First look: Golf Mk6 sires new estate

VOLKSWAGEN has revealed the latest generation of its Golf Estate in Europe, but there is no guarantee it will be Australia’s first Golf wagon.

On sale in Europe from early 2010 with the choice of four petrol engines and two diesels, the German giant’s new small wagon will be the fourth Golf Estate since the MkIII-based original in 1993, since when more than 1.2 million have been produced.

Based on the newly released MkVI Golf hatchback, the long-bodied five-door is Volkswagen’s direct rival for small European wagons like the now-discontinued Holden Astra, Ford Focus (not sold here) and Peugeot’s 308 Touring (from $31,590*).

The only other small wagons on sale in Australia are the Holden Viva (from $20,290*), Hyundai’s i30cw (from $20,890) and the Skoda Roomster (from $26,990*).

The Golf hatch currently opens at $25,990*, but Volkswagen is yet to establish a business case here for its wagon sibling, which would be the first Golf Estate sold in Australia.

“We will look at it,” said Volkswagen Group Australia spokesman Karl Gehling. “We need to see if it fits in that specification here before we can be sure it will work here.”

Similar to the MkVI Golf from the A-pillar forward, the Golf Estate features new tail-lights and wheel designs, while the interior also echoes the upgrade from Golf V to Golf VI via new instruments, cabin trims and seat upholsteries, plus the latest three-spoke steering wheel from the Passat CCIn Europe, it will continue to be offered in S, SE and Sportline grade levels, all of which will come standard with air-conditioning, a CD sound system, power windows/mirrors, a trip computer and body-coloured bumpers, mirrors and door handles.

And anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic stability control (ESC, or ESP in VW-speak) will also be fitted, along with six airbags and ‘whiplash-optimised’ front seat head restraints. Two new driver aids will be available as options for the first time on the Golf wagon the ‘Park Assist’ automatic parking assistant system and a rear-view camera system called ‘Rear Assist’.

New to the Golf Estate in the engine department is a 78kW 1.6-litre TDI common-rail turbo-diesel, in addition to the entry-level 90kW 1.4 TSI turbo-petrol and range-topping 105kW 2.0 TDI turbo-diesel, while a fuel-sipping BlueMotion iteration will also be forthcoming in Europe.

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