Volkswagen introduced the fourth generation of the Golf in late 1997, and it was available as a hatchback or station wagon.
Its open-top version was, in fact, a Golf MK III with an MK IV face.

Since the beginning of the Golf saga, the 3-doors version was the one to be looked after. The German carmaker addressed it to the younger generation, and it had to stay that way. Unlike its predecessors, the Golf IV featured better finishes and materials. The carmaker made it more upmarket.

From the outside, the new headlights design was surprising. Its four-lamps design inside the headlights showed a new trend for the German carmaker. The car promised a sportier character in the three-door version, which was true for specific versions. Strangely, Volkswagen didn’t offer a pop-out opening system for the rear side windows, as the French carmakers did with the 309 coupe or the Renault 19.

Inside, the dashboard featured a new concept for the instrument cluster, with blue, back-lit dials. It also featured an LCD between the tachometer and speedometer while the fuel-gauge and the coolant-temperature were moved up in the middle position. On the center stack, Volkswagen offered an option for the infotainment’s system display. Its wider doors offered a better room to get inside the car.

Under the hood, Volkswagen installed an unusually wide range of engines for a compact-segment vehicle. The 1.8-liter unit was carried over from Audi. It was the first 3-door Golf available with an all-wheel-drive system.