The 2018 Volkswagen Golf in its standard hatchback form is already a very practical and family-friendly vehicle, with five doors and more than reasonable amount of interior space, but if you need more space that’s where the SportWagen comes in.

Although there isn’t a ton of extra space for front and second row passengers in this elongated version of the Golf, there’s plenty of extra room for all sorts of cargo in the back. If you like the Golf but have a couple of dogs (or one very big one), you need to transport large amounts of groceries, or if you have a business where you need to carry goods but not enough to need a cargo van, the Golf SportWagen would be a great vehicle for you.

In some ways the SportWagen has some uniqueness when compared to the regular Golf hatch, but in other ways it’s exactly the same. The great thing about this stretched version is that it keeps all the good things about the standard model at the same time as delivering extra cargo space. You’ll be amazed at how much you can fit in the back of one of these, and a trip to Home Depot will never be a daunting expedition again if you have a SportWagen to bring the goods home in. But the great thing about the SportWagen is that it still rides and drives just like a Golf, and you can even have it with all-wheel drive too.

To get AWD in the hatch version you have to go for the top-of-the-range Golf R model, but you can have the all that additional traction and capability here with the SportWagen without spending anything close to as much money.

A SportWagen S with the 4Motion all-wheel drive system has a starting MSRP close to $24,000. Compare that with the all-wheel drive equipped hatchback Golf R, which will set you back close to $40K. The SportWagen is a fantastic answer to the need for better traction in worse weather.

Volkswagen suggests that no one tow with the Golf SportWagen, so the official answer here is no.