VW Golf R Estate gets you to and from Ikea in record time

There are few cars in the world faster and more practical than the VW Golf R. Aside from the brand spanking new VW Golf R Estate, that is.

The new hyper estate has just been announced at the LA Auto Show and on numbers alone it looks set to make trips to Ikea just about bearable – and that’s no mean feat.

Like the hatchback, the Golf R Estate is powered by a 2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged TSI petrol engine kicking out 300PS once you hit anywhere above 5,500rpm. 380Nm of torque is generated from 1,800rpm, to all four wheels via VW’s permanent 4MOTION all-wheel drive.

That allows performance best described as brisk: 0-62mph occurs in 5.1 seconds – just 0.2 seconds slower than the Golf R hatchback. And it’ll keep going until the terrified screams of your passengers compel you to stop, or you hit the 155mph electronic limiter.

So it’s quick then, but it’s also surprisingly frugal. VW reckons it’ll do 40.4mpg, which works out at 163g/km of CO2.

As for space, the Golf R Estate has a 605-litre boot, which extends to 1,620 litres with the rear seats folded down.

Elsewhere on the inside, the Golf R Estate features the same creature comforts as the hatchback, including Alcantara upholstery, R logos on the seats and steering wheel, blue highlights including on the ambient lighting and dash dials.

Want one? You can put your order in at UK dealerships from spring 2015, with first deliveries expected in the summer.