Volkswagen began producing the VW Golf in 1974, spanning eight generations and selling up to the present. It succeeded the VW Beetle and started to be available in Australia in 1976 and, except for the second generation, continues to be available in the market to this day in various configurations. It was hatchbacks, estates, convertibles, saloons, and even pickup trucks and adopted FF and F4 layouts throughout production.

It was not only Volkswagen's top-selling model but was also one of its most awarded. It won the World Car of the Year and the Motor Trend Car of the Year awards several times. It had been voted European Car of the Year in 1992 and 2013, and it appeared in the Car and Driver 10 Best List multiple times. 

The First Generation (MK1/A1, Typ 17; 1974-1983)

The first-generation Golf was produced from 1974 to 1983 as a small family car in various body styles, including 3- and 5-door hatchback, 2-door pickup truck, 2-door and 4-door sedan, and 2-door convertible. It came with a front-wheel-drive layout with front-mounted, water-cooled inline-4 engines, based on the VW Group A1 platform and designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. 

It was assembled in several countries, one of which was Australia (from 1976 to 1982), which produced Golf in three trim levels, namely, LS, GLS, and GLD, in coupe and hatchback variants. This generation was powered by a 1.6L leaded petrol engine (55 kW, 119 Nm) paired with a 3-speed automatic transmission or a 4-speed manual gearbox, as well as a 1.5L diesel engine (37 kW, 82 Nm) paired with a 4-speed manual gearbox. 

The Second Generation (MK2/A2, Typ 19E/1G; 1983-1992)

The second-generation Golf, revealed in 1983 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, is a small family car available in 3 and 5-door hatchback variants. It was based on the Volkswagen Group A2 platform and used a front-engine, front-wheel or four-wheel-drive layout. It came with C, CL, GL, GT, and GTI trim levels featuring 1.05L, 1.3L, 1.6L, and 1.8L carburettor petrol engines and 1.6L TDI engines paired with a 4-speed or 5-speed manual gearbox and 3-speed automatic transmission. It was the last generation to use carburettor petrol engines since the succeeding productions featured fuel injection. 

The Third Generation (MK3/A3, Typ 1H/1E/1V; 1991-1998)

The third-generation Golf was produced from 1991 to 1998 as 3-door and 5-door hatchbacks, 5-door estates, and 2-door convertibles. It was built on the VW Group A3 platform designed for small cars with a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout or Syncro four-wheel-drive layout. The trim models offered for the convertible were base, GL, CL and SE. The hatchbacks, meanwhile, were available as GTI, GL, VR6, CL, GL TDi, GL Classic, and GLE trims.

Limited editions were also released, including the 20th Anniversary GTI, Otmar Alt, Rabbit, Cool, CitySTROMer, Highline, Coast, Sport, Classic, Limited, GTI/VR6 Edition, Kamei, Ryder, Driver, SE, Match, Match II, Color Concept, Family, Harlequin, TREK/K2 Editions, Wolfsburg Edition, the Golf Pink Floyd Edition, the Golf Rolling Stones Edition, and the Golf Bon Jovi Edition. 

The powertrain options available in Australia were:

• Base model – 1.8L petrol engine (70 kW, 142 Nm), 3-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual gearbox
• GTI – 1.8L petrol engine (77 kW, 155 Nm), 3-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual gearbox
• GL (hatchback and convertible), SE and GL Classic – 2.0L petrol engine (85 kW, 166 Nm), 4-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual gearbox
• VR6 – 2.8L petrol engine (128 kW, 235), 4-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual gearbox
• CL – 1.8L petrol engine (66 kW, 145 Nm), 4-speed automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual gearbox
• GL TDi – 1.9L diesel engine (66 kW, 202 Nm), 4-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual gearbox

The Base model features the following standard equipment: 

Airbag (Driver and Passenger), ABS, Air Conditioning, Alloy Wheels, Central Locking, Power Top, Engine Immobiliser, Power Mirrors, Power Steering, Power Windows, Radio Cassette with 4 Speakers, Sport Seats

Optional features include: 

Cloth Trim, Compact disc player, Cruise Control, Dual Front Airbags Package, Fog Lights-Front, Leather Trim, Rear Spoiler, Trip Computer and Radio Cassette with 6 or 8 Speakers

The VW Golf MK3 was the European Car of the Year in 1992 (What Car?) and was awarded as the Best Family Car in 1997.

The Fourth Generation (Mk4/A4, Typ 1J; 1997-2003)

The Volkswagen Golf MK4 was launched in 1997 and became the top-selling car in Europe in 2001. This compact car came in 3-door and 5-door hatchback and a 5-door station wagon body styles and adopted a front-engine, front-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive layout based on the VW Group A4 (PQ34) platform. 

In Australia, there were GLE, GL Rally, GLE Rally, Generation, 1.6 S, 1.6 SE, 2.0 S, and 2.0 SE trim levels. In 2002, the GL and GLE trims were replaced by S and SE; while in 2003, the S and SE editions were renamed Generation and Sport. 

The powertrain options available in Australia: 

• GLE – 1.8L petrol engine (92 kW, 170 Nm), 4-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual gearbox
• GLE, GLE Rally, 2.0 S and 2.0 SE – 2.0L petrol engine (85 kW, 170 Nm), 4-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual gearbox
• GL Rally and Generation – 1.6L petrol engine (74 kW, 145-148 Nm), 4-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual gearbox
• R32 – 3.2L petrol engine (117 kW, 320 Nm), 6-speed manual gearbox

The GLE came with the following basic equipment: 

Airbag (Driver and Passenger), Air Conditioning, Central Locking, Engine Immobiliser, Power Steering, Radio Cassette with 6 Speakers

Optional Equipment: 

Dual Front Airbags Package, ABS, Cruise Control, Central Locking Remote Control, Cloth Trim, Front Fog Lights, Power Mirrors, Power Windows, Radio CD with 8 Speakers

The higher-spec trim levels added more sophisticated equipment, including 15-inch alloy wheels, EBD, sports seats, automatic air conditioning and climate control, ESC, sports suspensions, sports seats, and many more.

The Fifth Generation (MK5/A5, Typ 1K; 2003-2008)

The fifth-generation Golf is a small family car or compact MPV built on the VW Group A5 (PQ35) platform. It was available in two layouts: a front-engine, front-wheel-drive or four-wheel drive and mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive. It was powered by petrol and TDI diesel engines and available in manual, automatic, Tiptronic, and Direct-Shift Gearbox.

The initial trim levels offered were 1.6i, 2.0 FSI, 1.9 TDI, and 2.0 TDI, as well as Trendline, Comfortline, and Sportline editions. In 2007, the 1.4 TSI variant was added to the range. 

The models of the MK5 were MK5 Jetta, VW Eos, MK5 Golf Wagon/Variant, and Golf Plus, while performance models included MK5 GT, MK5 GTI, and MK R32. Special editions were also released, such as the GTI Edition 30, Fahrenheit Edition, Speed Edition, Pirelli Edition, and GTI W12-650.

In Australia, the Golf MK5 was available from 2004, offering the following engine options: 

• 1.6 Comfortline, 1.6 Trendline and 1.6 Generation – 1.6L petrol engine (75 kW, 148 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission (or 4-speed automatic transmission for 1.6 Generation trim) or 5-speed manual gearbox
• 1.9 TDI Comfortline and 1.9 TDI Trendline – 1.9L diesel engine (77 kW, 250 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual gearbox
• 2.0 FSI Comfortline and 2.0 FSI Sportline – 2.0L petrol engine (110 kW, 200 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual gearbox
• 2.0 Generation and 2.0 Sport – 2.0L petrol engine (85 kW, 170 Nm), 4-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual gearbox
• 2.0 TDI Comfortline – 2.0L diesel engine (103 kW, 320 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual gearbox
• GTI – 1.8L petrol engine (110 kW, 210 Nm), 5-speed manual gearbox
• 2.0 TDI Sportline – 2.0L diesel engine (103 kW, 320 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual gearbox
• GTI – 2.0L petrol engine (147 kW, 280 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual gearbox
• GT and GT Sport TSI – 1.4L petrol engine (125 kW, 240 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual gearbox
• GT Sport TDI – 2.0L diesel engine (125 kW, 350 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual gearbox
• GTI Pirelli – 2.0L petrol engine (169 kW, 300 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual gearbox

The standard equipment for the basic model featured: 

Dual Front/Head/Side Front Airbags, ABS, Air Conditioning, 15-Inch Alloy Wheels, Brake Assist, Cruise Control, Central Locking Remote Control, EBD, Engine Immobiliser, Leather Steering Wheel, Multi-Function Steering Wheel, Power Mirrors/Steering/Windows, Radio CD with 10 Speakers, Seatbelt Pre-tensioners Front Seats, Trip Computer, Traction Control System

In the EuroNCAP crash test, the MK5 scored a maximum of 5 stars, and it won the Best Sports Car award by Australia's Best Cars twice, in 2005 and 2006.

The Sixth Generation (MK6/A6, Typ 5K; 2008-2012)

The Volkswagen Golf MK6 was launched in 2008 at the Paris Motor Show. It is a compact car with a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout available as 3-door and 5-door hatchbacks, 5-door MPVs, 5-door estates, and 2-door cabriolets. They were marketed as 90TSI, 118TSI, 77TDI, 77TSI, and 103TDI variants and Trendline and Comfortline editions.

The sixth-generation Golf models were Cabriolet, Variant, Golf Plus, Twin Drive, Golf GTI, "Wörthersee 09" Golf R, while the special edition represented GTI Edition 35.

In Australia, the Mk6 was revealed in 2009 at the Melbourne International Motor Show. In 2010, it won the 2009 Wheels Car of the Year title, one of the most prestigious car awards in the country. 

