The all new Golf Sportwagen is finally arriving at dealerships. The widely anticipated wagon finally is hitting almost a year after the first mk7 GTIs were delivered. Was the wait worth it? I’d say definitely.
Before we get into details of our newest Sportwagen, the past must be addressed. “What happened to the Jetta Sportwagen?” Well, lets just say it was never really a Jetta. In model year 2002, the US market received its “first” compact wagon. This mIV “Jetta Wagon” was actually a Golf in every other country that this wagon was sold in. Why would VW do such a thing, you ask? The US market has had a long time love affair with sedans, and hatchbacks were never too popular. Because the Jetta was a much more recognizable model in the US at the time, the Golf Wagon was called a Jetta for marketing purposes. This relabeling for the US market would continue with the 2009-2014 Jetta SportWagen, which was again a Golf in every other market.
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| (Cargo box, wheels, and roof rails can be found at parts.vw.com) |
Now that we understand that the beloved Sportwagen really is a Golf, let’s talk details. The Golf SportWagen comes equipped with either a 1.8L turbocharged gasoline engine, or the 2.0L turbocharged diesel engine. The ever so popular 2.0L TDI Clean Diesel engine has been bumped up to 150 hp @ 3500 rpm, with a maximum torque of 237 lb-ft at 1750 rpm. This beautiful inline four cylinder is a turbocharged direct injection, common rail system with an estimated fuel economy of 31 city, 43 hwy* - slight improvement from the previous generation. The gasoline engine however could give our beloved diesel engine a run for its money. This new inline four cylinder is based off Volkswagen’s award winning 2.0L TSI engine, with 170 hp at 4800 rpm and a maximum torque of 185 lb-ft @1600 rpm. This is a bump up from the previous generation’s 2.5L naturally aspirated five cylinder engine. In addition to more torque, the new 1.8L TSI Sportwagen has a better estimated fuel economy of 25 in the city, 36 on the hwy*, and is recommended to use regular unleaded fuel, despite being a turbocharged engine. With the price difference of diesel, the TSI engine could be more practical for a lot of future owners who don’t crave the 400-500k mile longevity of a diesel.
Sizewise the new Sportwagen has increased just a little bit here and there. The passenger volume has increased 2.6 cu. ft, while the cargo space has decreased about 2.4 cu. ft. The wheelbase has increased 2 inches, but the overall length has only grown 0.2 inches, coming out to be 179.6 inches. The width has also only 0.7 inches, coming out to be 70.8 inches. The Sportwagen** may have slightly grown, but it certainly trimmed down. Weighing in at 3063 lb, the curb weight has gone down 123 lbs.
In addition to standard features like Bluetooth connectivity, Car-Net, and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (Limited subscription), the Sportwagen has optional equipment including:
- Rear-view camera
- 5.8” touchscreen navigation system
- Fender premium audio system
- Climatronic dual-zone (L/R) automatic climate control
- KESSY keyless access w/ push-button start
- Automatic headlights
- Lighting Package including Bi-Xenon headlights with Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS), ambient interior lighting, footwell lights
- Driver Assistance Package including Park Distance Control (Front & Rear) and Forward Collision Warning System
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| (Photos by VWoA) |
The Golf SportWagen starts off at $21,395 as a 5-speed manual transmission in the 1.8L TSI gasoline engine. A 6-speed automatic transmission is available for an additional $1100 for the TSI transmission. The TDI Clean Diesel engine starts off as a 6-speed manual at $27,995 as a mid level trim, and a 6-speed DSG automatic transmission is available for again an additional $1100.
For more pricing information and details, contact one of our fantastic sales staff. In the meantime tweet us @stohlmanauto. Until next time!
Esther Cho
VW Product Specialist
*Fuel economy is in reference to manual transmission models.
**Specs are in reference to the 1.8L TSI gasoline engine with the 5-speed manual transmission.
