In the spring, at the Geneva Motor Show, "Volkswagen" made a move with a double of two new station wagons. One is called "Golf Variant", the other "Bora Variant" (Volkswageners have been designating their station wagons with the word "Variant" for decades). For a closer acquaintance with both novelties, the Klaxon correspondent went to Germany. There they had to find the answer to the riddle: why did Volkswagen create, in fact, two identical station wagons with different names?
Bizarre genealogy of "VW" station wagons
In order not to get confused, let's immediately deal with the origin. First came "Golf IV", which is produced
only as a hatchback. The sedan based on it is called "Bora" and is presented as an independent model. Now an unexpected thing has happened: there are "Golf" and "Bora" with the same bodies. This. as you already understood, two station wagons.
So, we have two cars of similar size. "Bora" is only slightly longer (by 12 mm) due to a more massive front bumper. There is no difference between the rear and side of the car, except for the four letters of the model name on the tailgate. Radical differences are only in the front: "The Golf is designed somewhat more modestly than the Bora (the latter clearly claims to be the younger brother of the solid Passat").
Of course, both cars have the same interior sizes and the same trunks. Their volume is 460 liters (like a large business class sedan) and reaches 1.470 liters with the rear seats folded down. This is one of the best indicators in the golf class.
In profile and behind "Golf Variant" and "Bora Variant" are almost indistinguishable Except for the inscriptions on the tailgate
"Golf" and "Bora". Nuances on the go
First, by chance, I was driving a "Golf" with a turbodiesel. The route ran in the vicinity of the picturesque Wannsee lake along autobahns and local roads. Outside the window, well-groomed fields flew by, interspersed with interspersed forests. On the move a new station wagon - a typical "Golf IV". on various modifications of which I drove more than one hundred kilometers. Enviable dynamics of the TD1 diesel. praised by journalists all over the world, precision in management, comfort and smoothness when driving. I especially want to note the softness of the suspension. The thing is. that special shock absorbers are selected for station wagon cars. The stiffness of the anti-roll bars has also been changed. All these innovations are caused by the specifics of the operation of station wagons.
The trunk of both station wagons is the same. Under its hollow hides a whole labyrinth of various drawers and pencil cases.
Imagine that you are traveling with a friend from one resort to another, staying in hotels. In the trunk - only a couple of light sports bags with beach equipment and tennis rackets. Another thing is if you and your friends are going to the "wild" nature and in addition to tents, inflatable boats, and even surf on the roof, all five seats are occupied in the car. Agree. what is it, as they say in Odessa, "two big differences." Therefore, the designers had to break their heads so that in both cases the car behaved with the same reliability and predictability.
Since we have moved on to the main purpose of the wagon to transport a large amount of luggage. - then stop and open the trunk. A hefty door, crashing into the bumper with its bottom, reduced the loading height to a minimum. Under the floor we find a whole labyrinth of various drawers and canisters, molded in a lid that covers a full-size spare tire. Retractable chrome rings are mounted in the side walls for attaching the luggage net.
After an excursion to the luggage compartment, we change cars. Now I'm driving a Bora Variant. The front panel has slightly changed, but the interior, in general, differs little from the Golf one. To find the differences, I had to look alternately into the salons of nearby cars. They even made a bet among themselves on evening beer, who will find more differences inside the cars. I invite readers to do the same by looking at the photos of the salons.
On the move "Bora Variant" was very nimble thanks to the 115-horsepower gasoline engine. But it's not even about him. The salt was. that I got the option with a 6-speed manual box. It is she who adds to the calm image of the station wagon sports entourage.
So it was tempting to turn off the traction control system. Which I didn't hesitate to do. Leaving part of the tread of the luxurious sixteen-inch Michelin tires on the fast lane of the Autobahn, the Bora Variant forced the passengers to kiss the headrests with remarkable acceleration (my companions had just transferred from the Golf and therefore noted the difference in the shape of the headrests).
Moving from line to line. I finally get to the far left. Nothing compares to the feeling of being able to turn on another "unusual" sixth gear after the fifth gear. Speed in the meantime crept up to two hundred. Here's a humble station wagon for you. Flying 53 meters in one second, the car perfectly kept a straight line. He was not even knocked down by air waves that whipped over the body when overtaking trucks that were rapidly disappearing in the right mirror. "Bora Variant" also adequately meets gusts of side wind (universalists, by the way, are "afraid" of this thing because of the specific shape of the body). This means that the designers have done a good job on aerodynamics and suspension fine-tuning. In a word, only a short whistle of wind from the luggage "rails" on the roof reminded me of high speed. And further. after "Golf" steering wheel "Bora" seemed to me more strict and tough. But this is one of the consequences of using wide 16-inch wheels.
The quick test was coming to an end, and by the way, I still didn’t find out the answer to the main question: why did Volkswagen create a couple of almost identical cars with different names?
