Overview of the Volkswagen range - from sedan to station wagon

As you know, Volkswagen provides its customers with a wide selection of a wide variety of cars. The lineup includes sedans, station wagons, hatchbacks, coupes, crossovers and more. How not to get lost in such a variety and make the right choice? Let's try to figure it out.

Model range of Volkswagen cars

Volkswagen cars are classified not only by purpose and engine size, but also by body type. Consider the main body models manufactured by the company.

Sedan

Sedan can be called without exaggeration the most common type of car body. Cars with such bodies are produced by a huge number of automotive companies, and Volkswagen is no exception. In the classic version, the sedan body can have both two and four doors. Any sedan must have two rows of seats, and the seats should not be compact, but full-sized, that is, an adult should fit comfortably on each of them. A classic example of a sedan from a German concern is the Volkswagen Polo.

The most common German sedan - Volkswagen Polo

Another common sedan is the Volkswagen Passat.

The second famous sedan from the Volkswagen concern is the Volkswagen Passat.

Universal

It is customary to call a station wagon a cargo-passenger body type. As a rule, the station wagon is based on a slightly modernized sedan body. The main difference between station wagons is the presence of five doors, with a mandatory back door. Some companies produce three-door station wagons, but this is rare. It should also be noted here that the rear overhangs on station wagons can be either longer than on sedans, or the same. And of course, the wagon should also have two rows of full-size seats. A typical station wagon is the Volkswagen Passat B8 Variant. It is easy to see that this is a slightly modified sedan.

Volkswagen Passat B8 Variant - station wagon, made on the platform of the German sedan of the same name

Another well-known station wagon is the Volkswagen Golf Variant, based on the sedan of the same name.

The famous Volkswagen Golf Variant station wagon is based on the classic Volkswagen Golf sedan

Hatchback

Hatchbacks also belong to the category of passenger-and-freight bodies. The main difference between hatchbacks and station wagons is the shorter length of the rear overhangs, and as a result, a lower carrying capacity. The hatchback can have three or five doors. Volkswagen's most famous hatchback is the five-door Volkswagen Polo R.

Volkswagen Polo R is a typical representative of the class of German hatchbacks

And typical representatives of three-door hatchbacks are Volkswagen Polo GTI and Volkswagen Scirocco.

A bright representative of the class of three-door hatchbacks - Volkswagen Scirocco

Coupe

The classic coupe has only one row of seats. Bodies of this type are most often put on sports cars. And if the rear seats are provided in the compartment, then their capacity, as a rule, is limited and it is uncomfortable for an adult to sit on them. There is one exception to this rule: the executive class coupe, which provides maximum comfort for all passengers. But this type of body today is a rarity. And in a compartment there are always only two doors. This is the design of the 2010 Volkswagen Eos.

Volkswagen Eos - a coupe with three doors and four seats

It should also be noted here that automakers often go to the trick and pass off cars that are not coupes as coupes. For example, hatchbacks with three doors are often given out as coupes.

Crossover

Crossovers are a cross between a traditional passenger car and an SUV (the abbreviation stands for Sport Utility Vehicle, that is, “sport utility vehicle”). The first SUVs appeared in the USA and were positioned as light trucks, which in certain situations could also be used as passenger transport. Most modern crossovers are SUV-style crossovers, and Volkswagen cars are no exception. These are cars with a high landing of passengers and five doors. At the same time, the crossover chassis remains light, often only the front wheels are driving, which significantly reduces the off-road qualities of the car (for crossovers, they are at an average level, and this is at best). The most famous crossover of the German concern today is the Volkswagen Tiguan, produced in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations.

Volkswagen Tiguan is a German crossover produced in different trim levels.

About Volkswagen car configurators

There are special configurators on the Volkswagen website and on the websites of the official dealers of the concern, with the help of which potential buyers can "assemble" for themselves exactly the car that they need. Using the configurator, the future car owner can choose the color of the car, body type, equipment.

This is what the Volkswagen configurator looks like on the website of the official dealer of the company

There, he can also consider the dealer's special offers, receive certain discounts during promotions, etc. In general, the configurator is a convenient tool that allows a car enthusiast to save time and money. But when choosing a car of a certain type, you should take into account the nuances, which will be discussed below.

