Volkswagen · 1974–present
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – including as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada (Mk1 and Mk5), and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico (Mk1). The Golf is Volkswagen's bestseller and the third best-selling automobile of all time, with over 37 million units sold worldwide. The original Golf Mk1 was a front-engined, front-wheel drive replacement for the air-cooled, rear-engined, rear-wheel drive Volkswagen Beetle. Initially, most Golfs were hatchbacks, with the three-door version being somewhat more popular than the five-door. Other variants include an estate (Variant, from 1993), convertible (Cabriolet or Cabrio, from 1979), and a Golf-based saloon called the Jetta, Vento (from 1992), or Bora (from 1999). The Golf covers economy to high-performance market segments. The Golf has won awards, including the World Car of the Year in 2009, with the Mk6 and in 2013 with the Mk7. Along with the Renault Clio and the Vauxhall Astra, the Golf is one of only three cars to have won European Car of the Year twice, in 1992 and 2013. The Golf has made the annual Car and Driver 10Best list multiple times. The Mk7 won the Motor Trend Car of the Year award in 2015, and the Mk1 GTI also won the award in 1985. The Mk4 won for the best-selling car in Europe in 2001.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
UK fuel mix: —. Records from the VCA fuel & emissions archive.
Model years
Generations & variants
Photos
UK vehicles on the road
959,230 licensed and 132,687 SORN (1,091,917 total) at 2025 Q4.
| Year (latest quarter) | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 1,064,019 |
| 2015 | 1,096,959 |
| 2016 | 1,129,045 |
| 2017 | 1,148,160 |
| 2018 | 1,156,841 |
| 2019 | 1,163,812 |
| 2020 | 1,156,507 |
| 2021 | 1,140,293 |
| 2022 | 1,125,620 |
| 2023 | 1,111,610 |
| 2024 | 1,099,515 |
| 2025 | 1,091,917 |
DfT/DVLA VEH0120 vehicle licensing statistics, source ↗, Open Government Licence v3.0. Small counts are rounded or suppressed at source.
US NHTSA safety ratings
| Vehicle | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Volkswagen Golf 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2020 Volkswagen Golf 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2019 Volkswagen Golf 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2019 Volkswagen Golf R 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2019 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen SW FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2018 Volkswagen Golf 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2018 Volkswagen Golf GTI 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2018 Volkswagen Golf R 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2018 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen SW FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2017 Volkswagen Golf 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI 2 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2017 Volkswagen Golf R 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2017 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen SW AWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2017 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen SW FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2016 Volkswagen Golf 2 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2016 Volkswagen Golf 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2016 Volkswagen Golf GTI 2 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2016 Volkswagen Golf GTI 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2016 Volkswagen Golf R 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
| 2016 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen SW FWD | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | ★★★★★ (5/5) | ★★★★☆ (4/5) | NHTSA ↗ |
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (US government, public domain). US-market versions; not the same tests as Euro NCAP.
US safety recalls
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25V638000 2025-09-24 · model years 2025
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 GTI, Golf R, Audi A5, A6 Sportback E-Tron, S5, S6 Sportback E-Tron, 2026 Q4 Sportback E-Tron, and Q4 E-Tron vehicles. The torsion bar in one or both front seat belt retractors may have been damaged during production.
Remedy: Dealers will replace one or both front seat belts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 30, 2025, and October 31, 2025. Owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834 or Volkswagen at…
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24V480000 2024-06-27 · model years 2022, 2023, 2024
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Golf R, Golf GTI, 2024 Atlas, and 2024 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The rearview camera image may be delayed or deactivated after shifting into reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety…
Remedy: Dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 15, 2024, and July 16, 2024. Owners may contact VW customer service at 1-800-893-5298. VW's number for…
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24V110000 2024-02-14 · model years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain front-wheel drive 2015-2020 Audi A3 Sedan, 2015-2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 2018 Golf Sportwagen GP, 2018-2019 Golf Sportwagen A7, 2015-2017 Golf Sportwagen, 2015-2020 Golf GTI, and 2015-2020 Golf A7 vehicles. Due to a…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. Final owner notification letters for Audi owners were mailed on July 25, 2024. Final owner letters for VW owners were mailed on August 13, 2024. Owners may contact…
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23V604000 2023-08-30 · model years 2019
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Golf, Golf Alltrack, Golf Sportwagen, 2019-2020 Golf GTI, and Jetta vehicles equipped with a conventional ignition switch. The ignition switch may fail, especially in high temperature environments.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 1, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall…
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23V437000 2023-06-21 · model years 2023
SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The strut mount may be deformed, loosening the bolted connections to the suspension strut mounting.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the right and/or left suspension strut mountings, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 18, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's…
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22V831000 2022-11-09 · model years 2016
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 Golf R vehicles. Incorrect front windshield wiper software was installed which may prevent the wipers from activating. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 104, "Windshield…
Remedy: Dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 15, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for…
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22V823000 2022-11-02 · model years 2022
BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf R A8, Audi S3, RS3 Sedan, Q4 E-Tron SUV, A3 Sedan, and 2022-2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI, and ID4 vehicles. The rearview camera image may be blank or unresponsive when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear or when the park function is manually…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed to Audi owners February 14, 2023. Volkswagen owners will receive an owner notification letter once remedy parts become…
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22V815000 2022-10-31 · model years 2019, 2020
