Long reputed for its country-rock bar scene and irresistible barbecue shacks, home at once to the state capitol buildings, 100,000-seat Texas Longhorns football stadium and South By Southwest music festival, this city embraces its eclectic character. T-shirts in the souvenir shops shout out, "Keep Austin weird." Accordingly, Volkswagen chose the city to stage the debut of its new wagon, a class of car that seemed to be going the way of the push-button radio.
VW positions the Golf Sportwagon – spelled Sportwagen in the United States, for reasons unexplained – as a sportier, more driver-controlled alternative to the soccer-mom SUVs and CUVs populating our roadways. Available in manual or DSG automatic transmission, the car is scheduled to arrive in Canadian showrooms by month's end.
Early this week, VW made the six-speed automatic TSI (gasoline) and six-speed manual TDI (diesel) available for test drives along twisting, mildly hilly streets outside Austin. VW took about 60 kilograms out of its Jetta predecessor, leaving the five-passenger car stiffer while enhancing fuel economy by more than 15 per cent in the TSI, more so with diesel.
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Taking on a hill, the TDI outfitted with the stick shift climbed confidently and persistently, its engine letting out a guttural sound … okay, a cat's purr in comparison to a Porsche 911's roar – still, not something heard, for example, from a Chevy Equinox rental on a ski trip in New Mexico. Sixth gear seemed an unnecessary luxury on country roads, but still nice to have for fuel economy when cruising highways.
When we missed a marker here and there along a plotted route, the rack-and-pinion, electric-power-assist turning executed a U-turn easily within its diameter range of 10.9 metres. An all-wheel drive Golf Sportwagon is likely coming to Canada, though not until the 2016 model year at best. How the front-wheel system performs on Canadian winter tundra obviously could not be assessed. VW counted on sunshine in Texas, got a deluge of rain instead and thus it can be said that the Highline model hugged the curvy, slicked roads outside the city with nary a hint of slippage, at speeds up to 110 km/h.
The wagons felt fun to drive, the TDI especially. VW is betting on that feeling to lure drivers away from the CUV parade by providing something of a German premium-brand sensation at a $2,000 discount to the prior model when accounting for standard content such as alloy wheels. The prices are partially sheltered from the U.S.-to-Canadian dollar conversion rate, for who knows how long.
You'll like this car if ... You are seeking the convenience of a crossover, pining for the feel of a sportier vehicle, looking to pay low-to-mid-range CUV money.
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TECH SPECS
- Base price: TSI gasoline version, $22,495 (manual); $30,495 as tested; TDI diesel, $24,995 (manual), $34,195 as tested.
- Engines: TSI, 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder; TDI, 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
- Transmission: TSI, five-speed manual and six-speed automatic; TDI, six-speed manual and six-speed automatic.
- Fuel economy: TSI manual, 9.5 litres/100 km city, 6.6 highway; TDI, 7.7 litres/100 km city, 5.4 litres/100 km highway. Consumption slightly higher in gas and diesel versions with automatic transmission.
- Alternatives: Subaru Outback, Mazda3, Volvo CV60, Honda HR-V, Audi Allroad
RATINGS
- Looks: If the body evokes memories of Saturn wagons, perhaps this reflects the dearth of wagon exterior design since the days of the Woodies. Alloy wheels are standard on all three trims, and go from 15-to-16-to-17 inches depending on the trim level (note: a spare tire comes only with the 15-inch wheel). VW’s “MQB architecture,” which establishes the distance between front-wheel centreline and the pedals, moving the front wheels 4.3 cm further forward than on the preceding Jetta SportWagen, making the hood appear longer. It slopes down into the front fenders opposed to the fender peaks rising above the hood, for enhanced driver sightlines into turns. The headlights are framed by softly curved casing and more angular horizontal design cues produced a slim radiator grille. The tailgate allows for a lower load height than before, according to VW. Comes in seven colours: pearl, white, grey, dark blue, silver, red, light blue and metallic paint is available.
- Interior: Cost is $8,000, give-or-take, to make the jump from Trendline over the Comfortline to the top-trim Highline, with much of that investment evident inside: 12-function power seats, chrome matte decor, leather sport seats that envelope the lower body, LED lighting, dual climate control and a Fender audio system. Yes, some such ingredients would be standard on lower-priced competitors. On all models, the dashboard’s plastic covering is mitigated by a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The infotainment system, contained in a compact space by SUV standards, is anchored by a 5.8-inch monitor, larger than VW’s prior version.
- Performance: VW claims that the TDI will beat any non-electric CUV or SUV for fuel economy. In exchange, the driver feels the road, opposed to getting an SUV-ish impression of piloting a large cruise boat.
- Technology: The crash response system can detect the severity of an accident, automatically unlock all doors, disconnect the battery from the alternator cable, shut off fuel supply and electrical components and switch on the emergency flashers. A rear-view camera is standard on the three trim models, as are heated front wipers. The forward collision warning system, standard only on the Highline top trim, clicked into beeping mode as the car approached a bridge flooded by rainwater outside Austin.
- Cargo: Space is about the same as most CUVs, Roomy enough for a couple of hockey bags with carry-ons stacked on top. Fold down the back seats for about 10 per cent greater space than the Jetta version. Specifically, 860 litres, 1,880 litres with the back seat folded down. A cover, plus tie-down hooks for the bigger stuff and shopping bags are included.
THE VERDICT
8.0
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Even with all possible options, the highly anticipated Golf prices some $10,000 less than German premium-brand wagons, while giving the driver a more intimate road experience than possible in CUVs and SUVs, no matter the maker.
The writer was a guest of the auto maker. Content was not subject to approval.
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