2021 Volkswagen Golf wagon pricing and specs detailed: Subaru Impreza-rivalling estate arrives in July

Volkswagen’s new Golf wagon will hit local showrooms in July, and will be one of the only small wagons left on offer in Australia after the departure of rivals like the Ford Focus and Renault Megane.

Only the Golf, soon-to-be-replaced Peugeot 308 remain in the sub-$40,000 small car class with wagon body styles, but buyers will need to pay a little more compared to VW’s hatchback for the privilege.

Two variants will be on offer with the 2021 Golf wagon – an unnamed grade that stars at $33,550 before on-road costs, and the Life trim for $36,250.

This represents a $1600 and $2000 premium over the equivalent Golf hatchbacks, as well as jump in cost compared to the outgoing wagon that starts at $29,290 for the 110TSI Trendline.

However, the wagon is 66mm longer and 27mm than the hatchback, meaning the most practical Golf can swallow 611 litres of volume in the rear (compared with the hatchback’s 381L) and can expand that figure to a gargantuan 1642L with the seats folded (versus 1237L).

Aside from the dimensional changes, the equipment list of the Golf wagon matches its hatchback counterpart, with standard gear including 16-inch wheels, cloth interior, all-digital instrumentation, three-zone climate control, black roof rails, and LED head- and tail-lights.

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An 8.25-inch multimedia touchscreen is also fitted at no extra cost, and includes functions for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

For safety, the Golf wagon comes equipped with VW’s IQ Drive suite that bundles autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, driver fatigue detection, reversing camera, tyre pressure indicator, and front and rear parking sensors.

Stepping up to the Life grade adds 17-inch wheels, an exit warning system, emergency assist, ‘Innovision’ digital cockpit, 10.0-inch multimedia system with satellite navigation, wireless smartphone charger, power-folding mirrors, keyless entry, push-button start and electronic tailgate.

‘Pure White’ is the only exterior colour that is standard, with ‘Reflex Silver’, ‘Dolphin Grey’, ‘Atlantic Blue’ and ‘Deep Black’ available as a $600 option. The ‘Pomelo Yellow’ hero colour however, will add $900 to the bottom line.

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Two options packs are also available exclusively to the Life grade – the $1500 ‘Sound & Vision’ pack and a $2000 ‘Comfort & Style’ pack, which bundles features like a head-up display, premium sound system, comfort sport front seats, interior ambient lighting and a panoramic glass sunroof.

Both variants are powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, outputting 110kW/250Nm to the front wheels via an eight-speed torque convertor automatic transmission.

Fuel economy is pegged at 5.9 litres per 100km thanks to stop-start engine technology, while the Golf wagon also boasts an independent rear suspension set-up.

If the Golf wagon’s 1.4-litre engine sounds a little too tame for you, VW has also confirmed a more practical version of its R flagship, which will be made available early next year.

Details are still to be locked in, but if the R wagon mirrors the hatchback, it should score a 225kW/420Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive grip.

2021 Volkswagen Golf wagon pricing before on-road costs