The Volkswagen Golf Mk4 (or VW Type 1J) is a compact car, the fourth generation of the Volkswagen Golf and the successor to the Volkswagen Golf Mk3. Launched in October 1997 for the 1998 model year, it was the best-selling car in Europe in 2001 (though it slipped to second place, behind the Peugeot 206, in 2002).
The Mk4 was a deliberate attempt to take the Volkswagen Golf series further upmarket with a high-quality interior and higher equipment levels - a policy which Volkswagen began a year earlier with the Passat B5. This move however however placed the Golf in direct competition with its luxury branded stablemate - the Audi A3 - with some of the higher trim versions of the Golf actually being as expensive as the A3.
It was replaced in late 2003 for the 2004 model year by the Volkswagen Golf Mk5 in European markets. However, manufacturing continued in South America and China for developing markets until 2014.
Design and engineering
As with the larger Passat, launched a year earlier, the MK4 Golf helped form a part of Volkswagen's strategy of moving its products upmarket to plug a gap between mainstream economy cars and premium cars, with SEAT and Škoda, two other VW Group owned marques, poised to fill the gap below the new Golf. In fact, the quality of the Golf was comparable with the Audi A3, which was the first car based on this floor pan when it was launched a year earlier, but cost considerably more than most of its competitors.
This generation of the Golf brought in the Haldex 4 Wheel Drive system, which was previously only available on Audi products. The system was used with the 1.9TDI Sport Engines, i.e. PD115 (then replaced by the PD130) and the PD150 Engines (Codes: AJM/ASZ/ARL) and with the VR6-powered models. This featured a totally revised rear axle and rear floor pan, which was shared with the Audi TT 8N. This went on to be used in the R32 model in 2003–2004.
This version of the Golf was the only version to do away with the GTD nameplate—there were petrol and diesel versions of the GTI, which featured slightly lowered suspension, the 1.8T or the 1.9 TDI (PD 150) and premium interior features like Climatronic, full leather, and wood trims; however, it was not as sporty as the preceding generations of the GTI. As part of VW's move upmarket, the firm downplayed the sportiness of the hatchback in favour of comfort. The Mk4 GTI is looked down upon because of this, and VW restored the GTI's reputation as a sporting hatch with the 25th Anniversary Edition and the Mk5 Golf that followed it.
It was also one of the first Golfs to come with xenon headlamps (optional) and rain-sensing wipers at the end of its manufacturing in Europe, and along with this, a full 12-year anti-corrosion warranty, which was rarely seen at this time.
The Mk4 Golf was praised for its quality improvements, but was criticized for its handling characteristics, and was compared with the Mk1 Ford Focus of the time, which had an independent rear suspension in the 2WD models, unlike the Mk4, which had a torsion beam rear axle setup in the 2WD models.
The Mk4 Golf platform remained widely used in the VW Group much after its demise in 2004 (2006 for the Bora and Variant models).
Models
Golf Cabriolet
As with the Mk2 Golf, Volkswagen did not make a convertible version of the Mk4 Golf. Instead, they facelifted the front bumper, grille, fenders, and hood of the Mk3 Golf Cabrio to resemble the styling of the Mk4 Golf (colloquially referred to as the Mk3.5). Changes to the rear included a redesigned trunk, which moved the number plate tub to a restyled rear bumper, in addition to a larger VW emblem more closely resembling the rear of a Mk4 Golf. VW incorporated other non-structural parts from the Mk4 as well, such as headlights, fender repeaters, side mirror caps, hatch handle, steering wheel airbag, etc. The interior remained largely similar to the Mk3 interior save for a Mk4 style three-spoke leather steering wheel, a textured dashboard (also known as "dimpled dash" or "shark skin dash"), heavily bolstered front seats with incorporated side airbags, and a chromed finish on several parts, such as the inner door handles, emergency brake button, door strikers, front seat-belt anchors, key lock cylinders, and shifter button in automatic transmission equipped cars. The instrument panel was updated with a relocated hazard light switch and blue and red backlighting, as found in the Mk4. Technical updates, beginning with the 2000 model, include the immobilizer and engine computer from the Mk4 Golf being retrofitted to the older Mk3 engine mechanicals.
Variant
The Volkswagen Golf Mk4 Variant was introduced in 1999. It was discontinued in 2006, and succeeded in 2007 by the Volkswagen Golf Mk5 Variant. Unlike the Mk3, it was offered in North America with the "Jetta" name with corresponding front styling. The "Jetta Wagon" was used in North America instead of the "Bora" name.
Volkswagen Bora/Jetta Mk4
Volkswagen produced a saloon version of the Mk4 Golf, launched around a year later. As with previous incarnations of the Golf, it had its own identity, and this time it was called the Volkswagen Bora, although the name Jetta remained in North America and South Africa. Unlike its predecessors, the Bora/Jetta featured unique rear doors, front wings and bonnet. The front doors were the only body panels it shared with the Golf. The interior, though, was almost identical to the Golf, featuring very minor styling changes like its predecessor.
The Golf 4 was produced in Germany, South Africa, Slovakia, Brazil, Belgium, and China. Eastern European locations making the Golf 4 included Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Vogošća, which also made Mk1 and Mk2 models.
