A new generation of the Volkswagen Golf R is headed to showrooms later this year as a 2022 model and in some markets buyers will be able to choose between the regular hatchback and a more practical wagon variant.
Sadly, the United States won't be one of them as VW has chosen not to bring any of the latest Golf's wagon variants to these shores. We even miss out on the regular Golf hatch, with only the sporty Golf GTI and Golf R confirmed for local sale.
The latest spy shots and video show a prototype for the 2022 Golf R's wagon variant, which is to be called a Golf R Variant or Golf R Estate, depending on the market. The lack of camouflage gear suggests the debut is coming up soon. If sold here, it would likely be called something along the lines of Golf R SportWagen.
ll the Volkswagen R cues are there, like the enlarged air intakes, chunky side skirts, and quad-exhaust tips. You'll also spot massive cross-drilled brake rotors at the front axle for superior stopping power. In the U.S., the 2022 Golf R is coming with 14.1-inch cross-drilled rotors at all four corners with two-piston front calipers and single-piston rears.
2022 Volkswagen Golf R
2022 Volkswagen Golf R
2022 Volkswagen Golf R
The 2022 Golf R is also confirmed with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 generating a peak 315 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. Buyers will be able to choose between a 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch 'box, with the latter able to deliver 0-62 mph acceleration in 4.7 seconds. All-wheel drive will be standard, with the latest setup confirmed with a pair of clutches at the rear to split torque between the rear wheels.
For the interior, all Golf variants come with a digital instrument cluster and a second screen for the infotainment. Grippy bucket seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel will be standard in the Golf R. In the wagon, owners can make use of roughly 58 cubic feet of storage with the rear seats folded flat.
