New Volkswagen Golf estate and Alltrack priced from £24,575
Length increase makes latest-generation estate roomier; high-riding Alltrack 4x4 also renewed
Volkswagen has opened order books for the new Golf Estate, with three trim levels for the standard car and a rugged Alltrack option available from launch.
Prices start at £24,575 for entry-level Life trim, which comes equipped as standard with automatic LED headlights, a colour-coded rear spoiler, 16in alloy wheels, ambient interior lighting and satellite navigation.
Style trim bumps the price up to £26,765, adding extras including high beam assist, front sports seats, three-zone climate control, lane change assist and 17in alloys. Topping the line-up for now is performance-inspired R-Line trim, which borrows styling cues from VW's top-rung R cars, and features sports suspension, progressive steering, a heated leather steering wheel and a choice of drive modes.
The jacked-up Alltrack car - priced from £35,560 - comes with four-wheel drive as standard for improved off-road ability, and is further marked out from the rest of the range by its bespoke wheel designs, silver roof rails and black plastic side trims.
A choice of three engines is available. The entry-level 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol (Life trim only) produces 108bhp and capable of between 47.9 and 53.3mpg, while the 1.5-litre option can be had in either 128bhp or 148bhp forms, and with or without a 48V mild hybrid system, for consumption of between 45.6 and 51.4mpg.
One diesel option, a 2.0-litre TDI, is available throughout the range with 113bhp or 148bhp, and manages between 49.6 and 61.4mpg depending on spec. The Alltrack is available exclusively with the diesel engine, but with power bumped up to 197bhp for a towing capacity of up to 2000kg braked on a 12% slope.
Each engine can be paired with a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed DSG automatic.
The load-luggers complement the standard five-door hatchback launched earlier this year and the subsequently revealed GTI, GTD and GTE hot hatches.
Key to the new Golf Estate’s practical appeal is an increase in size: at 4.63m long, it’s 66mm longer than the Mk7 Golf wagon, although rivals such as the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer are longer still. Its width and height are similar to its predecessor’s, however.
The new-found length is all concentrated in the wheelbase, affording a 38mm increase in maximum rear leg room. The boot is larger than before, too, although by just six litres with the rear seats in place (up to 611 litres) and 22 litres with them folded flat (up to 1642 litres).
The boot itself features the usual bag hooks and (optional on certain trims) 12V and 230V power sockets, while an electrically extending tow hook is available. Furthermore, the optional electric bootlid can be opened with a swipe of a foot underneath the rear bumper.
Volkswagen claims the exterior design “exudes charisma”. Identical to the hatchback from the front up to the B-pillars, the Estate’s roofline slopes downwards towards the rear in a coupé-like fashion. A steeply raked rear screen, plus unique tail-light and tailgate designs, further mark it out from the hatchback.
It remains unclear which performance powertrains will be offered as a wagon. Previously, only the GTD and R were offered in long-booted form, but it’s likely that Volkswagen will wish to leverage the reduced CO2 emissions of the GTE plug-in hybrid and bring that set-up to the Estate.
*READ MORE*
*Hatch match: 2020 Volkswagen Golf vs. Ford Focus*
*First drive: 2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI*
***Volkswagen Golf Estate 2020 review*