Golf Cabriolet As with the
Mk2 Golf, Volkswagen did not make a convertible version of the Mk4 Golf. Instead, they facelifted the front bumper, grille, fenders, and hood of the Mk3 Golf Cabrio to resemble the styling of the Mk4 Golf (colloquially referred to as the Mk3.5). Changes to the rear included a redesigned trunk, which moved the number plate tub to a restyled rear bumper, in addition to a larger VW emblem more closely resembling the rear of a Mk4 Golf. VW incorporated other non-structural parts from the Mk4 as well, such as headlights, fender repeaters, side mirror caps, hatch handle, steering wheel airbag, etc. The interior remained largely similar to the Mk3 interior save for a Mk4 style three-spoke leather steering wheel, a textured dashboard (also known as "dimpled dash" or "shark skin dash"), heavily bolstered front seats with incorporated side airbags, and a chromed finish on several parts, such as the inner door handles, emergency brake button, door strikers, front seat-belt anchors, key lock cylinders, and shifter button in automatic transmission equipped cars. The instrument panel was updated with a relocated hazard light switch and blue and red backlighting, as found in the Mk4. Technical updates, beginning with the 2000 model, include the immobilizer and engine computer from the Mk4 Golf being retrofitted to the older Mk3 engine mechanicals.
Variant The Volkswagen Golf Mk4 Variant was introduced in 1999. It was discontinued in 2006, and succeeded in 2007 by the
Volkswagen Golf Mk5 Variant. Unlike the Mk3, it was offered in North America with the "Jetta" name with corresponding front styling. The "Jetta Wagon" was used in North America instead of the "Bora" name.
Volkswagen Bora/Jetta Mk4 Volkswagen produced a saloon version of the Mk4 Golf, launched around a year later. As with previous incarnations of the Golf, it had its own identity, and this time it was called the
Volkswagen Bora, although the name Jetta remained in North America and South Africa. Unlike its predecessors, the Bora/Jetta featured unique rear doors, front wings and bonnet. The front doors were the only body panels it shared with the Golf. The interior, though, was almost identical to the Golf, featuring very minor styling changes like its predecessor. The Golf 4 was produced in Germany, South Africa, Slovakia, Brazil, Belgium, and China. Eastern European locations making the Golf 4 included Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Vogošća, which also made
Mk1 and
Mk2 models. The Golf/Jetta Mk4 engine choices included 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, 2.3 litre
VR5, 2.8 litre
V6 and 3.2 litre R32 petrol engines, 1.9-litre naturally aspirated diesel SDI engine, and a 1.9-litre turbodiesel, with power ranging from 90 to 150 PS (66 to 110 kW). The R32 engine was not added to the range until much later, while the 2.3 V5 was a new addition to the Golf range. The rest of the engine line-up differed little from that of the MK3 Golf. Volkswagen made a choice of three and five-door hatchbacks or a five-door station wagon available. The European Golf wagon, launched in the spring of 1999, was nearly identical to the North American Jetta Wagon. The only difference was the use of the Golf front headlights, bumpers, grille, hood, and fenders, as these parts are interchangeable between the Mk4 Golf and Bora/Jetta. The Golf 4 was introduced to North America in mid-1999. Available engines for the Golf at its introduction to the American market were a 2.0L gasoline engine, and a 48mpg 1.9L
TDI engine. In 2004, the updated 1.9L TDI PD or
Pumpe-Düse engine was installed in the Golf and Jetta. The or pump nozzle was a
Robert Bosch extreme high-pressure fuel injection system for direct cylinder injection. A 1.8 L turbocharged gas engine was introduced in 2000, along with the 12-valve 2.8L VR6. At the same time, the 1.6L 8-valve unit was replaced with the 16-valve unit from the
Polo GTI, but detuned to 77 kW (105 PS). For 2000, Volkswagen opted for the relatively new 1.8L 20-valve turbocharged gasoline engine as a base engine for the GTI. The top-of-the-line GLX model was equipped with Volkswagen's 2.8 L
VR6, which produced . The VR6 engine, with its narrow 15-degree Vee design, was unique to Volkswagen. This engine is shorter and lighter (featuring a single cylinder head) than other V6 engines. For the 2002.5 model year, Volkswagen introduced a 24-valve version of its VR6 engine to the North American market under engine code BDF. This engine had the same torque characteristics as the older 12-valve version, which had been carried over from the Mk3 Golf under engine codes AAA and AFP. The 24-valve version gained an additional over the 12-valve to reach 204BHP. In Europe, the VR6-engined V6
4Motion variant was produced from 1999 with 204BHP and a 24-valve engine from the outset, using engine codes AUE and AQP. In 2002, the European market began using the BDF-code engine at the same time as the North American market. This had the same 204BHP power output but now featured variable valve timing on the exhaust valves, which allowed the engine to rev more freely in the higher ranges, and now had "coil-on-plug" ignition coils. The 1.8T and VR6 models continued until 2005, when the Mk4 platform came to an end in North America (except Canada). Both the Mk4 Golf and the Mk4 Jetta were still in production in Brazil, Mexico, and China as of 2008, with these models nicknamed the Mk4.5. The Mk4.5 Brazilian Golf TDI PD was sold in Canada due to its popularity as a full 2006 model in base, GL and GLS trim levels for the full model year, as there were no diesel engine versions for the North American 2007 Mk5 Golf (Rabbit). In Europe, trim levels were country-specific; however, the base trim levels were: Trendline, Comfortline, Highline and GTI. Any others, like the Ocean, Pacific and Edition Trim levels, were modifications of the regular four trim levels. The United Kingdom sold the Mk4 with the following trim levels: E, S, SE, GT TDI, GTI TDI, GTI and V5/V6/V6 4MOTION versions. The V5 was available in 150 bhp/110 kW (1997–2000) and 170 bhp/125 kW (1999–2003) versions. == Special editions ==