THERE WAS a time when your average estate could, at best, be described as dowdy. That is no longer the case as various manufacturers have upped their game for vehicles that were essentially load-luggers that did their best work on long trips with the family.

One of the vehicles to banish all negative thoughts about estates in recent times is the classy Golf R Estate Mk8 version. It uses a lot of the same elements as the Mk7 car that came before. It has a similar 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, four-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. It looks and moves beautifully. The automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive system mean that it’s incredibly easy to drive the Golf R very fast indeed.

With the optional adaptive suspension fitted, it’s able to take on bumpy B-roads with ease, and you can adjust the stiffness as you go so if a road is nice and smooth you can make the car even sharper in corners. Motorway driving in this particular vehicle is a delight.

The added security of 4MOTION four-wheel drive allows you to deploy everything the engine has to offer – which is 316bhp and a solid 420Nm of torque spread over more than 3,000rpm.

From 0-62mph takes just 4.9 seconds, and despite the mid-range grunt giving plenty of flexibility, the motor revs sweetly and only loses its linear pull a little before the rev limiter.

One of the vehicles to banish all negative thoughts about estates in recent times is the classy Golf R Estate Mk8 version

In terms sheer practicality (which the aforementioned dowdy estates were famous for) there’s absolutely no problems with this much sexier version.

There’s ample space in the rear, so back-seat passengers will have little to complain about, and with a 611-litre boot there’s enough luggage room too. In fact there’s room for most things to be fair with the seats folded down which provides a total of 1642 litres for the anoraks!

The rear seats split 60/40, so you do at least get a variable-height boot floor that you can set flush with the seat backs when they’re folded, or drop down for maximum volume. 

The 10.2-inch digital driver’s display comes as standard and that allows you to customise the dials and layout to your preferences. A 10.2-inch infotainment touchscreen also comes as standard and the image is crisp, and the touchscreen responsive. 

Up front, passengers will not want for space. Sports seats come as standard, as do satnav, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and wireless charging. Options include full ambient lighting system, three-zone climate control and a heated steering wheel.

The Golf R Estate gets the same button-free approach to cabin design as the regular car. That means the inside does feel largely uncluttered, with the vast majority of functions accessed via the central screen. It might not be the most intuitive, but it does give the cabin a clean look.

Adding an estate derivative to the popular Golf R line-up made a lot of sense for VW, since it brings practicality and usability without detracting from any of the car’s other qualities. 

The Golf R’s classic traits are still present and correct in this new model. It’s dependable and very easy to drive quickly, with that all-wheel-drive system providing plenty of traction as and when you need it.

In fact, the new Golf R Estate feels even quicker than the figures suggest, with its straight-line performance being particularly impressive.

Yes, it is expensive but Volkswagen’s latest Golf R has made a big impact. However, with this latest generation of the firm’s punchy estate delivering more technology than before alongside a boatload of pace and performance, the outlay may just be worth it.

Price: £44,535