The third generation of the Golf brought the first European Car of The Year award for Volkswagen and confirmed its status on the market.
After two decades since the first generation rolled-down from the assembly lines, Volkswagen introduced a third generation for the Golf. It was already a mature vehicle, available in four body styles: three- and five-doors, convertible, and station wagon. In the three doors shape, it was a car designed for the younger generation and empty-nesters.

Volkswagen’s designers threw away the round headlights from its predecessors and adopted wider lamps with a rounded interior side. The grille got smaller, and the bumpers got bigger, stretched from one wheel-well to another. For the three-door version, the carmaker installed long fixed windows between the B- and C-pillars.

Inside, Volkswagen installed a curved dashboard with a taller, tilted toward the driver, center stack. The instrument cluster kept a similar layout with four dials, but the carmaker introduced a small LED display at the bottom. For the base trim levels, the Golf III featured cranked windows and manually adjustable door-mirrors. The upper trim levels featured power mirrors, windows, and locks. Volkswagen installed a split-folding bench in the rear and offered surprisingly good room for up to three adults.

Volkswagen installed a wide range of powertrains, with front or all-wheel-drive systems. Power ranged between 60 hp and 190 hp for the gasoline versions and 64 hp to 110 hp for the diesel ones.