Good station wagons aren’t always easy to find. These are the wagons that are special, and especially affordable. It’s nice to see that the brand new Volkswagen Golf Wagon meets the favoured criteria.

First of all, you need space to make it work. Inside the smart interior of the Volkswagen Golf Wagon, there are all sorts of handy places to store nick-nacks and luggage for the journey from A to B. This clever design work has meant that the spacious cabin in a Golf Wagon feels roomy for any tall adult. While out the back end, there is ample luggage space for suitcases, golf bags and the like. Able to carry lots of stuff, and tall people, the Volkswagen Golf Wagon performs its job very well. It is a real wagon. Inside, you can carry plenty of cargo for the holiday away, rubbish to the dump or all the cricket team’s gear for Saturday’s big game. Even with the rear seats up, the luggage space equates to a big 500 litres. Fold the seats flat (easy to do with a flick of the handle) and you’ve got yourself a huge 1495 litres of cargo space. Also a handy feature is the way the rear seat can fold into a 60/40 position – great for those long things you need to slide inside, every now and then.

When one looks to buy themself a new wagon, because they need the space and practicality, a number of people think let’s get the big Falcon or the Commodore to do the business. You don’t always have to go this big. What the Lexus wagon, the Accord wagon and Volkswagen Golf Wagon have over the big wagons from Ford, Holden and Mitsubishi is that they are a lot more frugal on fuel. A few less litres of luggage space in the back equates to a whole heap less litres of fuel at the pumps. And where the Volkswagen Golf has it over all other station wagons is in the engine bay. The Golf Wagon has some of the most fuel efficient petrol and diesel engines in the business.

The Volkswagen Golf Wagon range offers two diesel and two petrol models offering low fuel consumption and lively performance. Let’s start off with the Volkswagen Golf Wagon 90TSI Trendline. Housing the refined 1.4 litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine, you are not going to be left short of grunt. With a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG gearbox, optimum use of the 200 Nm at between 1500-4000 rpm can be accessed. Between 1500 rpm and 4000 rpm is where this little engine loves to sing all day long. Want an extra squirt of power, then flick the gear down a cog and the engine easily finds its maximum power of 90 kW which sits between 5000-5500 rpm – now you have your passing manoeuvre done and dusted. Enjoyable direct handling makes this a nice Golf Wagon to own and drive. Though considered the base model, you’ll still find comfortable, smart cloth seats, plenty of electrics, a decent stereo, six airbags, ESP, ASR, ABS, Brake Assist, EDL, EBD, HAS and wonderful interior craftsmanship.

Next in the line-up is the Volkswagen Golf Wagon 77TDI Trendline. You have under the hood a little beauty of an engine that is just so frugal and responsive. This is the sort of powerplant that makes the Golf Wagon such a class leader. The unit has been engineered as a very clean-burning TDI engine with diesel particulate filter control. Boasting a 1.6-litre TDI turbocharged diesel engine, you find the maximum power of 77 kW at 4400rpm very accessible. However, with such strong torque low down in the engine revs (250Nm at between 1500-2500 rpm), and a slick seven-speed DSG gearbox, this is an engine that can pull from any gear no sweat, at all. Again you find six airbags, ESP, ASR, ABS, Brake Assist, EDL, EBD, HAS and top workmanship in the interior. VW know how to make a cabin classy and tactile.

With a few more bells and whistles, the Golf Wagon 118TSI Comfortline looks very sporty. This is backed up by housing a 1.4-litre TSI twin turbocharged petrol engine under the bonnet. You’ll find the maximum power of 118 kW at 5900 rpm fun to put through its paces. A healthy maximum torque of 240 Nm at between 1750-4500 rpm, and a seven-speed DSG gearbox, and this is a sweet little performer. All the top safety features, as mentioned above, ensure you are well looked after, and an optional Sport package sets this off as a stylish wagon. A great ride and handling package makes it a smooth refined performer.

Finally, at the top of the Volkswagen Golf Wagon range is the 103TDI Comfortline. Comfortline means “nice to travel in”, and the well-groomed performance doesn’t have to cost the earth at the petrol pump. The 2.0-litre TDI turbocharged diesel engine is exceptionally sporty, with 103 kW at its peak, and 320 Nm of torque available over a flat torque curve. Linked to a six-speed DSG gearbox, and with all the active safety kit (as mentioned above), this is a wagon you’re going to enjoy driving long distances day in, day out. The Optional Sport package is worth the few extra dollars spent.

Make your day, and drive the Golf way. You’ll see why it is such a popular choice in Europe.

The current model series includes the:

• Golf Wagon 90TSI Trendline
• Golf Wagon 77TDI Trendline
• Golf Wagon 118TSI Comfortline
• Golf Wagon 103TDI Comfortline

For anymore information on the Volkswagen Golf Wagon, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Volkswagen dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

Back to Volkswagen Car Reviews