Ah, station wagons.
They originated as ‘depot hacks’ to carry passengers and luggage from train station to hotel.
Then they evolved into Boomer family haulers and cross-country tourers before gradually degenerating into bloated and vinyl-clad irrelevance, battered by energy crises and compact car revolutions before being supposedly killed off by the advent of the minivan.
But it seems that rumours of their death have been somewhat exaggerated.
Station wagons are back, an evolutionary rebound from SUV excess, regaining their original popularity with a modern mix of utilitarian practicality, contemporary style and perky performance.
Take the 2010 Golf Wagon for example.
With a starting price of $22,675, the Golf Wagon is a cheaper entry into German-engineered utility than most Euro-SUVs or crossovers. And yet it offers acceptable, compact-style family seating and loads of cargo-carrying ability, a natural fit for multi-purpose business needs, weekend getaway gear haulage, or for families with pets.
The Golf Wagon is the biggest Golf ever with 930 litres of luggage space behind the rear seats, expanding to an impressive 1890 litres with the 60/40 second row folded flat.
That’s roomier than the cargo rating of VW’s Tiguan compact SUV. It rivals the larger Touareg’s numbers and even surpasses the maximum luggage space of the bigger Passat Wagon!
From the driver’s seat, it’s easy to forget about cargo space as you look around a premium passenger cabin that is elegantly symmetrical with evident quality in content and construction. Simple, round red-needled gauges are brilliantly lit in white.
Outside, this sixth generation Golf Wagon pays tribute to the first generation Golf with a radiator grille horizontally aligned between the headlights. For a wagon, it’s unexpectedly sleek. It’s low-slung, sporty lines and very “un-wagonish” persona surprised me every time that I walked up to it.
The 2010 VW Golf Wagon comes in varying trim levels with a choice of two engine versions — gasoline or TDI Clean Diesel.
It comes standard with a five-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic. My real world combined results with the slightly more frugal automatic averaged out to 10.1L/100km. This gasoline-powered variant starts with the base Trendline model, moving upscale to a Comfortline trim level.
Stick to the speed limit on a long highway run and you might actually reach VW’s boasted range of 1,190 km on a single tank. My more realistic combined averages, as usual, worked out closer to the city rating, returning me 6.5L/100km.
Regardless of personal preferences, trim selections or even powertrain choices, the 2010 Volkswagen Golf Wagon blends quality and content in a package that is elegantly stylish and eminently practical.
Long live the station wagon.
