Geneva Preview: Volkswagen Golf Variant (that's "Wagon" to us)
Click for hi-res mini-gallery
Here's a first peek at Volkswagen's Geneva-bound Golf Variant. The new station wagon will launch with a choice of two gasoline and two diesel engines underhood. The topline petrol-drinker gets the 1.4L TFSI "Twincharger" that's good for 140 horses. The available diesels are rated at 105 hp and 140 hp, and each one is good for over 40mpg.
Cargo capacity is around 24 cubic feet with the rear seats up and baloons to 54 cubic feet when they're stowed. They fold completely flat, making it easy to load up all your stuff. No official word yet on if/when we'll be seeing it, but our friends at the Jalop say to look for it in NYC in April. We wouldn't be averse to seeing it arrive stateside as the Jetta Wagon -- with a nice, punchy GLI model topping the range. Pretty please, VW?
[Sources: VW (pics), MotorAuthority, Jalopnik]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Liters 3:41PM (2/26/2007)
I still don't like the fact that this generation of Jettas and Golfs all look the same... The Jetta is just a Golf sedan and the Golf is just a Jetta hatchback... now the Golf Variant is a Jetta Wagon, it's stupid.
Reply
aman 3:42PM (2/26/2007)
aren't all golfs rabbits, now? anyway, that's a jetta wagon, not a golf/rabbit variant
Reply
MJL 4:07PM (2/26/2007)
Hooray for ugly rears! Seriously, why do all these Euro-only wagons (Opel Vectra, Renault Megane) have such awkward, ugly rears? If these guys are all about wagons, shouldn't they be at least as good looking as their sedan brothers?
Reply
DKB_SATX 3:49PM (2/26/2007)
Golf, Jetta, Variant, Wagon... call it what you want, I'm just glad to see more choices in this segment. Someday I'll want to replace my Legacy GT Wagon and I'm not buying an Outback, so if I want to roll the quality dice on another VW (I got lucky 3 times running) I'll have a good choice... the Passat Wagon doesn't do it for me.
Reply
DC_1 11:52AM (8/15/2007)
This Jetta has one FUGLY looking a$$.
Reply
skaz 4:42PM (2/26/2007)
Liters: The Jetta has always pretty much been a 4dr Golf. The first generation Jetta was nearly identical to the Golfs/Rabbits of the time.
I know this because I was at the junkyard yesterday looking for parts for my '86 Cabriolet. It didn't take long to realize that the cars were almost identical.
Reply
fizzandpop 4:57PM (2/26/2007)
I don't want to be one of those 'tards that says it looks like some other car or other, but the rear does bare a striking resemblence to a Suzuki. Plus, shock horror, there appears to be exposed body-color metal in the interior.
Bring it here with the 2.0 FSI and DSP, we all love sleepers.
Reply
Rodion 5:00PM (2/26/2007)
There are plenty of good looking wagons in EU. Models you mentioned are outdated. Check out Skoda Octavia VRS www.skoda.co.uk
Reply
jgp 5:05PM (2/26/2007)
They call it a Golf, yet it has that fugly Jetta grill...
Reply
Deezee 5:49PM (2/26/2007)
Ugly. Period.
Reply
cs 6:38PM (2/26/2007)
The previous U.S. Jetta Wagon was the Golf Estate in Europe, complete with Golf front end IIRC. It works better for them that way since the Golf name is bigger there and they generally don't like small sedans like the U.S. does.
Interesting that they're using the Jetta nose for this. My best guess is that it's to take the chrome grille and keep up the brand identity with that, since the Passat has it.
Reply
huis 7:01PM (2/26/2007)
I agree, the back isn't the best looking. There are much much better looking wagons out there than the rear of this thing.
Also, what's with wagons having such narrow cargo areas? It's rated at 24 cubic feet? That's pathetic. Look at the pictures--it doesn't even look wide enough for a set of golf clubs because they beef up the sides of the trunk with all kinds of crap little panel-covered storage nooks for jacks and other crap. And this isn't the only recent wagon that's done that.
My old '93 Escort was a lot smaller car than a new Jetta, and it had 30.6 cubic feet with the seats up, and it was easily wide enough to fit golf clubs straight across the back.
Reply
Luke White 4:38PM (2/27/2007)
It gets my interest ONLY if it comes in a GLI version with all the go-fast bits and the black grille - can't stand that chrome garbage. (Not holding my breath.) The wagon body makes it where it doesn't have that previous generation Camry/Corolla C-pillar/butt that completely turned me off on Mk5 Jettas when I was in the market for a 4-door sedan/wagon to replace my GTI. (Ended up buying a Mazda 6)
Reply
chewy 8:59PM (2/26/2007)
It looks great, of course the tail lights are a bit weird shaped, but I will have to see how they look on the street. I am sure there is plenty of space in the back. I am sure European measurement standards are different for trunk space.
Reply
NoNameDenton 9:03PM (2/26/2007)
I would drive it, but I would be wearing a paper bag over my head so no one would recognize me
Reply
Jim 9:56PM (2/26/2007)
Why all the 'ugly rear' comments. ITS A WAGON! What else would you have the rear look like? I just don't think it looks bad.
I'll happily drive the TDI version.
Reply
Mark 10:37PM (2/26/2007)
Clean up the front end, not the back, bring it here with the TDI and this could be my next car.
Reply
Eduardo S 10:41PM (2/26/2007)
It seems they've got too much inspiration from that old '96 Accord SW (http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/21/hondaaccord329052020070sp8.jpg) the rear-end styling is just the same, the tailights shape, the form of the rear itself, don't like it
Reply
finbred 5:12AM (2/27/2007)
That rear sure was a surprise. Terrible. Looks like as Saab to me. The Passat wagon's behind looks great and the Jetta has been marketed as the poor man's Passat here in Europe. What were they thinking... not much.
Reply
Mat Vᳱuez 12:53AM (3/22/2007)
Yo soy De Chile(yo soy el que pone mis comentarios en Autoblog en Español) y yo prefiero que deberia llamarse Jetta Variant -En Europa-(En Chile y America Latina sera Vento Variant) y no Golf Variant. Eso.
Reply