The Golf/Jetta Mk4 engine choices included 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, 2.3 litre VR5, 2.8 litre V6 and 3.2 litre R32 petrol engines, 1.9-litre naturally aspirated diesel SDI engine, and a 1.9-litre turbodiesel, with power ranging from 90 to 150 PS (66 to 110 kW). The R32 engine was not added to the range until much later, while the 2.3 V5 was a new addition to the Golf range. The rest of the engine line-up differed little from that of the MK3 Golf.
Volkswagen made a choice of three and five-door hatchbacks or a five-door station wagon available. The European Golf wagon, launched in the spring of 1999, was nearly identical to the North American Jetta Wagon. The only difference was the use of the Golf front headlights, bumpers, grille, hood, and fenders, as these parts are interchangeable between the Mk4 Golf and Bora/Jetta.
The Golf 4 was introduced to North America in mid-1999. Available engines for the Golf at its introduction to the American market were a 2.0L gasoline engine, and a 48mpg 1.9L TDI engine. In 2004, the updated 1.9L TDI PD or Pumpe-Düse engine was installed in the Golf and Jetta. The or pump nozzle was a Robert Bosch extreme high-pressure fuel injection system for direct cylinder injection. A 1.8 L turbocharged gas engine was introduced in 2000, along with the 12-valve 2.8L VR6. At the same time, the 1.6L 8-valve unit was replaced with the 16-valve unit from the Polo GTI, but detuned to 77 kW (105 PS). For 2000, Volkswagen opted for the relatively new 1.8L 20-valve turbocharged gasoline engine as a base engine for the GTI. The top-of-the-line GLX model was equipped with Volkswagen's 2.8 L VR6, which produced . The VR6 engine, with its narrow 15-degree Vee design, was unique to Volkswagen. This engine is shorter and lighter (featuring a single cylinder head) than other V6 engines. For the 2002.5 model year, Volkswagen introduced a 24-valve version of its VR6 engine to the North American market under engine code BDF. This engine had the same torque characteristics as the older 12-valve version, which had been carried over from the Mk3 Golf under engine codes AAA and AFP. The 24-valve version gained an additional over the 12-valve to reach 204BHP. In Europe, the VR6-engined V6 4Motion variant was produced from 1999 with 204BHP and a 24-valve engine from the outset, using engine codes AUE and AQP. In 2002, the European market began using the BDF-code engine at the same time as the North American market. This had the same 204BHP power output but now featured variable valve timing on the exhaust valves, which allowed the engine to rev more freely in the higher ranges, and now had "coil-on-plug" ignition coils. The 1.8T and VR6 models continued until 2005, when the Mk4 platform came to an end in North America (except Canada). Both the Mk4 Golf and the Mk4 Jetta were still in production in Brazil, Mexico, and China as of 2008, with these models nicknamed the Mk4.5.
The Mk4.5 Brazilian Golf TDI PD was sold in Canada due to its popularity as a full 2006 model in base, GL and GLS trim levels for the full model year, as there were no diesel engine versions for the North American 2007 Mk5 Golf (Rabbit).
In Europe, trim levels were country-specific; however, the base trim levels were: Trendline, Comfortline, Highline and GTI. Any others, like the Ocean, Pacific and Edition Trim levels, were modifications of the regular four trim levels.
The United Kingdom sold the Mk4 with the following trim levels: E, S, SE, GT TDI, GTI TDI, GTI and V5/V6/V6 4MOTION versions. The V5 was available in 150 bhp/110 kW (1997–2000) and 170 bhp/125 kW (1999–2003) versions.
Special editions GTI 25th Anniversary Edition (2001) / 337 Edition (2002)
The GTI 25th Anniversary Edition was a special version of the Golf GTI for the European market to commemorate the first GTI, launched in 1976. The 25th Anniversary edition was available in three paint colour options: Tornado Red, Reflex Silver & Diamond Black.
The GTI 25th anniversary edition was equipped with many extra features not included in the standard GTI, which included: 18x7.5" BBS RC wheels with a special shot peened finish, a perforated leather steering wheel, shift boot, and handbrake, red accented seat belts, red and black upholstered Recaro seats, a body kit (front valance, side skirts, hatch spoiler, and rear valance), blackened headlights, a 02M 6-speed manual transmission, larger 312mm front brakes and 256mm vented rear brakes with red painted calipers, a lowered sport tuned suspension, and brushed aluminium interior trim.
At the 2002 New York International Auto Show, VW announced the 25th Anniversary Edition would be sold in the US Market as the GTI 337 Edition, named for the early 1970s Golf/GTI codename. Available only in Reflex Silver, the 337 Edition was substantially the same as the European 25th Anniversary GTI, albeit without the black headlight trim.
These models were never equipped with a sunroof to take the car back to its roots, the Mk1 GTI, and improve handling and performance. However, one instance of the 337 edition is known to have been specially ordered with a sunroof.
This version of the GTI was only available in a 3-door configuration and was also available with the PD150 TDI engine, running the shortest ratio EFF 02M 6 speed manual gearbox. (Standard GTI TDI“Golf IV Gti Tdi 150 cv” (“VW Golf mania” - www.vwgolfmania.altervista.org) - “Vw Golf mk4 GTI tdi by Carburatori Bergamo (Km/h 260, € 28.500,00 VW Italy 2001: one of first Golf IV with Six-speed manual transmissions)” (“BOBB TV - PADDOCK TV” Official Channel YouTube) models had the PD150 engine with the ERF 02M gearbox, the mid-way point for ratio length).
The UK versions of the Anniversary edition were numbered with individual plaques placed on the fusebox cover.
GTI 20th Anniversary Edition (North American market)