Volkswagen Australia customers can again join the performance bandwagon, with the Golf R Wagon arriving to combine 235kW, 420Nm and a 4.9-second 0-100km/h with extra rear legroom, a power tailgate and a 611-litre boot.

As the 'Year of the R' continues, this ultimate five-door sport complements the lauded Golf R hatch and Tiguan R, and the forthcoming T-Roc R and Touareg R.

For this, the second generation Golf R Wagon, it is the first time both the overall length and wheelbase of the wagon exceeds that of the hatch – 4644mm length up 354mm, and 2681mm wheelbase up 50mm.

The result is rear legroom expanding from 903mm in the hatch to 941mm, further complementing the luxury of Nappa leather upholstery, tri-zone climate control with rear touch controls and multiple rear storage solutions.

Boot volume moves from 374 litres in the hatch to an unrivalled 611 l – including a full metre of length between the tailgate and upright rear backrest.

The difference is even more pronounced with the 60:40-split backrest folded, from 1230 l in the hatch to a large car challenging 1642 l – growing to a vast 1.845 metres between the tailgate and the backs of the front seats.

The Golf R Wagon also uniquely includes chrome roof rails, an electrically operated tailgate with Easy Open and Easy Close functions and a luggage net partition able to be extended from the rear seat backrest to the roof lining.

Yet even with this substantial increase in size, comfort and practicality, the Golf R Wagon retains and further extends the essential virtues of the hatch that have cemented its position as the clear leader among key competitors.

This includes the 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder, in the wagon delivering 235kW from 5200rpm until 6000rpm, 420Nm between 2000rpm and 5550rpm, and 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds – just a tenth adrift of the 82kg-lighter, 1501kg hatch.

Using the latest iteration of the 7 speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) and a petrol particular filter (PPF), the Golf R Wagon achieves just 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined-cycle with mandatory 98RON premium unleaded.

The Golf R Wagon likewise retains 19-inch alloy wheels, progressive steering, the latest 4MOTION all-wheel drive with R-Performance Torque Vectoring and adaptive suspension: featuring Comfort, Sport, Race, Special and Drift modes.

The 'Special' profile is tuned to suit the bumps, undulations and corners of the Nürburgring-Nordschleife by incorporating more compliant damping with maximum powertrain performance. The 'Drift' profile provides optimal driving dynamics away from public roads, distributing 100% of the rear torque to one wheel. It defaults to ESC Sport while ESC Off can be individually selected.

Brand Director of Volkswagen Passenger Vehicles Michal Szaniecki said the new Golf R Wagon "is the perfect complement to our winning and expanding R range of high-performance vehicles."

"From hatch to wagon and SUV, Volkswagen can now provide Australian customers with a high-performance model to suit their exact taste and needs.

"The Golf R Wagon will be unchallenged in its segment and unequalled for its combination of performance and practicality."

• 2.0 litre 4-cylinder TSI 235kW/420Nm; 7-speed DSG; 4MOTION
• 7 speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG)
• R Performance package : Drift and Special driving modes, 19" Estoril alloy wheels
• Adaptive Chassis Control
• Progressive steering
• R exterior styling
• Matrix LED headlights with dynamic cornering lights and Dynamic Light Assist
• LED daytime driving lights and grille strip
• LED tail lights with dynamic indicators
• Illuminated door handle recesses
• Surround lighting with welcome light
• Keyless Access
• Exterior mirrors power-folding
• Dark tinted rear and rear side windows
• Chrome roof rails
• Electrically operated automatic opening and closing of the tailgate with Easy Open and Easy Close functions
• Luggage net partition, extendable rear seat backrest to roof lining, removable and storable
• Premium Metallic/Pearl Effect paint
• Air Care 3 zone climate control air conditioning
• Nappa leather appointed upholstery
• Electrically adjustable driver's seat with memory
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Front centre armrest, adjustable
• Illuminated vanity mirrors in sun visors
• 2 LED reading lights in front and 2 in rear
• Rain sensing windscreen wipers
• Automatically dimming rear-view mirror
• Innovision Cockpit: Digital Cockpit Pro and  Discover Pro 10" satellite navigation system
• Digital Radio DAB+
• Head up display
• Voice control
• Wireless App-Connect
• Wireless charging
• 4x USB C ports
• R interior styling
• Multi-function sport leather steering wheel
• Heated steering wheel
• Gearshift paddles
• Sports seats with integrated head restraints
• 30-colour ambient lighting
• LED lighting in front foot well, selectable color
• Alarm system with interior monitoring
• Rear seat centre armrest
• Adaptive Cruise Control  (ACC) with stop & go
• Traffic Jam Assist
• Travel Assist
• Emergency Assist
• Park Assist
• Exit warning system
• Front Assist with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring
• Lane Assist
• Side Assist with Rear Traffic Alert
• Extended Electronic Differential Lock (XDL)
• Driver Fatigue Detection
• Electronic Stabilisation Program (ESP)
• Rear view camera (RVC)
• 8 airbags: Front, front and rear side and curtain airbags
• Proactive passenger protection system
• Parking sensors, front & rear
• Manoeuvre Braking, front & rear

Optional equipment: