Wagons No More! VW to End Production of Golf AllTrack & SportWagen.
Peter Ciani, RPM NewsWeekly:
We drive lots of cars during the course of the year, but it’s not often that the car we are driving happens to get discontinued the week we are driving it.
In the case of the Volkswagen Golf SportWagen, this is exactly what happened.
It’s been a while since I’ve driven a Golf, the last one I drove was the Golf R back when it came out and to be honest I don’t recall ever driving the SportWagon, or the Alltrack. But being a car-nerd, of course driving a wagon makes me happy.
Our 2019 Golf SportWagen tester came in the ‘S with 4Motion’ trim, not a fully loaded model, but not the base either. Truthfully it’s right where I’d order one.
Equipped with a 168-horsepower, 1.8-liter inline 4-cylinder engine and a 6-speed manual transmission (yes manual), the Sportwagen S with 4Motion has starting MSRP of around $25,000.
The SE with 4Motion is one of the few cars that allows you to select a manual transmission with all-wheel-drive, plus there is something about VW heated cloth seats. I think as far as heated seats go these are the best in the business, but I’m the type that likes to actually feel the heat.
Last week we drove the new Kia Forte and although it’s a wonderful car for the money, the heated seats were a little disappointing. In fact, I think a hampster blowing air on my back might have felt hotter.
Another plus for the Golf is the uncluttered, driver-centric interior, something that a lot of car reviews credit the Golf models for.
I know driver-centric is a somewhat cliche term in car reviews, but in the case of the Golf, it certainly applies. If you’re the type that likes a simple, easy to learn control/button layout, then the Golf is definitely a car to look into. Especially in this trim range.
As I mentioned, our test car was the S with 4motion trim, not really a car with a lot of extra flashy technology. If you want the heat or AC you have to turn some dials, no automatic climate control here.
In fact, the only extra tech you can option on this model is the Driver Assistance package.
For an extra $450. the Driver Assistance Package includes Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Traffic Alert, Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring. For the money, it’s a box that’s worth checking.
Rounding out the interior technology is the standard MIB-II Infotainment System with a 6.5-inch capacitive touchscreen. The 6.5-inch system doesn’t include embedded navigation or even SiriusXM radio. If you’d like these features, you need to step up to the SE model with the 8.0-inch touchscreen.
Despite the lack of onboard navigation, the 6.5-inch screen does include Apple CarPlay and Andriod Auto. Which is fine for me, I find myself using Waze via Android Auto more and more anyway.
The real story of the Golf SportWagen is the ‘wagon’ bit..
As it goes with my luck, when I secretly hope they will send us convertible to test they’ll send us a truck, or if I need a truck to move something they’ll send us a convertible, or possibly something with two seats. Which is even worse because having a two-seat-something-convertible around just encourages me to blow-off whatever work I had to do in favor of taking a ride in it.
Although this is one of those weeks where a pick-up truck would have come in handy, they sent a Volkswagen SportWagon instead.
No complaints though, even though I’m currently in the process of moving to a new house a bigger car would have been nice to have around this week.
I am moving to the middle of New Hampshire, so my drive now includes a few fun backroads.
This is where the nimble, lightweight Golf shines, at least compared to a crossover. Oh, and added bonus, this particular Golf has 3 pedals, which makes the backroads that much more fun.
Outback, the Golf Sportwagen offers 66.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded. This is considerably more than a compact crossover like the Toyota C-HR and Honda HR-V and just above its own sibling, the front-wheel-drive Volkswagen Tiguan (65.7 cu ft).
While its no VW Atlas, the SportWagen certainly came in handy when moving, sure I didn’t move any large furniture, but more than once I packed it solid with small things.
This is what perplexes me about the rejection of wagons, the Golf Sportwagen is efficient and fun to drive, plus it actually offers more space than a lot of the competition. And, if by chance you want some extra ground clearance you can move over to the Alltrack.
Not long after I pointed out these facts to a colleague of mine, I open up the Volkswagen media page to find, like the long-running Beetle, VW is pulling the plug their Golf wagon twins after the 2019 model year.
Ending a tradition of VW wagons dating back to the original 1600 Squareback Sedan (Wagon).
Bla.. I curse you Volkswagen. Yeah, I know they have some really interesting electric vehicles on the horizon and hopefully there will be some resurgence of the wagon in the future. With their new electric vehicle ‘skateboard’ platform, you’d think there’d be some flexibility to do different, even lower-volume models (like they did in the 60’s). How about an ID. Beetle, ID. Squareback or ID. Golf for example?
Since I’m ranting and making suggestions, VW please rethink the ‘ID.’ naming scheme. No one outside of the automotive world is going to have a clue which model is which.
Think about the Lincoln MKC vs MKZ vs MKX…you can’t, because no one knows what these models are. If you say I drive a Beetle or a Golf, then people might know what you are talking about.
I think VW is missing a trick by not fully embracing, or using their past to sell their electric future. I know there’s a lot of ‘retro’ design stuff out there today, but in this case, it works.
The ID. Buzz is a great example of this idea, the spirit of the old VW bus in a modern EV.
Now do ‘this’ with the Beetle, a smaller, lighter Beetle with a rear motor. Bring back the fun and charm of that car.
I do like the outgoing Beetle btw, I think that car is/was seriously underrated. The Beetle is fun to drive, with a nicely done retro-modern interior with a good fit and finish. I’d argue the Beetle interior could pass for a ‘lower level’ Audi interior.
Anyway…Back to the point, If you (VW) were to bring back the Beetle just don’t call it the ID. Bugzz, or something like that, just call it the Beetle.
The Volkswagen bus (ID. BUZZ) is also a great example of how this naming convention will lead to confusing conversations, once someone buys one, the conversation is going to go something like this:
Hey, I just bought an ID. Buzz!