The engine options introduced in Australia were: 

• 103 TDI Comfortline – 2.0L diesel engine (103 kW, 320 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual gearbox
• 118 TSI Comfortline – 1.4L petrol engine (118 kW, 240 Nm), 6-speed manual gearbox or 7-speed automatic transmission
• 77 TDI Trendline – 1.6L diesel engine (77 kW, 250 Nm), 7-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual gearbox
• 90 TSI Trendline – 1.4L petrol engine (90 kW, 200 Nm), 7-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual gearbox
• 77 TSI – 1.2L petrol engine (77 kW, 175 Nm), 7-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual gearbox
• GTD – 2.0 L diesel engine (125 kW, 350 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual gearbox
• R – 2.0L diesel engine (188 kW, 330 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission and a 6-speed manual gearbox
• GTI Adidas – 2.0L petrol engine (155 kW, 280 Nm), a 6-speed automatic transmission
• GTI Edition 35 – 2.0L petrol engine (173 kW, 300 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission

In the EuroNCAP crash test, the MK6 was rated with 36 out of 37 points. The model that was tested was equipped with seven airbags and Electronic Stability Programme. 

The Seventh Generation (MK7/MQB, Typ 5G; 2012-2019)

The Volkswagen Golf MK7 was launched in 2012 at the Paris Motor Show. It is a compact, small family car produced as 3-door and 5-door hatchbacks, 5-door estates, and 5-door MPVs with a front-engine, front-wheel/four-wheel-drive layout. It was built on the VW Group MQB platform, the same one used by the 3rd generations of Audi A3, SEAT León, and Škoda Octavia. 

Unlike the previous generation, the MK7 is more spacious. It had new safety systems, including Proactive Occupant Protection, multi-collision brake system, adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance system, lane-keeping assistant, driver fatigue detection, traffic sign recognition, automatic parking system, and rear assist camera. 

The MK7 models include the Golf Sportsvan/SV, Golf Estate/SportWagen/Alltrack, e-Golf, Golf GTE, Golf GTD, Golf GTI, and Golf R.

In Australia, it came in April 2013 with the following powertrain options: 

• 103 TDI Comfortline Bluemotion – 2.0L diesel engine (103 kW, 320 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission
• 77 TDI Bluemotion – 1.6L diesel engine (77 kW, 250 Nm), 5-speed manual gearbox
• 103 TSI Highline – 1.4L diesel engine (103 kW, 250 Nm), 7-speed automatic transmission
• 110 TDI Highline – 2.0L diesel engine (110 kW, 320 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission
• 90 TSI and 90 TSI Comfortline – 1.4L petrol engine (90 kW, 200 Nm), 7-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual gearbox
• GTI Performance and GTI Original – 2.0L petrol engine (169 kW, 350 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission 
• 110 TSI Highline – 1.4L petrol engine (110 kW, 250 Nm), 7-speed automatic transmission
• R Wolfsburg Edition – 2.0L petrol engine (206 kW, 380 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission
• Alltrack 132 TSI – 1.8L petrol engine (132 kW, 280 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission 
• GTI 40 Years – 2.0L petrol engine (195 kW, 350 Nm), 6-speed automatic transmission or 6-speed manual gearbox
• R GRID Edition and R Special Edition – 2.0L petrol engine (213 kW, 380 Nm), 7-speed automatic transmission
• Alltrack 135 TDI Premium – 2.0L diesel engine (135 kW, 380 Nm), 7-speed automatic transmission 

The basic model featured the following as standard equipment: 

Dual Front/Head/Side Front Airbags, ABS, Auto Climate Control with Dual Temp Zones, 16-Inch Alloy Wheels, Brake Assist, Cruise Control, Central Locking Remote Control, EBD, Electronic Differential Lock, ESP, Hill Holder, Engine Immobiliser, Power Mirrors, Power Steering, Power Windows, Radio CD with 8 Speakers, Rain Sensing Wipers, Seatbelt Pre-tensioners Front Seats, Trip Computer, Traction Control System 

Higher spec trims, as usual, offered more features, including knee airbags, park assist, parking distance control rear, reversing camera, satellite navigation, sport seats, adjustable speed limiter, one-touch convenience turn signal, and many more. 

The Eighth Generation (MK8/MQB; 2020-present)

The Volkswagen Golf MK8 was released in October 2019 as a compact, small family car in a 5-door hatchback version with a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. The MQB-platform-based model came with the following turbocharged 3- or 4-cylinder engines:

• 1.0L petrol engine (66 kW or 81 kW)
• 1.5L petrol engine (96 kW or 110 kW)
• 1.4L plug-in hybrid engine (150 kW or 180 kW)
• 2.0L diesel engine (84 kW or 110 kW)

A compressed natural gas variant was also introduced, while diesel engines were equipped with AdBlue selective catalytic reduction. 

The eighth-generation Golf features advanced technology, including Matrix-LED headlights, mobile key, mild-hybrid powertrain options, Innovision cockpit, advanced HUD, Travel Assist, Shift-by-wire DSG, Alexa integration, Car2X, three-zone climate control, WiFi hotspot, online-based voice control, Light Assist, navigation, and Wireless App-Connect.

If you need parts for your Golf model, whether it’s Mk1 or the later generations, do check out our website. With sellers across Australia offering a wide assortment of car accessories and auto parts on Carpart.com.au, you will certainly find what you're looking for!

Author: Andrijana Pavlovic