2022 Golf R Wagon Spied Without Camouflage As VW's Best All-Rounder

Volkswagen is not done expanding the Golf Mk8 lineup as arguably the best version is yet to come. Combining the performance of the R version with the practicality of the Estate / Wagon / Variant or whatever VW calls it depending on region, the long-roof Golf R is coming. Surprisingly, the peeps from Wolfsburg didn't even bother to cover the prototype at all, with the exception of the R badge mounted underneath the VW logo on the tailgate.

By the looks of it, the test vehicle was equipped with the optional Akrapovic exhaust system featuring quad titanium tips offered for an extra €3,800 ($4,600) in domestic market Germany. You won't be finding those roof-mounted auxiliary lights in the configurator as those are used only in the testing phase during the long and dark winters in northern Europe.

The technical specifications are known already considering the wagon will rock the same 2.0 TSI engine as the Golf R hatchback. The turbocharged four-cylinder is good for 315 horsepower (235 kilowatts) and 420 Newton-meters (310 pound-feet) of torque, enabling the beefiest Golf of them all to hit 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in 4.7 seconds. Top speed is electronically capped at 155 mph (250 km/h), but go for the optional R-Performance Package (€2,265 / $2,700) and VW will loosen up the limiter, allowing the Golf R to reach 168 mph (270 km/h).

We're expecting the AWD-only wagon to stay pretty close to these performance numbers, albeit it will be a tad slower since it will have to carry around slightly more weight. The minor drop in performance will be offset by the added practicality of owning a wagon as the Variant will have a far more generous cargo capacity than the standard hatchback.

With VW taking off virtually all of the camouflage, the Golf R Variant's reveal could take place in the coming weeks. It's going to command a premium over the hatchback, which kicks off at €49,260 in Deutschland. It remains to be seen whether another go-faster Golf is in the pipeline seeing as how the previous-generation Golf GTD was offered with a long roof and a punchy diesel engine.