What’s an ID. Buzz??
It’s an electric VW bus.
Oh, sounds cool, why the stupid name?
Wierd names aside we look forward to the EV offerings that VW has in the works and hope it goes well for them. We just hope they try and get a wagon in there… I know, I know we might have to wait until the crossover boom is over.
But if you’re not interested in an EV, or perhaps a crossover isn’t your thing, you still have a few months to order a new SportWagen or Alltrack.
Save the wagons..and the manuals!
VW’s official Press Release:
Herndon, VA — Volkswagen of America announced today that the critically-acclaimed Volkswagen Golf Alltrack and Golf SportWagen will end production with the 2019 model year. Volkswagen will continue building the Alltrack at the Puebla, Mexico plant through December 2019 to provide enthusiasts additional opportunity to own an affordable, European-designed wagon.
Over the past several years, demand among American consumers has shifted from wagons to SUVs. Through the first half of 2019, SUVs account for 47 percent of the industry sales, and more than 50 percent of Volkswagen sales. Thanks to strong sales of the Atlas and Tiguan, Volkswagen has had the highest year-over-year percentage growth among mainstream automotive brands in the first six months of 2019.
Volkswagen plans to release three new SUV models in the next 24 months. The five-seater Atlas Cross Sport will be unveiled later this year, and the ID. CROZZ electric SUV debuts early next year. Last week, Volkswagen announced a new smaller SUV model expected to arrive in 2021 that will slot beneath the Tiguan.
“SUVs have definitely assumed the mantle of family haulers from the station wagons and minivans we remember from our childhoods,” said Scott Keogh President and CEO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “But as we look towards the future, both our expanded SUV lineup and the upcoming ID. family of electric vehicles will bring the opportunity to combine the style and space people want in a variety of ways. As the ID. BUZZ concept demonstrates, the flexibility of our EV platform gives us the ability to revive body styles of the past, so anything is possible.”
The 2019 Golf Alltrack with standard 4Motion® all-wheel drive combines practicality with year-round capability. The Alltrack is powered by a 1.8-liter TSI® engine with 168 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque, offered with either a six-speed DSG automatic or a six-speed manual. The car also features unique exterior styling and an extra 0.6 inch of ride height compared to the Golf SportWagen, giving it 6.9 inches of ground clearance.,
The Alltrack comes standard with 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, LED Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) and taillights, leatherette seating surfaces, Volkswagen Car-Net® App-Connect, Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring (Front Assist), Blind Spot Monitor, and Rear Traffic Alert. Optional features include 18-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, LED headlights with the Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS), Car-Net Security & Service and Guide & Inform, navigation, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Keeping System, (Lane Assist), Park Distance Control, Parking Steering Assistant (Park Assist), and High Beam Control (Light Assist). MSRP starts at $26,895 for the Alltrack S with a standard six-speed manual transmission, and $27,995 for the Alltrack S with a six-speed DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The 2019 Golf SportWagen combines the space and utility of a compact SUV with the nimbleness and fun-to-drive capabilities of a Golf. Front-wheel-drive models are powered by a 1.4-liter TSI engine with 147 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, while 4Motion models use the 1.8T engine found in the Alltrack. The 1.4T is paired with either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the 1.8T is available with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed DSG automatic transmission.
Standard features include 15-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, LED Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) and taillights, cloth seats, and App-Connect. Optional features include 17-inch wheels, LED headlights with AFS, foglights, auto-dimming rearview mirror, Car-Net Security & Service, ACC, Lane Assist, and Light Assist. MSRP starts at $21,895 for the Golf SportWagen S front-wheel-drive model with a standard six-speed manual transmission and $22,995 for the eight-speed automatic transmission. Pricing for the S 4Motion® with a standard six-speed manual transmission starts at $24,395, and the six-speed DSG automatic transmission starts at $25,495. The destination charge for all Golf wagon models is an additional $895.
Volkswagen Wagon History
1600 Squareback Sedan: 1966-1973
1.6-liter air-cooled engine with 65 hp
Had cargo space under hood and in rear above the engine.
The first mass-produced model with computerized fuel injection
Type 412 Wagon: 1971-1974
1.6-liter air-cooled engine with 80 hp
Unibody chassis and MacPherson strut suspension were firsts for VW
Volkswagen Dasher: 1974-1981
First water-cooled, front-engined, front-wheel-drive car for VW of America lineup
Also offered as a two-door or four-door hatchback, with 74 hp
Sold as the Passat in Europe
Volkswagen Quantum: 1981-1988
Midsize successor to the Dasher
Sold with four- or five-cylinder engines up to 110 hp
Introduced Syncro all-wheel-drive in a wagon, offered in 1986-1988
Volkswagen Fox: 1989-1991
Offered as a two-door subcompact wagon, rare in its era
80-hp, 1.8-liter four cylinder, with manual transmission
Built in Brazil, along with two- and four-door variants.
Volkswagen Passat: 1990-2010
Three generations of Passat wagons were sold in America
Stylish B4 generation unveiled a new, upscale VW design language
The W8 variant offered 270 hp, 4Motion all-wheel drive and an available manual transmission
Volkswagen Jetta: 2001-2005; 2008-2014
Most popular wagon model Volkswagen has sold in America
First generation was unique to North America
Independent rear suspension in later models
Volkswagen Golf SportWagen: 2015-2019
First wagon for U.S. built off flexible, modern MQB platform
Offers full suite of modern technology such as App-Connect
Spacious interior and cargo area compares well to compact SUVs
Volkswagen Golf Alltrack: 2017-2019
Higher ground clearance than SportWagen and standard 4Motion offer SUV-like capability
Mixes more aggressive design cues with timeless Volkswagen style
Manual transmission offered on top line SEL for enthusiasts
