The Volkswagen Golf has been the most popular compact car in Europe over the past couple of decades but, until recently, has had only marginal success in this country during that time, having gotten lost in a forest of Honda Civics, Toyota Tercels and a dozen other small cars foreign and domestic.
For much of the '80s and early '90s VWs didn't generate much excitement among American buyers. The cars seemed stale, the marketing plan off-target. When people talked about Volkswagens, it was: "Back in the '60s I had this Bug and five of us crammed into it and headed for . . . "VW owned the nostalgia market -- still does for that matter -- but memories don't pay the bills.
It's been a different story over the past couple of years and shows no signs of flagging. Sales of all VW models are up 60.4 percent for the year so far and jumped 45.4 percent last month over November 1997 to a 13-year record. Credit strong demand for the New Beetle -- Beetle mania is back to 1960s levels -- and its flagship Passat sedan, a new model that is a winner in every way.
Then there's the new VW Jetta. I've seen photos of it and expect to be reviewing it soon; on paper it looks like another bull's eye. That car is now in dealer showrooms.
Finally, there's the entry-level Golf, successor to the Rabbit. It gets a new do for '99, making it the fourth generation Golf (German for "gulf" as in "gulf stream") and the best yet. Golf sales plummeted 55 percent last month because the factory had cut off production to prepare for the new model, but when buyers have a chance to check out the new version, sales should take off.
Before you rush down to your local VW dealer, you should know that the '99 Golfs aren't expected to hit dealer showrooms until February.
The Golf redo is more in the way of refining rather than re-inventing; current Golf owners -- even former Rabbit owners -- will recognize it immediately. But though the basic shape remains the same, the Golf has gotten a ground-up renovation.
My test car was a GLS, which means it's a five-door hatchback. (The GL is a three-door hatchback.) The roof is long and the rear end drops off steeply. Sharp lines have been smoothed and softened to create a very appealing shape that is at once friendly and racy. Painted in the lush Ferrari-red paint of my test car this is one fine looking automobile.
The paint finish is of a quality I usually associate with much more expensive cars -- BMW comes to mind -- and the Golf's overall fit, finish and aura of quality is definitely in the same league.
If you think it looks a bit bigger, you have a good eye. The GLS is nearly three inches longer than its predecessor, and it's also a bit wider. The wheelbase has been bumped out 1.5 inches to 68.3 inches.
The Golf is one of the most solid feeling cars I've ever driven, and that includes Bimmers and Mercedes. Part of that, I think, stems from the seats that are the firmest I've ever encountered. At first, I didn't care for them, and even my wife, who prefers wooden church pews over La-Z-Boys, remarked on how hard they were.
But it only took a day or two to get accustomed to them and then the awesome support they provide seemed perfectly natural. I suspect you could drive a Golf cross country with little fatigue, a common symptom of long drives on soft seats that provide little back support.
The seats in my tester were upholstered in a very high quality velour fabric that I prefer over leather, and the overall interior design seemed like it belonged in a pricier car. I particularly liked the high-tech look of the instrument panel, lighted by deep blue numbers and red indicators.
VW also seems bent on giving Volvo a run for the title of world's safest car. The body structure includes multiple energy crumple zones that absorb the energy from a crash and help keep the passenger compartment intact. In addition to front and side airbags, the Golf uses a new seat belt tensioning system that tightens the belt within milliseconds of a crash.
Anti-lock brakes are standard, of course, and along with the side air bags there are special reinforcements on the side panels. The steering column and wheel are made to collapse and cushion the driver in an accident.
The Golf has those always-on headlights that are said to enhance safety through better visibility, and it is equipped with "non-override" door locks. What this means is that the doors all lock when the speed reaches 10 miles per hour. It does this with a loud "clunk" that I found annoying; the first time it happened I thought I'd been hit by another car. It also means than the doors and hatch lid are always locked, which is also annoying.
The overall tautness of the Golf shines through in spirited driving; 15-inch wheels (now standard) and McPherson struts and lower wishbones on the front suspension improve handling on both curves and straight-line driving. Unlike many small cars, holding the Golf in a freeway lane takes no effort.
The rear wheels are linked to an independent torsion-beam axle in which the springs and shock absorbers have been installed separately rather than as a unit, the usual practice. Among other things, that means the suspension struts don't stick up into the luggage space, narrowing the width, and it helps lower the noise level, always a concern in hatchback cars.
The Golf GL and GLS are powered by a new 2-liter four-cylinder engine built from a new, more compact cast iron cylinder block. This motor turns out 115 horsepower at 5,200 RPM, but it feels much more powerful because its 122 foot pounds of torque is available at a low 2,600 RPMs. I had to look under the hood to assure myself they hadn't snuck a V6 in there.
Which, incidentally, is exactly what they have done with the new Golf GTI, the original pocket-rocket and a car I dearly hope I get to test and tell you about in coming months. Also, VW is sticking to its tradition of making a diesel engine available for the Golf.
Later in the model year, a four-banger, 1.9 liter diesel will be an option for those who will gladly suffer the downside of dieseling (noisy, smelly, difficult to start on cold mornings) for the upside benefits of 42 to 49 mpg fuel economy.
VW hasn't yet announced pricing for the new Golf, but the new 1999 Jetta GLS with automatic transmission is $19,050. In the past, Golfs have been priced $900 to $1,000 below Jettas, so expect the Golf GLS with automatic to be stickered at around $18,000. VW says it wants to sell 70 percent of Golfs with automatic trannies, unusual for a car that traditionally has come equipped with a five-speed manual.