Golf R Variant Top model of the Golf line-up with 300 PS and all-wheel drive

The Volkswagen Golf Variant R adds a 220Kw all-wheel drive station wagon to the Golf lineup.

Volkswagen has given much of the automotive world what they want, the performance of the Golf R sports car, with the practicality of a station wagon. The resulting Golf R Variant with 220KW and all-wheel drive makes debut in Los Angeles this week.

Volkswagen will present as a world premiere one of the sportiest all-rounders in the compact class at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week: the new Golf R Variant.

For the first time since the existence of the model range, the Golf R, the icon of all-wheel compact sports cars, is being launched as a station wagon. The exclusive model has 221 kW / 300 PS.

Image 1 of 5: The Volkswagen Golf Variant R adds a 220Kw all-wheel drive station wagon to the Golf lineup.

The turbo engine of the Golf R Variant provides up to 380 Nm torque via a standard 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) to the permanent 4MOTION all-wheel drive. Distribution of the drive power over all four wheels guarantees maximum traction, performance and active safety. Providing for pure dynamic performance are a sport suspension (lowered 20 mm), the innovative progressive steering system and "ESC Sport" - which can be deactivated for use on a race course. Optional highlights include the newest generation of the DCC adaptive chassis control system with driving profile selector that features a Race mode.

• Read Driven Magazine's review of the Volkswagen Golf R
• Read Driven Magazine's review of the Volkswagen Passat R

The Golf R Variant accelerates from a standstill to 80 km/h (50 mph) in only 3.8 seconds and to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.1 seconds. The sports wagon is electronically limited to a sensible 250 km/h. Fuel consumption and emission values show just how efficiently the turbocharged four-cylinder engine of the Golf R Variant works: in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), the sportiest Golf Variant of all times only consumes 7.0 l/100 km; this value equates to CO2 emissions of 163* g/km.

The Golf R Variant is one of very few sports cars that do not throw in the towel when it comes to leisure activities taking up lots of space or even a whole family. With a storage capacity of 605 liters (loaded up to the back seat backrest), this Volkswagen offers an impressively large trunk even with five people on board. Loaded up to the backs of the front sports seats, the cargo capacity even grows to 1,620 liters.