It was, for several years, the most sought after car for sale on Auto Trader, while there was a period where traders were buying automatic models in the northern counties and driving them down to London to sell them, such was the demand for two-pedal Golfs in the capital’s hustle and bustle. Performance variants aside, there was also the matter of it being a classy, refined small hatchback. Then there was the R32, a 3.2-litre V6 that proved that the Golf was, well and truly, capable of acting the role of a true performance car, even if its critics begged to differ. Or the 2.8 V6 4MOTION with four-wheel-drive. The 2.3-litre V5, for example, which was an interesting curiosity. Yet there were other Mk 4s that were technologically far more interesting. It was a fair criticism, and while the later 180bhp 1.8T livened things up a bit, it was still never the driver’s car that Golfs of old had become. In 2.0-litre 8v form, it had very little in the way of performance and was a bit too soft around the edges, leading critics to suggest that Volkswagen had made a GTI for estate agents rather than enthusiasts. One of the reasons behind its current anonymity could be because the halo model, the GTI, was a bit of a disappointment. And that’s a shame, as it was one of the best cars of its era. Yet despite being a handsome car, the Mk4 Golf somehow still feels a long way from being a classic - more so, in fact, than a good number of its contemporaries.
Its smart and simple lines and instantly identifiable shape give it a look that still isn’t out of place among modern traffic. Yet despite its advancing years, the design approach of evolution rather than revolution means that, even today, the Mk4 looks relatively modern.
By the time production on the Mk4 ceased, Volkswagen had put 4.99 million units on the road.ġ997 Extremely high body quality levels, achieved by elements including laser weldingġ997 Navigation system with large color screen for the very first timeġ998 Introduction of the optionally available Electronic Stability ControlĢ002 First Golf with direct petrol injection engine (FSI)Ģ002 Debut of the Golf R32 as sporty, top-of-the-range modelĢ003 First dual clutch gearbox (DSG) in Golf R32Ģ003 Phase-out of the fourth generation after 4.Believe it or not, it’s now 22 years since the Volkswagen Golf Mk4 first appeared. It was the first Golf to face serious competition in the C-segment thanks to Ford and Opel launching the 1st-gen Focus and 2nd-gen Astra, respectively, in 1998. In the end, the Mk4 will go down as one of the most important generations ever. It preceded the Golf R32, which arrived the following year with a new VR6 engine, a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h) and, for the first time in a Golf, a dual clutch DSG gearbox. In 2001, the 180 PS Edition 25 was launched to mark the GTI’s 25th anniversary. The GTI switched to a turbocharged 1.8-liter with 150 PS. While the German automaker didn’t build an actual Cabriolet version of the Mk4, carrying over the third-gen with a fourth-gen-like front end instead, the compact hatchback was available as a three-door, five-door and estate. Its platform was also used for the first-generation Seat Leon and Skoda Octavia, two models that allowed V-Dub to market the Golf Mk4 as a more upscale product, which was by no means a stretch since interior quality was on par with that of the Mk1 Audi A3. Like with its predecessors, there were multiple body styles to choose from, as well as derivatives such as the fourth-gen VW Jetta (Bora).
Golf mk4 full#
In time, ESC became standard and direct injection gasoline engines (FSI) were made available.Īlso Read: VW Golf Countdown: 1991-1996 Mk3 Was Full Of Safety First But Not The Most Memorable Drive In 1999, it gained a 6-speed gearbox for the first time, but not before receiving a sat-nav system with a large color screen. It had features such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and brake assist and became the first Golf to utilize VW’s new 4MOTION all-wheel drive system. In fact, three years after its launch, it became Europe’s best selling car thanks to its high-quality interior and strong equipment levels. As we continue to count down to the launch of the new Golf Mk8, we arrive at the fourth-generation model, a car that signified Volkswagen trying to take the nameplate to a whole different level in terms of quality.ĭeveloped in the mid 1990s, the Golf Mk4 made its debut in 1997 and became an instant hit.