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First Look At The More Practical Volkswagen Golf

May. 17, 2020 4:06 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz Spy Shots / 6 Comments The one that will be a forbidden fruit in the US. If you want a quick snapshot of how the United States differs from Europe, just take a look at the best-selling vehicles in both regions. The Volkswagen Golf is the best-selling car in Europe while in the US, it is the Ford F-150. No wonder why VW has struggled to sell its popular hatchback in the states. It's gotten so bad that starting with the eighth-generation model, the base Golf and SportWagen won't be offered in the US market. Only the hotter Golf GTI and Golf R will be on sale, and perhaps special edition models like the GTI TCR. Sadly, VW's senior vice president for product marketing and strategy, Hein Schafer, has already explained that "a large portion of the hatchback segment has migrated to SUVs." This means we won't be getting the new Golf Variant model, which was just spotted by our spy photographers. CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz The Golf Variant, which was previously known in the US as the Golf SportWagen, is a long-roofed version of the Golf that offers greater practicality. In the US, VW also sold a lifted version of the Variant known as the Golf Alltrack, which appealed to the same demographic as the Subaru Crosstrek and Outback. VW will continue to sell the Golf Variant in Europe where the wagon body style remains popular. Since this is the case, the company was recently spotted testing the eighth-generation Golf Variant near the Nurburgring, surprisingly wearing no camouflage. The car must be nearing its debut if VW is out testing it undisguised. CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz As with the standard Golf, the Variant should be powered by a range of three- and four-cylinder TSI engine spanning from just 90 horsepower up to 150. Since it will be sold in Europe, a range of diesel TDI engines should be on offer as well. VW has never built a GTI version of the Golf Variant but did offer an R version in the Mk6 and Mk7 generations. Sadly, we doubt a Golf R Variant would ever make its way stateside because it would require additional crash testing. CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz

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Volkswagen Golf Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top