VW Arteon Seen in Action At The “Ring”: Golf R and Brake R

Camo was very limited on the Golf R.

It’s refreshing to find some companies still believe in the old station wagon, even though the automotive industry is dominated by SUVs and crossovers. Volkswagen has decided to use the shooting brake name instead of the traditional body style. Although the car you see here has more doors that a true shooting brake we will let it go since it is the more attractive R model.

The car is known by its full name, the Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake R. It was spotted in prototype form while it was undergoing final testing at Nurburgring. Although the car was revealed two months ago, this is our first chance to see it in action. This is the perfect VW all-rounder. It combines practicality and performance in fancy clothes, making the mechanically related Passat Variant seem dull.

The performance wagon was not the only one at the ‘Ring, as it was joined by another R model, the Golf R. It shared the track with the Golf R, which had five doors and featured R-specific quad exhausts, blue brake calipers, and a 5-door body. Although there is still some camouflage to hide the side “R”, badges, this is it. Big air intakes and all.

The 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that powers the Golf R will be the same as the Arteon R. It is expected to produce 316 horsepower and 310 pound feet (420 Newton-meters). This configuration is also shared with the Tiguan R, which was revealed last week, and the Golf R wagon. VW is serious about expanding the appeal of its R lineup, taking into account the Touareg R and its electrified V6.

The Golf R is likely to be unveiled soon, with very little disguise. Expect an official premiere in the next few weeks. We are glad that the long-roof R specification version will be available. However, it is not clear when. At least it’s here in Europe.