Volkswagen executives say the Golf Sportsvan combines the agility of the classic Golf hatchback with the roominess, easier access and higher seating position of a minivan, leading some commentators to dub it “the better Golf.”

The car is the third new Golf body style underpinned by the automaker’s MQB platform after the hatchback and station wagon. It replaces the Golf Plus.

VW said it gave the car a new name to emphasize that the Sportsvan is different than the Golf Plus, with a more dynamic design, a lower roofline and wider body.

“Besides former Golf Plus buyers, we now have young families in our focus,” said Michael Kohnert, the model’s product manager.

The Golf Sportsvan will be offered only as a five-seat model, unlike the Touran, VW’s other compact minivan, which has a seven-seat variant. The Golf Sportsvan is lower and shorter than the Touran.

VW targets what it calls “premium downsizers” with the Golf Sportsvan and aims to attract Mercedes-Benz B-class and BMW 2-series Active Tourer buyers, Kohnert said. At 4338mm long, the Sportsvan is 134mm longer than the Golf Plus and 83mm longer than the current Golf, but 224mm shorter than the Golf Estate.