handler.

Besides offering a larger, 1620-litre luggage area behind the rear seats, the rather boxy looking R Wagon Wolfsburg brings black 19-inch alloys, black roof rails and mirror caps, Nappa leather and heated front seats, adaptive cruise control, a blind-spot monitor with rear traffic alert, a proactive occupant protection system, the Front Assist system with Autonomous Emergency Brakes, and… a unique white hue to the colour palette.

This is all above and beyond the regular Golf R hatch gear such as climate control, a reversing camera, parking sensors, bi-Xenon headlights, a colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto/MirrorLink connectivity, sports seats and a leather-lined flat-bottomed steering wheel.

Though very similar to regular Golfs, the R wagon’s cabin features unique trim and plenty of standard features, such as GPS and heated leather seats.

That’s quite a lot of kit for a grand under $60K. A sunroof is basically the only option.

Beneath that sculptured bonnet is VW’s EA888 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine, delivering 206kW of power from 5100-6500rpm and 380Nm of torque from 1800-5100rpm, mated to a six-speed DSG dual clutch transmission, and driving all four wheels via VW’s 4Motion AWD system.

The EA888 2.0-litre direct-injection four-pot turbo is a development of the engine found in previous Golf GTIs. With the limiters disabled, it can hurtle the R wagon to over 270km/h.

Capable of channelling up to 99 per cent of torque between whichever axle needs traction most, it features EDL electronic differential locks that work with the ESC electronic stability control and XDS+ cornering braking function for optimal handling and roadholding, according to VW.

Additionally, DCC adaptive chassis control system with Comfort, Normal, Sport, Race and Individual settings, affecting the throttle, steering, transmission, dampers and air-con levels according to driver preference.

Quad exhausts, housed within a redesigned bumper featuring a unique rear diffuser set the Golf R apart from normal Golf wagons.

Result? Even with a boot load of IKEA flat-pack furniture, it should hit the 100km/h mark in under 5.5 seconds, making it one of the fastest five-seaters for under $60K. Top speed is limited to 250km/h. Remove that and it climbs to around 270km/h in European tune. On the flipside, fuel consumption is rated at about 7.0 litres per 100km.

VW has altered the MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear set-up with a 20mm ride height drop; the chassis includes

modified (and switch-off-able) ESC with higher intervention thresholds, and a progressive steering gear ratio that reduces turns down from 2.75 to 2.1 revolutions.

The current Golf R hatch, launched in 2013, is something of a performance bargain from $52,740.

Finally, at the other end of the car, the Golf R wagon is as capacious as the bread-and-butter models, with the regular 605L of rear-seat-up volume extendable to 1620L with the backrests folded.

So whichever way you look at it, the Golf R Wagon Wolfsburg Edition is a rare and talented beast, blending renowned VW quality and everyday practicality with powerful and progressive all-weather performance, for about the price of a base-model BMW 3 Series of Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

The first Golf R sold in Oz was the 2004 R32, powered by a 177kW/320Nm 3.2L V6, catapulting the $63K 3-door hatch to 100km/h in 6.6s.

As the ultimate expression of the People’s Car, this works everywhere, from Orange to Oslo. If you only had to drive one new car, would you put this on your list?

Byron Mathioudakis GoAuto.com.au

Protect your Volkswagen. Call Shannons Insurance on 13 46 46 to get a quote today.