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As the successor to the legendary Beetle that had been produced more than 21.5 million times, the Golf developed by Giorgio Giugiaro and Volkswagen Design had to live up to high expectations in order to continue the success story of the most successful car of all time up to that point. And it did so in every way: customers were so impressed by the modern drive concept, variable interior and new design that the Golf had already hit the one million mark by October 1976. The Golf principle. In 1974, Volkswagen wrote the following about the new vehicle with its large tailgate: “The Golf offers maximum space and safety. It is uncompromisingly geared towards practicality. The low beltline gives drivers a clear overview, and the sloping bonnet ensures that the road right in front of the vehicle is visible. The rear window extends well down, making reversing much easier.” And this all still applies up to the present day for every Golf ever built. The Golf and the factory. From the very beginning, the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg and its employees also benefited from the successful start of the Golf I. To date, more than 20 million Golfs have been built in Wolfsburg alone. The 17 million Golfs built so far outside Wolfsburg have been produced in other German plants as well as in Belgium, Brazil, China, Malaysia, Mexico, Slovakia and South Africa. In this sense too, the Golf is a world car. However, its technologies have always been typical examples of progressive German engineering. Golf I – A reflection of progress. Just like all following Golf generations, the first generation was also a reflection of the technical state-of-the-art and current automotive trends. And that was not just true of the ingenious use of space for the time and the vehicle’s front-wheel drive.With the first Golf GTI (1976), Volkswagen initiated the dynamic development of the compact class. The Golf D (1976) and the later Golf GTD (1982) ensured the breakthrough of diesel in the compact segment.

The Golf is celebrating its 50th birthday this year – and Volkswagen is launching an enhanced version of its bestseller to mark the anniversary. Customers will be able to order the new model in just a few weeks. The new Golf impresses with a next-generation infotainment system, a more intuitive operating concept, a sharper front and rear end design as well as efficient drive systems. These include plug-in hybrid drives with an increased all-electric range of about 100 kilometres. In addition, an illuminated Volkswagen logo adorns the front for the first time on a Golf.

From GTI to GTX With the Golf GTI, Volkswagen launched a sports car for everyone in 1976 – and, in doing so, had its finger on the pulse of the times. With more than two million cars sold across eight generations, the Golf GTI is now one of the most successful compact sports cars in the world. The latest generation of the Golf GTI arrived in 2020: digital, connected, sharper, and easier to drive than ever. A connected driving dynamics manager provides for even better performance. The successful sports car has long since received support from the Golf GTD. Sporting a powerful 2.0 TDI engine, the latest generation of the endurance sports car is more powerful, economic and lower in emissions than ever before. A turbo diesel version first enhanced the GTI concept back in 1982. With the Golf GTE, a hybrid drive combines electric sustainability with great dynamism. Thanks to additional electric power, the latest model – presented in 2020 – is capable of the same level of performance as the Golf GTI. The first Golf GTE enjoyed its premiere back in 2014. The ID.4 GTX is the new top model in the fully electric ID.4 range.

The conversion to common rail technology and numerous other acoustic measures – such as a damping film in the windshield, an extensive noise attenuation package and aero-acoustic fine tuning of the body – have made the new Golf GTD one of the quietest diesels in its class. Sound – sporty sound – was not exactly a strength of diesel engines until now. However, the GTD's new common rail engine is in fact different. Like the new Golf GTI, the GTD also has an innovative engine sound system that acoustically underscores the engine's power. In addition, the common rail TDI itself has a positive effect on passive safety: Compared to the pump-nozzle TDI of the previous Golf generation, the new turbo-diesel has a significantly lower vertical profile. This improves pedestrian safety, since the engine hood now exhibits a larger deformation area. Note:All data and equipment contained in this press release apply to models offered in Germany. They may differ in other countries. All information is subject to change or correction.TDI, TSI, DSG and Twincharger are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG or other companies of the Volkswagen Group in Germany and other countries.

