As part of VW's move upmarket, the firm down played the sportiness of the hatchback in favour of comfort. This version of the Golf was the first, and last version to do away with the GTD nameplate - there were Petrol and Diesel versions of the GTI, which featured slightly lowered suspension, the 1.8T or the 1.9 TDI (PD 150) and premium interior features like climatronic, full leather, and wood trims, however it was not as sporty as the preceding generations of the GTI. This went on to be used in the R32 Model in 2003 - 2004. this featured a totally revised rear axle, and rear floor pan, which was shared with the Audi TT 8N. PD115 (then replaced by the PD130) and the PD150 Engines, (Codes: AJM/ASZ/ARL) and with the VR6 powered models. This Generation of the Golf brought in the Haldex 4 Wheel Drive system, which was previously only available on Audi Products, the system was used with the 1.9TDI Sport Engines, i.e. In fact, the quality of the Golf was comparable with the Audi A3, which was the first car based on this floor pan when it was launched a year earlier, but cost considerably more than most of its competitors. As with the larger Passat, launched a year earlier, not only did it form part of Volkswagen's strategy of moving its products upmarket to plug a gap between the mainstream machines and the premium cars, with SEAT and Škoda taking over as the mainstream in a new level of interior quality and sophistication never seen before from a mainstream brand in the class. The Golf Mk4 was a significant car in the small family car sector. The Mk4 was sold in Japan, but starting with this generation and subsequent generations, it no longer complied with Japanese government dimension regulations which impose an annual tax on Japanese consumers for owning a vehicle that exceeded the maximum width limit and this badly affected sales. However, manufacturing continued in South America, Mexico and China for developing markets until 2014. It was replaced in 2003 by the Volkswagen Golf Mk5 in European markets. The Mk4 was a deliberate attempt to take the Volkswagen Golf series further upmarket, with a high-quality interior and higher equipment levels. Launched in October 1997 for the 1998 model year, it was the best selling car in Europe in 2001 (though it slipped to second place, behind the Peugeot 206, in 2002). The Volkswagen Golf Mk4 (or VW Type 1J) is a compact car, the fourth generation of the Volkswagen Golf and the successor to the Volkswagen Golf Mk3.

1896 cc EA180 TDI I4 (Verteilerpumpe - VE).