Ambience and seats. The up to five occupants can also enjoy the sporty benefits of the Golf R Estate in the interior. Everyone can experience the R-specific door trims, put their feet on floor mats sporting the R logo and in the R-specific colour scheme and enjoy the journey under a black headliner. The background lighting synchronised with the display ensures a very special mood. Thirty colours are available – they unobtrusively light up the dash panel and doors. Carbon Grey decorative trim can be found on the dash panel. Both the driver and the front passenger can operate the 10-inch touch screen in the centre of the dash panel. The Infotainment system and the navigation can, for instance, be controlled via the high-resolution, touch-sensitive display.
R Performance steering wheel and pedals. In addition to breathtaking performance, the driver can also enjoy the very special pleasures of the R model – with impressive pedal caps and a driver foot rest made of brushed stainless steel. The driver holds the most important instrument in their hands: the R-specific multifunction leather sports steering wheel, which is flattened at the bottom. It stands out thanks to a blue steering wheel clip with R logo on the bottom two spokes and high-quality blue decorative seams. The R button is particularly handy. The driver uses it to select one of four – or in the case of the optional R Performance package six – driving profiles directly. A more forceful press of the R button also activates the Race profile directly. The back of the steering wheel has ergonomically designed DSG shift paddles that are larger than in the other Golf models as they, for instance, must be easy to access when driving through bends on the race track.
Individualised welcome. The display and operating elements of the current Golf models are largely digital. The new Golf R Estate also benefits from this. Passengers are always greeted with an “R welcome” on the touchscreen of the Infotainment system as soon as the vehicle is opened with the vehicle key, which also sports a special R finish. The welcome naturally also works when accessing the vehicle with optional Keyless Access.
Touch features instead of buttons. Compared to the predecessor model, the operation for the driver has been almost completely redesigned – except for the superior ergonomics. The Golf R Estate has state-of-the-art equipment with its new digital interfaces: touch panels, touch sliders and touchscreens perform the functions of conventional buttons and analogue displays.
The Digital Cockpit Pro. The graphic of the R logo welcomes R drivers as soon as Digital Cockpit Pro is activated. The View button in the new multifunction leather steering wheel enables a variety of layouts that are already known from other models of the product line to be displayed. Like the Golf R, the Golf R Estate also has the so-called sport skin. This includes the central round rev counter in R-specific design including the R logo. The Golf R Estate also offers a 3D-look layout with numerical fields, known as the R View. As an exclusive feature, there is a new, horizontal rev counter at the top edge of the display. The scale for this flat, horizontal display ranges from 0 to 8 (equivalent to 0 to 8,000 revs per minute). In the Special and Drift driving profiles – with manual DSG mode simultaneously activated – the display provides the easy-to-see “shift light”, i.e. a gear recommendation for switching up a gear to the rpm limit via the shift paddle or via a shift-by-wire button in the centre console. The shift light relieves the driver, for example, from watching the rev counter on the race track – a very important aspect as the automatic upshift is deliberately de-activated in the Special and Drift driving profiles. As additional information, the Digital Cockpit Pro in the Golf R Estate can also display current data such as the charge pressure, gearbox temperature, torque, power, G forces and the torque distribution of the all-wheel drive. The Digital Cockpit Pro in the Golf R Estate is also equipped with a lap timer for measuring time on the race track.
Connected at the highest level. Like all current Volkswagen models, the new Golf R Estate is optimally connected with its owner or user. The basis for this includes standard digital instruments (Digital Cockpit Pro) with a ten-inch display, the Ready 2 Discover Infotainment system (10.0-inch touchscreen) and the multifunction sports steering wheel. It’s important to note that all infotainment systems form part of the new, third generation of the modular infotainment matrix (MIB3). They are all linked to an online connectivity unit (OCU) featuring an eSIM. OCU and eSIM provide access to a permanently growing range of online-based functions and services that are made available using the brand’s own Volkswagen We ecosystem. Of course, the new Golf R Estate is prepared for the range of We Connect and We Connect Plus.
Digital operation of light, vision, temperature and sound. The light and vision functions of all Golf models have been re-designed, re-bundled and are now more intuitively operable: the lights as well as the windscreen and rear window heating are operated using a digital panel to the left of the instruments. The centre console is also characterised by perfect ergonomics: this area is now clearer than ever – particularly with the inclusion of the shift-by-wire gear knob for the dual clutch gearboxes (DSG), which is significantly smaller than previously. The theme continues to flow across the new roof console, where Volkswagen has also digitalised the operation. The touch sliders are also used to adjust the temperature of the air conditioning system and to control the volume.
Networked infotainment and entertainment. As an option, the driver’s digital workplace can be equipped with the Discover Media or Discover Pro navigation system. Among other things, Discover Pro features high-end map navigation and natural voice control. In addition, a windscreen head up display is available, which projects all the important information on the windscreen and thus virtually in front of the driver so that it is directly in the driver’s field of vision and they do not have to take their eyes off the road.
Harman Kardon sound system. There are moments in life when one wants to hear more than just the throaty sound of the engine, for example, concert music. The optional 480-watt Harman Kardon sound system has been completely redeveloped for this purpose. It includes a 12-channel Ethernet amplifier and ten loudspeakers. There is one treble loudspeaker with a 60-millimetres diameter in the A-pillars and rear door trim, and a bass loudspeaker (168 millimetres) in the front and rear door trim panels on each side of the vehicle. In addition, there is a centre speaker (116 millimetres) in the dash panel at the front, and a subwoofer (18 inches in diameter) fitted into the spare wheel well at the back.
Intuitive voice control. Operation in the Golf R Estate can also be supported by new, natural, learning voice control on request. The system is activated by saying “Hello Volkswagen” or pressing the voice button on the steering wheel. For instance, the Golf R Estate now responds with “Yes, please?” and “What would you like to do?” and reacts to intuitive voice commands, such as “I’m cold” with the right automatic air conditioner setting. The navigation system, air conditioning system, phone and Infotainment system can be controlled with voice commands. New, digital microphones not only ensure perfect voice recognition and voice quality such as for phone calls, but also locate the person who is speaking, be it the driver or front passenger.
Alexa comes with. For paired smartphones with an Android operating system, the Alexa voice assistant is on board and can implement commands in English (US/UK), German, French, Italian and Spanish. Alexa helps with point-of-interest (POI) searches nearby, POI input for navigation and volume control. Functions normally used at home can also be called up, such as information requests, weather information, news, opening times, and smart home controls. All it takes is a command spoken in the car, such as “Alexa, switch the light on in the lounge,” is all it takes to activate the relevant function in the connected home.
Wireless App Connect. The Golf R Estate offers additional comfort with the standard Wireless App Connect. Drivers and front passengers can use App Connect to directly access selected smartphone apps using the Infotainment system. With newer iPhones and Apple CarPlayTM, this also works wirelessly via Bluetooth. The Golf R Estate is also prepared for We Connect and We Connect Plus. In addition, extensive personalisation (storage of personal settings) and the eCall emergency call system (automatic or manual assistance in emergency situations via a multilingual call centre) are on-board as basic functions.
Mobile key. The compatible smartphone optionally becomes the vehicle key thanks to the We Connect interface; a mobile phone connection is superfluous. It is sufficient to hold the smartphone near the door handle in the same way as the keyless locking and starting system Keyless Access opens the Golf R Estate. Place the smartphone in the storage compartment with interface for mobile telephone of the centre console to start the engine. Furthermore, it is possible to send the mobile key to trusted people so that they can also use their smartphone as a key.