And this means ergonomics in its purest form, supplemented by features tailored to the Golf GTD. As in every sixth generation Golf, the exceptionally high-quality materials that are used make an immediate impression in their pleasing look and feel. The "top sport seats" – the same as the ones used in the Golf GTI – define a higher standard. Their long-distance touring and racing properties are legendary, as is their styling. In contrast to the GTI, the black sport seats of the GTD are complemented by a light gray in the diamond stripe pattern instead of red. The name of the pattern is identical: "Jacky". As a color for the so-called cap stitching, an elegant light gray ("Art Grey") is used here instead of red ("Flash Red"). The driver and front passenger seats are height adjustable and equipped with a lumbar support. On this car, the seating system can be ordered with full "Vienna" black leather upholstery as an option. Another highlight is the standard leather three-spoke sport steering wheel. Its lower radius is noticeably flattened, a feature usually reserved for race cars. The horizontal spokes were integrated in the styling of the grip recesses for the hands. The ergonomically ideal grip recesses are covered with smooth leather, while other areas of the wheel feature perforated leather. Also as elegant as it is sporty is the chrome look of the three spokes; the GTD signature was worked into the vertical spoke. The wheel is also available as a multifunctional steering wheel as a special option. When the Golf GTD appears with a DSG transmission, its steering wheel functionality is extended by the addition of shift paddles ("-" left, "+" right) located by the two horizontal spokes. Also fitted in standard black leather are the parking brake lever and the gearshift surround. Here too, the light gray stitching provides a color contrast.

In launching the first Golf GTI (in 1976) Volkswagen heralded the introduction of greater dynamism in this class, while the Golf D (naturally aspirated diesel engine, 1976) and the later Golf GTD (turbodiesel, 1982) marked the breakthrough for diesel cars in the compact segment. In 1979, with the Golf convertible – at times the world's best-selling open-top car – Volkswagen brought a breath of fresh air into a vehicle category that by that time had long been simply called the "Golf class." The global sales figures added up: 6.99 million vehicles of the first generation Golf, including all derivatives such as the convertible and the Jetta (at that time structurally identical), were sold across every continent of the globe – 0.87 million Golf cars per year. The Golf had proved itself a worthy successor to the Beetle. The Golf I design "It all began with a revolution in 1974," says Klaus Bischoff, Chief Designer for the Volkswagen brand since 2007: "The step from Beetle to Golf was truly revolutionary. The change from air-cooled rear engine to water-cooled front engine, and from rear to front wheel drive respectively, was a completely new vehicle layout at the time. Creatively, the Volkswagen designers changed from a round to an angular use of forms in those days, thanks to the legendary design by Giorgio Giugiaro. The main design elements of the Golf I, such as the silhouette of the upright, massive C-pillar, the prominent wheel arches and the typical horizontal front with slim grill and downwardly protruding headlights exist in every Golf to the present day." To really understand why the first Golf – this cubic, clear, compact Volkswagen – constituted a revolution on its debut 38 years ago, we have to go back to this period: in the early 70s, suddenly everything changed. The engine is no longer in the rear, as was the case with the Beetle, but in the front. Cooling is not implemented with air but with water.

The Golf GTD shares its dynamic performance DNA with the GTI As in the also new Golf GTI, the GTD also has an entirely retuned and technically modified sport suspension (15 mm lower ride height) as standard. In front, a MacPherson suspension provides for precise tracking; at the rear, there is the modular performance suspension. The new Golf GTD is making its appearance with extremely impressive handling properties, since it is equipped as standard with the further advanced XDS+ vehicle dynamic function and the new progressive steering system. For an even more dynamically tuned sport suspension, the latest generation of DCC dynamic chassis control is also available in the "Sport & Sound" pack (including driver profile selector, sound actuator and red painted brake callipers). Vehicle dynamics. Drivers will notice that steering response is now even more agile than in the previous model thanks to more direct steering gear ratios. Maximum attainable speeds through bends were also increased, because of more neutral running gear tuning and optimisations of the XDS+ system. Neutral handling in bends goes hand in hand with very good vehicle stability right up to the maximum speed range, thanks to an innovative layout of all running gear components. Vehicle stability is especially noticeable during lane changes and during engine load changes. The development team also made a special effort to tune the new Golf GTD for harmonious and predictable reactions of the running gear. Ride comfort. In parallel to improvements to vehicle dynamics, suspension comfort was also further enhanced; the running gear optimally absorbs loads when driving over small or large road bumps. The comfort levels realised in the new Golf GTD show that sporty handling does not necessarily involve unpleasant ride harshness.