1999 Volkswagen Golf

In 1999, Volkswagen introduced the fourth generation version of the car that replaced its best-selling Beetle and its Rabbit replacement, the Volkswagen Golf IV. The Golf received a major redesign for the 1999 model year, although at first glance you may think that no change was introduced at all. As expected, it is still in the form of a hatchback, a car type that Americans hate because of its style but Europeans love because of its practicality.

The 1999 Volkswagen Golf IV is available in GL, GL TDI, GLS, and GLS TDI trims. Volkswagen has considered the GTI as another model line for 1999, which includes another trim called the GLX, although most car reviews for the Volkswagen Golf still includes the GTI in its model lineup. There are still three standard engines available: the 1.9 liter 90 hp I4 engine for the TDI versions, the 2.0 liter 115 hp I4 engine for the GL and GLS trims, and the 2.8 liter 174 hp V6 for the GTI model lineup. The 5-speed manual transmission is still the standard for all models while the 4-speed automatic remains as an option.

At first glance, you may not find any changes made to the exterior of the Volkswagen Golf; it is still the boring hatchback that Volkswagen replaced its Beetle with. But a closer look will reveal that it is now longer and wider. This gives you more interior room for a more comfortable passenger seating as well as a larger cargo area. The extended length combined with a stiffer chassis makes it more responsive, reduces vibration on the road and improves handling.

The interior is benefited well by the increase in length and width. The spacious interior is given more comfort by the air conditioning, which is now standard for all models, and other amenities like the radio/cassette player, tachometer, tilt steering and tilt steering column, telescopic steering column, and cruise control (optional for the GL 2.0). The seats are also comfortable yet sturdy to make long rides comfortable.