For the first time Volkswagen Golf 4th generation waswas presented to the public in 1997 as part of the Frankfurt Motor Show. In general, this model of the car is one of the most famous and is produced at the facilities of the German concern for several decades. Today's article will be devoted specifically to the fourth generation of the Volkswagen Golf 4. Overview of the car - later in this article.
Design
The appearance of a compact German hatchbackremained unchanged for years. And once again the Bavarian designers decided to go the familiar way - without experiments and extra innovations, it's good to refresh the look of the car.
What is interesting, the Germans manage even withminimum changes to modernize the design and make it relevant for at least the next 5-6 years. The Volkswagen Golf 4 was not an exception. The owners' comments also point out the versatility of the exterior appearance of the car. Today it is a purely female compact car, and tomorrow it will be transformed into a real men's sports car. In this case, "Golf" is enough to equip with new disks and a pair of three aerodynamic body kit. In support of this, we upload photos for comparison.
By the way, the 5-door hatchback is not the onlyversion of the body for the "Golf". In the 99th year in Volkswagen developed two new versions of the car with a body type "universal" and a 3-door hatchback. Due to this the company has expanded its circle of customers by an order of magnitude. Now the "Golf" is a large family car with a capacious luggage compartment, a small female subcompact or a formidable sports "hatch" (by the way, there were bodies for the "Golf" type "cabriolet" on the domestic market of Germany). But for the most part Volkswagen Golf 4 was suitable for young people who love speed and compactness. "Volkswagen" looked like a kind of little animal, a predator, conquering the night streets and wide autobahns.
Reviews, dimensions and capacity
The Volkswagen Golf 4 is quite standard forits "golf-class" dimensions. The length of the body of the car is 4150 millimeters, the width is 1735 millimeters, the height is 1440 millimeters (for the hatchback Volkswagen Golf 4). Reviews note that thanks to such small dimensions the machine is able to maneuver easily even in the narrowest streets. This is a big plus. But with road clearance there are small problems - car owners say. The total ground clearance is 13 centimeters. With regard to the volume of the trunk, then, despite its small body, the hatchback can accommodate up to 330 liters of load (almost like some full-size sedans). With the rear row of seats folded, the volume increased to a record 1180 liters. For the wagon, this figure was 460 and 1470 liters, respectively. Judging by the reviews of motorists, the "Golf" in the body of the "station wagon" could serve as a real cargo-passenger minivan, since it can accommodate up to 4 passengers and at the same time has one of the largest trunks.
Volkswagen Golf 4 - photo and interior review
The atmosphere inside the car is very cozy andergonomic. A compact 4-spoke steering wheel fits comfortably in the hands, on the center console there is a cassette player and buttons for controlling the stove and climate control. The front panel is not overloaded with extra buttons, the dashboard is very simple and understandable in perception. By the way, here already in the "base" there is a black and white digital computer (like the one that was installed on the "top ten" in its time). For its years the car has a quite bright and interesting interior. True, by today's standards, it would seem very old.
Volkswagen Golf 4 - specifications
Ruler of engines for the fourth generation"Volkswagen Golf" was more than diverse. In total, the buyer was asked to make a choice between five petrol or three diesel units. The range of capacities was also different. The weakest motor developed power of 68 horsepower, the most powerful - up to 130 "horses". The choice among the gearboxes was also provided. In total, the European market "Golf" was supplied in 4 versions of the checkpoint. Among them is worth noting two automatic (for 4 and five speeds), as well as two mechanical (5 and 6 gears) transmissions. As practice shows, the resource of exploitation of each of them is about 200 thousand kilometers. Only after this run the transmission is subjected to its first repair.
By the way, oil change in the transmission is also often notwas required. On the "mechanic" oil went up to 60 thousand, on the "automatic machine" - up to 40 thousand kilometers. Relatively speaking, the replacement of the lubricating material was required every 1.5-2 years. The mechanical boxes were completed with a very reliable clutch system, which also ran without problems, for 150-200 thousand runs.
Acceleration Dynamics
A wide range of engines allowed to chooseeach buyer is the car that will best meet its requirements. So, the "Golf" with the weakest engine made a jerk to "hundreds" in 18 seconds and accelerated the car to 169 kilometers per hour of maximum speed. The hatchback with the top 130-horsepower engine scored "hundred" in just 10 seconds. At the same time, the "maximum speed" of the VW Golf 4 was 190 kilometers per hour.
Fuel consumption
It is worth noting that even the most powerful motorwas characterized by low fuel consumption. On average, on 100 kilometers of the road, he spent about 8 liters of gasoline. The most economical and low-power engine consumed no more than 6.5 liters per "hundred".
Cost in the Russian market
Serial production of the 4th generation"Volkswagen Golf" was officially discontinued in 2004. Since the new year he was replaced by a newer hatchback, the Volkswagen Golf 5. Therefore, you can get the fourth "Golf" only in the secondary market.