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure…
Remedy: Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or AudiÂ’s customer service at…
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22V707000 2022-09-21 · model years 2022, 2023
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The radiator may not have been attached correctly to the intercooler, which can result in a damaged coolant hose.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the radiator and replace any damaged parts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at…
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22V543000 2022-07-27 · model years 2016
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 Audi TT Roadster, TT Coupe, S3 Sedan, R8 Coupe, A3 Sedan, A3 Etron, A3 Cabriolet, 2016 Golf Sportwagen, Golf R, Golf GTI, Golf A7, and E Golf vehicles. During air bag deployment, the front passenger air bag may explode or deploy improperly.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front-passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's customer…
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22V542000 2022-07-27 · model years 2022
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The touch switch for the sunroof may be too sensitive, allowing it to be inadvertently pressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118,…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the roof module switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 23, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's…
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22V163000 2022-03-16 · model years 2022
ENGINE
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf GTI and Golf R vehicles. Certain driving situations, such as high acceleration driving maneuvers, may loosen the engine design cover.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the engine design cover, free of charge. Once parts become available, Volkswagen will provide a free updated engine design cover under a separate Service Action. Owner notification letters were…
NHTSA recalls database (US government, public domain). Recalls apply to US-market vehicles; check the manufacturer for your country.
US EPA fuel-economy records
| Year | Engine | Drive | Transmission | Fuel | MPG (US) comb. | CO₂ g/mi | EV range mi | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 2.0 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S7) | Premium | 26 | 347 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2027 | 2.0 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S7) | Regular | 28 | 317 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2026 | 2.0 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S7) | Premium | 25 | 349 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2025 | 2.0 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S7) | Premium | 25 | 349 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2024 | 2.0 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Premium | 23 | 382 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2024 | 2.0 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S7) | Premium | 25 | 349 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2023 | 2.0 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S7) | Premium | 26 | 343 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2023 | 2.0 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Premium | 23 | 382 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2022 | 2.0 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Premium | 23 | 382 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2022 | 2.0 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM7) | Premium | 26 | 343 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2021 | 1.4 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Regular | 33 | 267 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2021 | 1.4 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | Regular | 32 | 279 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2020 | 1.4 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Regular | 31 | 285 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2020 | 1.4 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | Regular | 32 | 280 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 1.4 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Regular | 32 | 274 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 1.4 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | Regular | 31 | 287 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 1.4 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Regular | 32 | 274 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 1.4 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S8) | Regular | 32 | 276 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Regular | 24 | 362 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Regular | 25 | 351 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S6) | Regular | 25 | 354 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S6) | Regular | 24 | 361 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 2.0 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S7) | Premium | 26 | 343 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2019 | 2.0 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Premium | 24 | 373 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Regular | 25 | 351 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Regular | 24 | 362 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S6) | Regular | 24 | 361 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 5-spd | Regular | 29 | 310 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 5-spd | Regular | 29 | 309 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 28 | 320 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 28 | 320 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S6) | Regular | 25 | 354 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 2.0 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S7) | Premium | 25 | 354 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2018 | 2.0 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Premium | 24 | 366 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Regular | 26 | 347 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | Regular | 26 | 347 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S6) | Regular | 25 | 354 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S6) | Regular | 25 | 354 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 5-spd | Regular | 28 | 313 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2017 | 1.8 L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | Regular | 29 | 309 | — | EPA ↗ |
US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle), fueleconomy.gov ↗, US government public domain.
Sources
- Wikidata / Wikipedia profiles — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/cars/Q56403002CC0 / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_GolfCC BY-SA 4.0 · Intro text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1375788007 · retrieved 2026-10-03
- UK Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) fuel & emissions data — https://carfueldata.vehicle-certification-agency.gov.uk/Open Government Licence v3.0
- DfT/DVLA VEH0120 licensing statistics — https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/vehicle-licensing-statistics-data-tablesOpen Government Licence v3.0
- US EPA / DOE FuelEconomy.gov — https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ws/index.shtmlUS Government public domain
- NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API — https://api.nhtsa.gov/SafetyRatingsUS Government public domain
- NHTSA recalls database — https://www.nhtsa.gov/recallsUS Government public domain
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.