Save for a few years as the Rabbit, the Golf->ke164 has been a staple in VW’s U.S. lineup for what seems like forever. The SportWagen launched in 2009 under the Passat->ke224 name, though it was always just a Golf with a Jetta->ke306 badge. In the 2015 model year, however, VW->ke94 decided to completely redesign the SportWagen and reposition it in the Golf lineup, like it should have been back when it debuted.

The 2015 Golf SportWagen was previewed by the 2014 Golf SportWagen 4MOTION Concept at the New York Auto Show.->ke226 Just as I expected, the production model is nearly identical to the concept, save for the fact that VW has yet to confirm 4MOTION all-wheel drive for the version that’ll hit dealers.

As was long the case for the Jetta SportWagen, the Golf SportWagen will enjoy a thin segment in terms of competition. Eventually, the rest of the automotive world will move into this abandoned segment, but for now it’s Golf or nothing, unless you want to move up to a Volvo->ke188 or down to a five-door hatchback.

Updated 03/09/2015: Volkswagen dropped a series of 70 new high res images for its 2015 Golf SportWagen. Check them out in the "Pictures" tab.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen.

2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen

Specifications

• Make: Array
• Model: 2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen
• Engine/Motor: inline-4
• Horsepower: 170
• Torque: 184
• Transmission: five-speed manual

Pros

Cons

Updated History

Updated 02/12/2015: Volkswagen announced prices for the new 2015 Golf Sportwagen, which will hit dealer showrooms in April. It will be offered with two engines: a four-cylinder TSI or a four-cylinder TDI, with prices ranging from $21,395 for the base version equipped with the manual transmission, up to $31,445 for the SEL TDI with the DSG automatic gearbox. Full prices list after the jump.

Exterior

For the 2015 model year, the Golf SportWagen does exactly as I expected it to do: take all the goodness of the 2015 Golf and slap a wagon back end on it. In addition to featuring new looks compared to the Jetta SportWagen that preceded it, the Golf SportWagen is 1.1 inches longer and 0.7 inch wider. In order to help with aerodynamics, VW also lowered the overall body height by 0.9 inch. To give it a more premium cab-rearward stance, VW moved the front wheels 1.7 inches forward.

Around back, VW kept all of the key features of the SportWagen, but it revised all of the body lines and installed revised taillights. Part of the line changes include a lower tailgate that allows for easier cargo loading.

The SportWagen’s looks blend the best of two typically different worlds, as it takes the sporty looks of the Golf and the performance that comes to mind when thinking of the R and GTI, and combined it with the utility of a wagon. It is the ultimate substitute for lumbering SUVs and over-compromised crossovers. The only thing it lacks is the slightly increased ride height that helps with light off-road maneuvering, but if you’re off-roading in your Golf, then I think you have bigger issues than a lack of ground clearance.

Exterior Dimensions

Interior

Volkswagen gave me very little to go on of in terms of interior details, but as with any VW model, I expect the Golf SportWagen’s interior to be a great place to spend time. Oddly enough, despite the fact that the new SportWagen is almost an inch shorter in height, it actually has 0.4 inch of additional headroom and 10 percent more cargo room.

In the images that VW provided, I can see that a sporty, three-spoke steering wheel greets the driver, while a set of nicely bolstered seats grip the occupants. The center sections of these seats appear to be Alcatara or suede for better grip.

The center console is very clean, and a large touchscreen dominates that space. Flanking the screen are neatly arranged buttons, and under the screen are the HVAC controls, which are also extremely clean. The entire center stack appears to be angled toward the driver, giving him easy access to all of the features.

Volkswagen didn’t go too deep into standard features on the 2015 Golf SportWagen, but it did let us know of a few options. These include a panoramic moonroof, a 12-way power driver’s seat, and Climatronic auto climate control.

Drivetrain

Motivating the standard 2015 Volkswagen SportWagen is a 1.8-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 170 horsepower. This engine will be available with two transmission options: a five-speed manual or a six-speed auto. Expect to see increases of up to 17 percent in highway fuel economy when compared to the Jetta SportWagen’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder.

The optional engine is a 2.0-liter, common-rail diesel engine that delivers 150 horsepower – 10 more than the Jetta SportWagon’s TDI engine – and 236 pound-feet of torque. This torque monster mates to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission. Expect highway fuel economy in excess of 40 mpg with the diesel setup.

While VW didn’t get into the drive system under the skin of the SportWagen, I can only assume that it’ll come standard with front-wheel drive. Given the concept version of this wagon had 4MOTION all-wheel drive, I assume we’ll see that on the production model too.

Drivetrain Specifications

Prices

Competition

Mazda3 Hatchback

The only true compact wagons on the market come from premium automakers, and they cost significantly more. To get something similar to the Golf SportWagen in its price range, you’ll have to look at the 2015 Mazda3 hatchback.

In terms of looks, I am partial to the Mazda3, as it is unique, sporty, and elegant. Under the 3’s hood is a standard 2.0-liter, four-cylinder that develops 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. There is an optional 2.5-liter engine that bumps the output to 184 horses and 185 pound-feet of torque. What’s more, these engines are nearly as fuel-efficient as the Golf’s TDI engine, at up to 41 mpg highway for the 2.0-liter and up to 37 mpg or the 2.5-liter.

The Mazda3 certainly wins the price war, as its base trim level starts at $18,945 and its range-topping Grand Touring model runs just $25,545, but there are two areas where the Mazda3 falls short. One of those is cargo area, as it can only carry up to 47.1 cubic feet. The other issue is that it isn’t available with all-wheel drive.

If you can look past those two issues than the Mazda3 is a great alternative to the Golf SportWagen.

Volvo V60

With a base price of $35,950, the Volvo V60 is a little too expensive to compete with the base-level SportWagen, but for those looking into a fully loaded model, it may be a great idea to take a look at it.

In its base setup, the V60 T5 Drive-E comes standard with a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 240 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. This power hits the front wheels via an eight-speed Geartronic transmission. This allows the base V60 T5 Drive-E to hit 60 mph in just 6.4 seconds, and still deliver 37 mpg highway and 25 mpg city.

In terms of build quality, safety, and luxury the VW simply cannot keep up with the Volvo despite how far VW has come in recent years.

Conclusion

There are few model lineups that are as eclectic as the Golf. You have the inexpensive base-model Golf, the peppier GTI, the insane R, the thrifty diesel, the eco-friendly E, and now the SportWagen. With limited competition in the compact-wagon segment, the Golf SportWagen is bound to rake in plenty of cash for VW until other automakers catch on and release their own inexpensive wagons.