Choosing a Volkswagen sedan

The points that the buyer should consider when choosing a sedan from Volkswagen include:

• Volkswagen sedans look presentable and elegant at the same time. These are cars that demonstrate with all their appearance that they were created to transport people, and not cabinets to the country. When choosing a sedan, the buyer must remember that the native element of this car is the city and a good track. It is for this reason that the vast majority of sedans have low ground clearance, so these cars are completely unsuitable for off-road driving;
• Another important nuance is the size. Sedans are much longer than hatchbacks. And this means that there will be more problems with parking a sedan, especially if the driver is a novice;
  

  The difference in size between sedans, hatchbacks and station wagons is visible to the naked eye
• there are no wipers on the rear windows of sedans, because the rear windows of these cars remain clean in any weather;
• The trunk of a sedan is always separated from the passenger compartment. Even if you open it in the cold, the heat from the cabin will not go away. In addition, when hitting from behind, it is the trunk that will take on the main impact impulse, which will increase the chances of passengers to survive;
• The volume of the trunk in the sedan is less than that of the station wagon, but more than that of the hatchback. For example, in the trunk of a hatchback, you can put only a couple of wheels from a car, while four fit in a sedan.
  

  The trunk of a Volkswagen sedan easily fits four wheels

Choosing a Volkswagen coupe

As mentioned above, the classic coupe has only two seats. So this body also has its own characteristics:

• as a rule, coupes are bought by people who prefer to ride alone or together. For this reason, finding a classic two-seat coupe is becoming more and more difficult every year;
• Based on the previous paragraph, all Volkswagen coupes today are cars with a 2 + 2 interior, that is, with four seats. Moreover, the rear seats can be called such with a stretch: they are very small and uncomfortable, this is especially felt on long trips;
  

  You can't call the rear seats in a Volkswagen coupe comfortable.
• the front doors in the compartment are very large. Consequently, it will be much more convenient for the driver and front passenger to sit in a coupe compared to sedans and hatchbacks;
• the coupe also has a purely mechanical feature: this body type exhibits increased resistance to torsion force and therefore has increased handling and cornering stability;
• and finally, an incredibly stylish and sporty appearance is the hallmark of almost all coupes, including Volkswagen coupes.

Choosing a hatchback from Volkswagen

Here are some points to consider when choosing a hatchback:

• The main advantage of hatchbacks is compactness. These cars are shorter than station wagons and sedans, which means that hatchbacks are much easier to park and drive. This circumstance can be decisive for a novice driver;
• the above compactness in Volkswagen hatchbacks is achieved by reducing the size of the trunk, so if a car enthusiast needs a large luggage compartment, it makes sense to look at a sedan or station wagon;
  

  Trunks in Volkswagen hatchbacks do not differ in capacity
• hatchback was originally conceived by the manufacturer as a compact and very maneuverable car. This means that among premium cars, the main advantage of which is increased comfort, hatchbacks are not to be found. But the vast majority of class A cars are hatchbacks, and they feel great on city streets;
• the hatchback tailgate is both a plus and a minus. On the one hand, loading something large into the trunk of a hatchback is very easy. On the other hand, the trunk is not separated from the main cabin. And in a frosty winter it is very well felt.

Choosing a Volkswagen wagon

Those who are thinking about buying a station wagon from Volkswagen should remember the following:

• station wagons are perhaps the most practical cars produced by Volkswagen. They are roomy and long, like sedans, but they also have a large tailgate. As a result, station wagon trunks are twice as large as those of sedans and hatchbacks;
• station wagon is suitable for those who plan to periodically transport bulky goods: refrigerators, cabinets, washing machines and the like;
• if the buyer is a fan of car travel, then the station wagon is ideal in this case too. Everything you need can easily fit in its large trunk.
  

  A sleeping person of average height can easily fit in the trunks of Volkswagen station wagons.

Choosing a Volkswagen crossover

We list the main points that should not be forgotten when choosing a crossover:

• Initially, the crossover, especially the all-wheel drive, was conceived as a cross-country vehicle. But we must not forget that the crossover is still not a full-fledged SUV (it was behind the crossovers among experienced motorists that the title of “parquet SUVs” was entrenched);
• despite dubious off-road qualities, the crossover has a large ground clearance. And if the driver plans to drive mainly on dirt roads or on asphalt, the quality of which leaves much to be desired, then a crossover may be the best option;
• compared to sedans and hatchbacks, the geometric crossovers are much higher. This means that the car can drive into obstacles at a fairly large angle and just as successfully move out of them;
  

  Volkswagen crossovers have a high geometric cross-country ability
• be aware of the high fuel consumption. You have to pay for everything, including all-wheel drive and the increased mass of the car;
• finally, taking a front-wheel drive crossover does not make much sense; in this case, it is better to take a regular hatchback. And buying a full-fledged all-wheel drive with a powerful motor is expensive. And given the increased fuel consumption, the motorist should think twice about whether this game is worth the candle.

So, every Volkswagen car has both advantages and disadvantages. The task of a potential buyer is to answer one simple question: in what conditions will the purchased car be used? By answering this question, it will be easier to decide on the choice of car.