- Flexible 1.8-litre turbo petrol engine
- Supportive Recaro front seats
- High quality interior fit and finish
- Competent ride/handling balance
- Engine not particularly powerful and has lag
- Transmission ratios not suited to engine
- Firm ride
Overview
Released in Australia in May 1999, the Volkswagen Mk.4 Golf GTi was a five-door hatchback. Manufactured in Wolfsburg, Germany, the front-wheel drive VW Mk.4 Golf GTi was powered by a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that was mated to a five-speed manual transmission.
1.8T 20v engine
Originally developed by Audi, the 1781 cc four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine had a grey cast iron block with 81.0 mm bores and an 86.4 mm stroke, a die-forged steel crankshaft with five main bearings, fracture-split forged connecting rods, electronic sequential fuel injection, a Borg Warner K03 turbocharger with intercooler, cast aluminium alloy cylinder head, double overhead camshafts (belt-driven), five valves per cylinder, variable inlet valve timing, Mahle forged aluminium alloy pistons, Bosch Motronic ME 7.5 engine management and a compression ratio of 9.5:1. Furthermore, the engine required 95 RON premium unleaded petrol.
The VW Mk.4 Golf GTi could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds and had a top speed of 216 km/h.
Dimensions
The Volkswagen Mk.4 Golf GTi was 4149 mm long, 1735 mm wide, 1439 mm tall and had a 2511 mm long wheelbase; unladen weight was 1256 kg, while the body had a drag coefficient of 0.31 Cd. Cargo space was 330 litres, though this increased to 1184 litres when the rear seats were folded.
Suspension
The front suspension for the VW Mk.4 Golf GTi consisted of MacPherson struts with coil springs, lower wishbones and an anti-roll bar. For the torsion beam rear axle, the coil springs were located below the longitudinal members, eliminating the need for the suspension strut turrets which would otherwise limit cargo space.
| Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golf GTi | 1.8-litre AGU turbo petrol I4 | 5sp man. | 110 kW at 5700 rpm | 210 Nm at 1750 rpm |
Safety equipment
Standard safety equipment for the Volkswagen Mk.4 Golf GTi included dual front airbags, front side airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.
Brakes
The VW Mk.4 Golf GTi had 288 mm by 25 mm ventilated front brake discs and 232 mm by 9 mm solid rear discs.
Euro NCAP crash testing
In Euro NCAP crash testing , a 1998 Volkswagen Mk.4 Golf fitted with a 1.4-litre petrol engine – and equipped with dual front airbags – received a four star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 24.78. In the frontal offset impact test, protection of the driver’s feet was weak and high loads were transmitted to the driver’s legs. In the side impact test, chest and abdomen protection was rated as adequate.
Features: Golf GTi
Standard features for the Volkswagen Mk.4 Golf GTi included 16-inch alloy wheels, eight speaker sound system with CD player, climate control air conditioning (‘Climatronic’), Recaro seats (front and rear), cruise control, front fog lights, split and folding rear seats, a three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel, a leather handbrake and gearshift boot, remote central locking, power windows, power adjustable and heated mirrors, a tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel, height adjustable front seats, a power-operated slit/tilt glass sunroof, illuminated vanity mirrors, black myrtle wood trim, chromium-plated interior door handles and an immobiliser.
The Recaro seats were available in black/red, black/grey and black/blue colour combinations.
As standard, the Golf GTi was also fitted with a front electronic differential lock (EDL).
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