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Volkswagen Golf R wagon, T-Roc production model high on local division’s wish list

Volkswagen Australia is doing all it can to get local buyers behind the wheel of the Volkswagen Golf R wagon and the production version of its T-Roc concept.


The hot Volkswagen Golf R wagon was unveiled at last month's Los Angeles auto show, while the as-yet unconfirmed for production, Evoque-rivalling T-Roc premiered at March's Geneva motor show.

Speaking with us this week, Volkswagen Group Australia general manager of communications Karl Gehling said both sat high on the local division's wish list.

Maintaining that the Golf R wagon remained simply a concept - despite full performance figures and technical specifications being previously released - Gehling said that car was “something we would love to be able to offer in Australia”.

“We have certainly indicated our interest for this model and if it was to go in to production we'd hope that they wouldn't forget about us,” Gehling said during a chat with CarAdvice ahead of our first drive of the new 2015 Volkswagen Polo GTI.

“But given that we've had such success with the existing R models, I think there's every chance that we'd be successful… We'll have to wait and see what they come back with."

Claiming a 5.1-second 0-100km/h and an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h, the 221kW/380Nm Volkswagen Golf R wagon (in European spec) exclusively ties the Golf R hatchback’s turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission (DSG). It also offers 605 litres of boots space compared with the standard Golf R's 343L.

Revealing that a replacement for the ageing Tiguan “is still a little while off" and definitely won’t be seen next year, the local PR head also reaffirmed the company’s interest in locking down a right-hand-drive version of the left-hand-drive, seven-seat Volkswagen CrossBlue developed for the North American market, “if they were to make [it]”.

Sharing its platform with the upcoming Audi Q1 – confirmed for production in 2016 – Gehling says the diesel-powered T-Roc is, “an interesting concept and obviously is a good pointer to future variants”.

“We've had some discussion in the past regarding having an SUV that would sit below Tiguan and above Taigun, and again, it's something that has some potential. And if there were such a model offered we would, again, put our hand up for it. But it's early days."

Expected to evolve into the fifth member of Volkswagen’s SUV family, alongside the second-generation Tiguan, third-generation Touareg, baby Taigun and previously mentioned CrossBlue, Gehling says the 4179mm-long T-Roc would easily find space in the Australian market.

"Absolutely,” he said. “Yeah, I mean, clearly there is a light car segment SUV, and there's a number of models in that segment and there seems to be some interest in us expanding that."

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