Charged with the tall order of following up the Beetle, the original Mk I Golf was an instant success, recording 1 million sales in just over 2 years on the market. The Mk I Golf GTI, introduced in 1976, remains a performance legend to this day.
The second-generation Golf followed in 1983, adding new features like a catalytic converter, ABS and all-wheel drive. The Mk III Golf, launched in 1991, packed on even more technology, like air bags, cruise control and a six-cylinder engine.
The fourth-generation Golf added a dual-clutch transmission while the Mk V Golf upped the ante with laser welding, side airbags and the world’s first twincharger engine, which combined both supercharging and turbocharging technologies.
VW improved the breed for the sixth Golf, introduced in 2008, and launched the seven-generation of the hatchback in 2012. Though not yet sold on these shores, the latest Golf includes heritage models like the GTI and GTD, but also looks forward with offshoots like the Golf GTE plug-in hybrid and e-Golf pure electric.
The seventh-generation Golf is scheduled to hit the United States market within the next few months.
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