Here’s a wagon that really hauls: the Mk8 Volkswagen Golf R Wagon, spied completely undisguised ahead of its debut.
The Golf R hatchback will go on sale in Australia in early 2022, so expect the wagon to follow not far behind it.
Aesthetically, the Golf R Wagon builds on the regular wagon with quad tailpipes, larger 19-inch wheels, bigger brakes and sportier side skirts.
The Golf R Wagon will feature the most powerful engine ever fitted to a production Golf: the evo4 EA888 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder producing 235kW of power and 420Nm of torque.
Volkswagen claims the new Golf R, in hatchback form, can sprint from 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds with the seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic.
Expect the wagon to be only fractionally slower as in the current generation it sprints to 100km/h in 5.0 seconds while the hatch does it in 4.8 seconds.
Like the hatchback variant, the Golf R Wagon will feature Volkswagen’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system to provide extra grip when needed.
The option to change gears yourself is unlikely, with most markets across the globe receiving only a seven-speed DSG (dual clutch) automatic transmission.
The 4Motion system will also feature R-Performance Torque Vectoring for the first time on a Golf, allowing up to 100 percent of torque to be fed to the outside rear wheel during cornering.
Drive modes for the Mk8 Golf R include Comfort, Sport, Race, Individual, Special and Drift.
The Special mode was developed on the Nürburgring Nordschleife for the ultimate track experience, adjusting the dampers and shift timing on the gearbox.
Drift mode is the ‘fun’ mode where the stability control is altered, and power and torque is sent to the rear only. VW states this is purely for track use.
Golf R hatchback interior 
Expect the Golf R Wagon to look much the same as the hatchback inside, with a 10.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, Nappa leather sports seats, brushed stainless steel pedals and LED ambient lighting.
