Volkswagen Golf R wagon spied

Despite appearing entirely production-ready, Volkswagen is reportedly still making up its mind about the Golf R wagon, with the car’s test driver revealing the high-performance estate hasn’t been signed off for production at this stage.

Spotted free of camouflage, the front of the Volkswagen Golf R wagon prototype looks identical to Mk7 Golf R hatchback that debuted internationally in August and launches in Australia next month, sharing its dark-tinted headlights, black and chrome grille with ‘R’ badge, trapezoidal lower grille and twin-slat side intakes.

The wagon test car also wears the black, five-arm, triple-spoke alloy wheels that have become a Golf R signature, and is also understood to share the hatch’s lowered sports suspension tune and performance tyre and brake packages.

The prototype looks less sporty at the rear, however, where it’s fitted with the standard Golf wagon’s tail-lights and lacks any ‘R’ designation. A black diffuser panel with twin oval exhaust outlets is the only hint of its heightened performance ability.

Some reports suggest its tweaked exhaust system may point to slightly reduced peak performance outputs compared with the Golf R hatch with its quad outlets, which produces 221kW (206kW in Australia) and 380Nm from its 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine.

Definitely shared with the hatch is its all-wheel-drive underpinnings, while that car’s six-speed manual and dual-clutch automatic transmissions would also serve in any production version.

If produced, the Golf R wagon would become a more powerful rival to Ford's 184kW/340Nm Focus ST wagon, which has available in Europe since the current-generation hot-hatch's launch but cannot be ordered in Australia.

Volkswagen Australia communications general manager Karl Gehling told CarAdvice there were no plans for a Golf R wagon at this stage, but said the local division "would certainly consider it" if one were to be produced.

Click the Photos tab for more images of the Volkswagen Golf R wagon.