More than 45 years after its first launch, the Golf is today Volkswagen's biggest-selling and most successful car, surpassing even the legendary Beetle. And that's why we're here today to introduce you to the 8 generations of the hot hatch beloved by many around the world.
History of Golf
Firstly, a legend is not built overnight. Since 1974, when it was launched in Germany, with the Golf Mk1, in fact, this car has gone through many versions and adaptations over the years. Some were worldwide successes, other editions already had their share of controversies and were not well accepted by the public.
In Brazil, in fact, the Golf only began to be sold in 1995, 20 years after its official launch. Here, it appeared for the first time with the Golf GL version from Germany and the GLX from Mexico.
The 8 generations of the Golf
Gulf MK1
The first of 8 generations do hot hatch darling was launched in 1974 with a transverse engine and front-wheel drive. In just two years it reached the mark of 1 million units sold worldwide. Finally, in 1976 a sportier version of the Golf GTI was launched.
Gulf MK2
After an absolute success in Europe of the MK1, in August 1983 the second generation was launched. Brazil's most beloved hot hatch gained more interior space and a series of technological improvements, such as the Bosch K-Jetronic (CIS) electronic injection, catalytic converter, ABS brakes, and hydraulic steering.
It was in this second generation that the first GTi appeared. 1993 was the last year of production for the MK2.
Gulf MK3
Known as the third generation, the Golf MK3, made its debut in August 1991 and lasted until 1998. The Golf MK3 was the first model to come to Brazil. It included the first direct-injection turbo diesel engine, plus a narrow-angle 6-liter V2.8 unit.
A variable in the MK3 line was the Golf Variant, launched in September 1993 as a more station wagon-like version.
In Brazil, this line came with the GLX 2.0 and GL 1.8 versions, in addition to, of course, the Golf GTI 2.0 8v version equipped with intake crossflow and a few, almost rare units of the VR6 2.8 model.
Gulf MK4
The fourth generation of the golf known as Mk4, lasted from 1997 until 2003. It arrived in Brazil in 1998, a few months after being announced in Germany. This version is considered by many 4-wheel lovers as one of the best of this hatch. This is the first version of the Golf that had an “Audi brother”, as the first generation A3 shared the Golf Mk4 platform.
This model had new high-performance versions including a 6 liter VR3.2 version in 2002. It also had a 1.8 turbo version with 180 hp. This model, which was facelifted in 2007, remained on sale in Brazil until 2014. Coming from the same generation, we also had a version called Bora, a sedan car. The GTI version was initially launched with 150 hp and later with 180 hp.
In 2003, only 99 Golf Vr6 units were manufactured exclusively for Brazil, only one of which had 4 doors.
Gulf MK5
The 5th generation of the Golf lasted from 2003 to 2009. Launched in Europe in 2003, in the United States in 2006 and in Brazil only in the Jetta sedan version also in 2006.
This was certainly the first Golf to adopt the 5 hp 150-cylinder engine, which later had its power increased to 170 hp. In Brazil it came with the Jetta Variant model in 2008. The Golf GTI of this fifth generation used a 4hp 2.0 turbo 200-cylinder engine. And the 1.4 TSI engine was launched at the end of this generation's life cycle.
Gulf MK6
A generation that had its life span from 2009 to 2012. The Golf mk6 was created on the PQ-35 platform, the same as the MK5 generation. Adopting a more aerodynamic aesthetic, making it more efficient and quieter than the previous version.
Gulf MK7
We are talking about the last generation that arrived in Brazil. The generation Gulf MK7 ran from 2012 to 2017. The first to adopt the MQB platform, shared by the 3rd generation Audi A3, Seat Leon and Skoda Octavia.
This model is a little bigger than the MK6 but is 100kg lighter. The GTI adopted a 2.0hp 220 TSi engine with the 230hp performance option. Then the Golf R version arrived with 300 hp and traction ForMotion.
Currently the Golf MK7 is offered with engines ranging from 1.03 cylinders, 1.4 TSi, 1.6 MSI and 2.0 TSI. In 2017, the Golf underwent a facelift, with some external aesthetic changes but mainly on the interior, with a new and reworked dashboard.
In fact, one of the most desired sports cars for years, the Golf GTI MK7 is an extremely fast car, with a lot of torque and best of all, with great performance results. ECU reprogramming (remap). The remap market has improved over time and the Golf MK7 is one of the vehicles with excellent earnings performance. Check here our results from the ECU Reprogramming of a Golf GTI MK7.
Gulf MK8
Launching in 2019, the eighth generation of Golf has been on sale in some countries since December last year. For the MK8 generation, Volkswagen is focusing and betting on hybrids and connectivity. =
After all, do you have or have you ever owned a Golf? Which model has always been your dream consumer?
Remember, if you want to make your Golf even more powerful, remap it with Strike Brasil, the largest and best automotive performance company in Latin America. Contact us contact our service team and we will direct you to our nearest unit.
