The MkVIII Volkswagen Golf Wagon Looks Predictably Great

The Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen and Alltrack models perished in the United States after the 2019 model year. Now, we're left only to stare from afar at the recently revealed MkVIII models: the European-market Golf Variant (wagon) and Alltrack. Both show off the new Golf's design in a particularly impressive way. We're crossover crazy, sure, but even SUV diehards might begrudgingly admit that this is an attractive-looking wagon.

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For better or worse, Volkswagen's SUV-heavy U.S. lineup is due to grow in the coming years. Alongside its newAtlas Cross Sportand refreshed 2022 Tiguan, VW plans to add the all-electric ID4and a new compact model, possibly bearing the name Taos or Tarek, to its North American model line. Meanwhile, in Europe, the likes of the shapely Arteon wagon and the all-electric ID3 hatchback show the way forward. Different markets, different product trajectories...sensible, but we can't help but pine for the new Golf wagon and its lifted Alltrack kin.

Mechanically these are just MkVIII Golfs, though, so expect the same powertrain options available in any other European Golf model. The Alltrack version features, as you might imagine, VW's 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. A so-called "eTSI" mild-hybrid system available with the model's available seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

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The regular Golf MkVIII is available with a total of eight powertrain options—five of which are hybrid. It's not immediately clear if the wagon will receive all of those power sources or a selection thereof. Not that it's going to make or break any buying decisions on this side of the pond.

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