VW Golf R Estate spotted undisguised

Volkswagen has decided to add a new model to its scorching 'R' range, and it's the most practical R car yet. The Golf Estate has been given the R treatment and our spy shots show it completely undisguised.

Expected to be launched at the Essen Motor Show in December, the hot estate is shown undergoing testing at the Nurburgring. Sources claim that the idea for a Golf R Estate has been thrown around for a while but Volkswagen has finally decided to put the high-performance load-lugger into mass production.

The standard Golf Estate is a fairly plain-looking affair but this one adds far more by way of visual aggression, with the deeper 'R' front bumper and side skirts. The quad exhausts look unusual on such a boxy estate, but hint at the immense performance on offer.

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With the R Estate using the same four-wheel drive chassis and 2.0-litre turbocharged engine as the Golf R hatchback, it's unlikely that performance will suffer too much from the 100kg of extra weight that's likely to be present compared to the hatch.

Power is rated at 296bhp and there's a healthy 380Nm of torque, which means the family-friendly R model should have the measure of it's closest rival, the Ford Focus ST estate. 

Expect acceleration to be down a little bit from the 0.62mph time of 5.1 seconds for the hatch (4.9 for the DSG), but the top speed should still reach the 155mph limiter.

Prices will probably add around £800 or so to the £30,000 pricetag of the standard Golf R hatch, which isn't a significant premium when you consider the extra practicality on offer.

Do you think you'd need a near-300bhp family estate? Let us know in the comments below and check out our top 10 best estates here.