VW Golf wagon coming Down Under
Families looking for a classy small wagon: your prayers have been answeredVolkswagen is about to reverse the trend of exodus of small wagons from the Australian new-car market.
With the wagon versions of Holden Astra and Viva, Mitsubishi Lancer, Subaru Impreza and Toyota Corolla having disappeared or about to disappear from local showrooms, families who want a wagon -- but don’t want a softroader -- have been left almost high and dry. But Volkswagen has now confirmed it will introduce the wagon version of the Golf for the first time in Australia.
"We will introduce the Golf wagon in the first quarter of next year," the boss of VW Australia, Anke Koeckler told the Carsales Network in Wolfsburg overnight.
"We have seen this disappearing act of some small wagons so we believe there is a market there. We want to try it. We think there are a lot of people out there looking for a vehicle like this."
Volkswagen says it will market the vehicle the fleets as well as families.
"Everyone is downsizing," she said. "Not everybody wants a 4WD and the extra costs involved of fuel and tyres, etc. A small wagon is a good size, it’s very practical."
The company did not want to speculate on price, but wagons typically have a $2000 price premium over the hatch, which gives the Golf wagon an estimated starting price of $28,000.
The company also did not confirm which engines would be available but Koeckler did say that it would not offer all the engines that are available in the hatch. Currently there are four types for the hatch.
When asked if there would be a petrol and a diesel, she said: "at least one of each".
The Carsales Network is speculating that the base model 1.4-litre turbo petrol would give the wagon an affordable entry point (about $28,000), while a premium-priced (about $33,000) 2.0-litre diesel would appeal to those who wanted more grunt.
Although the Golf wagon gets the new-look, sixth generation Golf styling treatment, it is in fact a facelifted version of the superseded Golf Five that has been on sale in Europe for five years.
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