The new Golf SportWagen is bigger and lighter than the "Jetta" SportWagen it replaces, and with a 1.8-liter turbo gasoline or a 2.0-liter diesel mated to a pair of manuals or a DSG, it's sportier and more economical too. Just get it in brown.
America's new manual diesel wagon, also known as the holy grail is here.
Based on the MQB architecture just like the rest of the Golf family, the SportWagen is 1.1 inches longer and 0.7 inches wider than the current Jetta. It's also 0.9 inches lower, which helps reducing drag.
Inside, it is more spacious thanks to its front wheels being 1.7 inches further forward, improving legroom at the rear. While offering more headroom, it's also easier to load, and there's ten percent more space with the seats folded down.
Volkswagen focused on saving weight, and with high- and ultra-high strength steels in the body and optimized components such as the seats, air conditioning and wiring, the Golf is not only lighter but stiffer too. That should make for a sportier ride, especially with the 1.8 TSI gas engine linked to a five-speed manual or a DSG, offering 170 horsepower and around 17 percent better fuel economy than what the current 2.5-liter can achieve.
For those looking for an even better milage, Volkswagen offers the 2.0 TDI with a six-speed manual or the DSG, producing 150 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque.
Add four-wheel drive to that, and it might just be the best family car the US have seen in a long time (it's worth noting they say nothing about AWD in the press release but there's a 4motion badge on the car).
The Golf SportWagen will go on sale in the first quarter of 2015.
What do you think? Do they have a winner?