What's all this about?
Volkswagen has done something bloody marvellous and dropped the Golf R running gear into a Golf Estate body.
Really?!
Yup, this is the Golf R Estate, a 300hp, 380Nm compact load-lugger sending drive to all four wheels through a DSG six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The Ford Focus ST Estate won't know what's hit it.
DSG - no manual option?
Sadly not, although it kind of makes sense to offer it with the Volkswagen Group's pseudo-auto transmission as it's supposed to be a practical car. It'll still crack 0-62mph in 5.1 seconds and go on to a limited 155mph. We'll refrain from one of those lame 'squash your Labrador into the rear window' jokes here.
It looks pretty nice. How does it differ from the normal estate?
It has R-specific bodywork all round, including front and rear bumpers, side skirts, huge front air intakes and 18-inch Cadiz alloys - 19-inch Pretoria wheels will be an option. The R Estate has quad exhaust pipes too and a spoiler running around three sides of the rear screen, which Volkswagen calls 'aero flaps'.
And inside?
The cabin is very similar to the R hatchback, with Alcantara R-logoed seats, an R steering wheel and blue highlights, notably for the ambient lighting and dashboard dials. It also has the 605/1,620-litre (rear seats up/down) boot capacity of the normal estate.
What are the environmental stats like?
Budget on 40.4mpg combined and CO2 emissions of 163g/km. Which, for a C-segment estate car that can out-accelerate an E46 BMW M3, is pretty damned efficient.
When can I get behind the wheel?
The Volkswagen Golf R Estate, premiered at the LA Auto Show this month, can be ordered in the UK from spring 2015 with the first cars being delivered in summer.
Matt Robinson - 29 Nov 2014