What VW has dubbed the GolfVariant may land in the U.S. as the next Jetta SportWagen.
To Europeans, it may go by the decidedly un-hip name of the new Golf Variant but motorists back in the States could soon know it as the next-generation Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen.
As they say, a rose by any other name…Volkswagen hopes this one will smell sweet to buyers around the world. The new “Variant” is based on the next-generation Golf hatchback introduced late last year and is not only more modern in appearance but lighter, more fuel-efficient and markedly better-equipped, according to the German maker.
VW was saving the launch of the new Golf Variant for the Geneva Motor Show but a number of images leaked out ahead of time. Specific details, however, remained top secret until a Monday night auto show preview. Among the key improvements, the next-generation Golf Wagen will weigh in about 232 pounds lighter than its predecessor. And for Europeans, at least, a new TDI BlueMotion diesel version is expected to yield more than 71 miles per gallon.
The "Golf Variant" shares the Golf hatchback's MQB modular platform but adds 12 inches in overall length.
The unanswered question is whether the new model will make it over to the States, though company sources suggest that it is likely, and will continue being marketed to Americans as the Jetta SportWagen. But that won’t happen until sometime next year, following the shift in production of all Volkswagen Golf versions to the maker’s plant in Puebla, Mexico.
From the B-pillar forward, notes VW, the Variant is identical to the latest-generation Golf hatchback. But it adds 12.1 inches overall with the longer overhang accounting for most of that. The wheelbase grows from 101.5 to 103.8 inches.
The modified rear maintains the basic character and pillar lines of the hatchback, as well as the familial look of its tail lamps – though the lights are larger on the Variant.
Despite slashing weight through creative engineering and the use of new lightweight materials, the VW Golf Variant is roomier, with a significant increase in the cargo area, as well, volume up 20% with all seats in place.
The new Golf Variant adds a range of safety, comfort and convenience features, starting with seven airbags, tire pressure monitoring and electronic stability control, Active Cruise Control, City Emergency Braking and an updated Park Assist system, as well as a new PreCrash occupant protection system.
Like the Golf hatchback it uses an electro-mechanical steering system to improve fuel economy without sacrificing the sort of ride and handling dynamics that VW aficionados appreciate, the maker promises.
The Golf Variant will be offered in the U.S. with a range of gasoline and diesel engines, including the 110-horsepower model that VW is billing as “the most fuel-efficient Volkswagen ever.” It remains to be seen if the company will bring a diesel to the States. That seems more likely than in years past considering the growing demand for the high-mileage technology, though the 71 mpg model would likely not make the trans-Atlantic jump due to relatively tame performance. But even the more torque, 150-hp diesel option yields 56 mpg, according to the maker.
We’re hoping to hear more soon about State-side plans for the Golf Variant but considering the delay in bringing the Golf itself over we may have to wait until the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show or even later before we get the official word.