2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen Will Not Have AWD – Yet

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

Volkswagen officially announced their new 2015 Golf Sportwagen (nee Jetta Sportwagen) for the US market. And they’re still unclear about whether it will get 4Motion AWD.

Despite rumors to the contrary, Volkswagen told TTAC that they are still “investigating AWD”. For now, FWD will be the only option, along with a 1.8T gas engine (with a 5-speed manual or 6-speed auto) or a 2.0 TDI with either 6-speed manual or DSG gearboxes. VW says that cargo space will rival many small SUVs, and now it’s up to all of you to buy them, rather than just let the internet know how great wagons are.


Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • Short Bus Short Bus on May 14, 2014

    I always liked these, but they've been in need of a decent bump in efficiency ratings. The old 2.5 was a good engine, but too thirsty these days.

  • Nutbags Nutbags on May 14, 2014

    Having had a 2009 Sportwagon 2.5 with a 5-speed which my family loved and never had a problem with. The 2.5 provided enough oomph but mileage was not as good as expected. I look forward to replacing my 2012 GLI 6-speed with the new model. A 1.8T with 5-speed sounds good but why no 6-speed manual? Curious about pricing on leases and what trim levels there will be.

    • 30-mile fetch 30-mile fetch on May 14, 2014

      A number of reviews of the 1.8t stated the broad torque curve made a sixth gear unnecessary. It's the 5-cylinder that needed a 6-speed. It runs 3000rpm at 70mph in fifth, and while that ensures you don't need to downshift to overtake someone or climb steep grades, I'm sure it is costing a few miles per gallon.

  • Formula m For the gas versions I like the Honda CRV. Haven’t driven the hybrids yet.
  • SCE to AUX All that lift makes for an easy rollover of your $70k truck.
  • SCE to AUX My son cross-shopped the RAV4 and Model Y, then bought the Y. To their surprise, they hated the RAV4.
  • SCE to AUX I'm already driving the cheap EV (19 Ioniq EV).$30k MSRP in late 2018, $23k after subsidy at lease (no tax hassle)$549/year insurance$40 in electricity to drive 1000 miles/month66k miles, no range lossAffordable 16" tiresVirtually no maintenance expensesHyundai (for example) has dramatically cut prices on their EVs, so you can get a 361-mile Ioniq 6 in the high 30s right now.But ask me if I'd go to the Subaru brand if one was affordable, and the answer is no.
  • David Murilee Martin, These Toyota Vans were absolute garbage. As the labor even basic service cost 400% as much as servicing a VW Vanagon or American minivan. A skilled Toyota tech would take about 2.5 hours just to change the air cleaner. Also they also broke often, as they overheated and warped the engine and boiled the automatic transmission...
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