VWvortex: Golf/Jetta Wagon Unveiled

[jamie@vwvortex]

Volkswagen has announced that it will unveil the new Golf Wagon at the Geneva Auto Show. This new wagon will be built on the Golf/Jetta platform in Mexico along side the Jetta sedan and should be available in the European market sometime in June. Here in the U.S., we'll see this exact same vehicle offered as a 2008 Jetta "SportWagon" model that should arrive in dealers around September of this year.

The Jetta SportWagon will be available here in the States with a 2.5l base engine (although power may be bumped to 170hp) and a 2.0T with a minimum 200hp. A 2.0 TDI model will also be offered sometime in calendar year 2008. Expect pricing to start at least $1000 more than current Jetta models.

The styling of this new wagon appears to be a mix of current Golf/Jetta and Saab-esque design ques with large wraparound rear tailamps that are a departure from anything else VW currently offers. Gone too is the slab-sided look of the Jetta IV wagon in favor or a "sportier" looking rear end treatment. Interior volume with the seats folded down is still considerable at nearly 55 cubic feet and larger than the Volvo V50 (46 cu. ft.), the Jetta Wagon's only real competitor in this segment.

The Jetta/Golf Wagon has traditionally been a model that sells fairly well in Germany with more than a million sold thus far. Here in the States the Jetta Wagon is more of a niche model and doesn't traditionally sell in large numbers. We expect the same from this new wagon and VW will likely find the necessary buyers as there are very few alternatives, particularly with a diesel option.

We'll have more photos and information as we get closer to the Geneva Auto Show. Expect to see the U.S. version introduced at the New York Auto Show.

[32Panels]

It will be nice to finally have it here, but I really don't like the tails.

Maybe they'll grow on me.

[RSDA]

Yeah, jury is definitely still out on the tail.

Funny...in this shot, it kind of looks like a Beemer.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

The tail lights are quite large and dorky. Looks more Skoda, as they don't resemble any VW I can think of.

Not bad, but not great. I actually prefer the rear roof more squared for versatility.

I hope we get the chromed roof rails, but here in Canada even the Passat 3.6 4-MO are black, so not holding much hope.


Modified by sirAQUAMAN64 at 2:49 PM 2-26-2007

[Mike Gordon]

Not bad. Could be a little lower.

[155VERT83]

Initial reaction: Can't wait to see more shots.

[xls]

I like it. Any info on 4Motion? 2.0T with DSG or better yet 6MT and 4Motion and I'm trading in my Golf.

[ACD]

they should get the guy who designed the front to do the back too!

[foshizzlemynizzle]

Quote, originally posted by 32Panels »

It will be nice to finally have it here, but I really don't like the tails. Maybe they'll grow on me.

x2

[evilpat]

4-motion PLEASE!!!!!!

[CrazyMonkey]

Quote, originally posted by sirAQUAMAN64 »

The tail lights are quite large and dorky. Looks more Skoda, as they don't resemble any VW I can think of.

I was going to say they remind me more of the 2000-up Nissan Sentra....

[evilpat]

still looks better than the a$$ of the Passat

[8vMeX]

Quote, originally posted by evilpat »

still looks better than the a$$ of the Passat

i agree.. i think they look good tho.. maybe its just me... but to each their own

[liquid stereo]

That passat wagon is just fugly.

Quote, originally posted by evilpat »

still looks better than the a$$ of the Passat

[vwtodd]

"$1000 more than current Models"

Does that mean $1000 more than the most expensive model, or per trim level?

[krzysztof]

Finally. This is probably my wife's next car if they do in fact bring it with the 2.0T. It's Just Right: the 4-door GTI is a bit too small for her and the Passat wagon is too big. (But she'll probably go ahead and get the GTI -- or A3 -- if this arrives with the 5-Cyl only. She loves her turbo, and might even go for the TDI.)

[GTIgina]

we were thinking a R32 when we get stateside again or the 4 door GTI.... but if they bring out this wagon at the end of the year and for 2008 then we most likely would go for it 2.0T... right now we are looking a at B5 passat wagon 1.8T and its just too big of a car to me.. i rather stick to the smaller wagons, i see many MKIII golf wagons out here in germany all the time which was odd to me when i first got here but im so used to seeing them it will be nice to see the new ones in June when they arrive! ill definitely hit the autobahn on a test run in on once they come out!

[GT17V]

The article nailed my thoughts about the rear exactly... Makes me think Saab 9-5 like in the tails.

If they are calling it a sport wagon.... um, the suspension better be GLI-like, even for the 2.5

[Steve Z1]

I like the rear, to each his own..

[riverripper]

Make a 4motion version of a GLI and I very well might trade both my cars in for them. I have been pretty adament about not getting any more VWs due to our dealer but if the price and options are right I will bite the bullet.

[garethusa]

it's great that the rear seats fold flush flat! that i do like.

and with a more powered TDI.......

what's not to love? although it would have been nice for the cargo space to have gotten a bit bigger than 55 cu ft.....as the mkIV jetta wagon has 53 cu ft.

although i love it, not sure if i would consider trading in the mkIV jetta wagon for that one.....

[ROCCOBOOST]

I think I just found my next car. A TDI with DSG and 4Motion would be real nice. I definitely like the looks of this one much better than the MK4 Jetta wagon. I do like the rear tails much better than the tails on any of the other MKV's. It does sit too high, but nothing a little aftermarket suspension work can't fix.

[Buran]

Looks nice, but coming a few months too late for me and there's no mention of GTI-level options (electronics, HID, etc.) on the US market version. Besides, my current MkIV 4-door hatchback has served me very well so far. So I'm still planning to get a 4-door GTI in my driveway come June.

[chewym]

The tail lights are interesting, I bet they aren't that bad in the real world, or at least I hope so.

[ne1butu]

I'm shocked at how bad this looks. It's a completely disjointed clumsy design. Sorry, it's true. I would have expected this from Kia, but I'm saddened that it's from VW.

[fastgermancar]

i like the taillights, they look bimmerish and are classier than VW's oldstyle boxy tailights, I like where VW is headed now, when the first MKV's came out i wasn't too thrilled :/

[Nihilator]

Quote, originally posted by vwtodd »

"$1000 more than current Models" Does that mean $1000 more than the most expensive model, or per trim level?

My MKIV wagon was priced $1,000 above the same engine / trim level in a sedan. Probably the same deal.

Of course, due to the wagons not selling nearly as well as the sedans, I bought when the dealer incentive for the wagon was $3,500 and the incentive for the same engine / trim level sedan was $1,500, so my wagon ended up being $1,000 *less* than the equivalent sedan.

--Chris

[TooLow2.0T]

Hmmm...not what I expected for the rear end. Still, not bad.

[vasillalov]

Sorry, but the rear does not belong to this vehicle!

[argh32]

Ugly by any other word is still ugly. Who designs this stuff? Who approves these designs? Is this the best they can do?

[ElkhornVDub]

Modified by ElkhornVDub at 10:16 PM 12-18-2007

[1Point8TDan]

Its odd how the Passat does NOT come with chrome roof rails and Jetta is at least portrayed with them. A sport-packaged TDI DSG Variant could be in my future.

[menudodub]

Its just like a passat wagon

[vdubbed81]

I like it alot. Definitely sportier that the MkIV Wagon, and it reminds me of a Bimmer.

[randy]

I keep saying I'm leaving VW.

I LIKE THIS CAR. BRING IT IN 2.0.

(i might stay in the family).