Brief technical characteristics of "VW Golf Variant"
Overall dimensions, cm 439.7x173.5x147.3
| Curb weight, kg | 1.189 | 1.210 | 1. 232 | 1.276 | 1.310 | 1.280 | 1.313 | 1.329 | 1.327 | 1.340 | 1.351 |
| engine's type | petrol | diesel | turbodiesel | ||||||||
| Engine | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. |
| Volume, l | 1,4 | 1,6 | 1,6 | 2,0 | 2,0 | 1,9 | 1,9 | 1,9 | 1,9 | 1,9 | 1,9 |
| Power, hp | 75 | 100 | 100 | 115 | 115 | 68 | 90 | 90 | 110 | 110 | 115 |
| Torque, Nm | 128 | 145 | 145 | 170 | 170 | 133 | 210 | 210 | 235 | 235 | 285 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 171 | 188 | 185* | 195 | 192* | 160 | 180* | 176 | 193 | 190* | 195 |
| Acceleration time 0-100 km/h | 15,2 | 11,9 | 13,7* | 11,4 | 12,9* | 18,5 | 13,1* | 15,0 | 7,9 | 8,4* | 7,5 |
| Fuel Consumption(L/100km) | 6,5 | 7,7 | 8,7 | 8,0 | 9,1 | 5,2 | 5,0 | 6,3 | 5,2 | 6,4 | 5,3 |
| Fuel reserve, l | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 |
Brief technical characteristics of "VW Bora Variant"
Overall dimensions, cm 440.9x173.5x147.3
| Curb weight, kg | no given. | no given. | 1.292 | 1.318 | 1.361 | 1.383 | 1.336 | 1.358 | 1.361 |
| engine's type | petrol | diesel | |||||||
| Engine | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. | 5V-cyl. | 5V-cyl. | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. | 4-cyl. |
| Volume, l | 1,6 | 1,6 | 2,0 | 2,0 | 2,3 | 2,3 | 1,9 | 1,9 | 1,9 |
| Power, hp | 100 | 100 | 115 | 115 | 150 | 150 | 110 | 110 | 115 |
| Torque, Nm | 145 | 145 | 170 | 170 | 205 | 205 | 235 | 235 | 285 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 188 | 185* | 195 | 192* | 216 | 212* | 193 | 190* | 195 |
| Acceleration time 0-100 km/h | 11,9 | 13,7* | 11,4 | 12,9* | 9,4 | 10,5* | 11,3 | 12,8* | 11,1 |
| Fuel consumption (l/100 km) | 7,7 | 8,7 | 8,0 | 9,1 | 9,4 | 10,1 | 5,2 | 6,4 | 5,3 |
| Fuel reserve, l | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 |
For an evening beer...
In the evening at the bar, with a package of complete technical information already in hand, we finally sorted everything out. In the Volkswagen ranking list, "Bora Variant" is slightly higher than "Golf Variant". This fact is confirmed by the range of engines. The simplest 1.4-liter engine, which is used on the "Golf", cannot be ordered for the "Bora". In its turn. powerful V5 from "Bora" can not be combined with a golf-skim body. "Bora Variant" also has a slightly richer basic equipment. And, of course, this car costs a little more than the "Golf Variant".
These two cars are really very similar. Like twin brothers in different clothes. The first is dressed in a democratic leather jacket and jeans (here I mean "Golf"), and the second flaunts a jacket (in the latter case we are talking about "Bora Variant").
The next choice is up to the buyer.
According to employees of "Volkswagen", the delivery of new products to Russia is not expected in the near future. And if "Golf Variant" is really here, perhaps, not to the yard, then "Bora Variant" will surely interest gray importers. Russian motorists have already developed a taste for well-equipped, slightly aristocratic station wagons.
Sergey KLOCHKOV, Berlin-Moscow
Volkswagen Golf 4 / Volkswagen Golf 4 (model code: 1J1) 1997 - 2004
Volkswagen Bora / Volkswagen Bora (model code: 1J2) 1999 - 2005
Volkswagen Golf Variant 4 / Volkswagen Golf Variant 4 (Model Code: 1J5) 1998- 2006
Volkswagen Bora Variant / Volkswagen Bora Variant (model code: 1J6) 1999 - 2006
Volkswagen Golf 4 / Volkswagen Golf 4 (model code: 9B1) 1999 - 2007
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For the first time, the 4th generation Volkswagen Golf was presented to the public in 1997 as part of the In general, this car model is one of the most famous and has been produced at the facilities of the German concern for several decades. Today's article will be devoted specifically to the fourth generation of the Volkswagen Golf 4. An overview of the car is later in our article.
Design
The appearance of the compact German hatchback has remained unchanged for years. And once again, the Bavarian designers decided to go the familiar way - without experiments and unnecessary innovations, successfully refresh the look of the car.
Interestingly, the Germans manage to modernize the design even with minimal changes and make it relevant for at least the next 5-6 years. Volkswagen Golf 4 was no exception. Owner reviews also note the versatility of the car's appearance. Today it is a purely female compact car, and tomorrow it will be transformed into a real male sports car. At the same time, it is enough to equip the Golf with new discs and a couple of aerodynamic body kits. We are posting photos for comparison.
It would seem that such different machines. But they were assembled on the same conveyor. So the Germans guessed right with the design. Volkswagen Golf 4 is a kind of constructor that everyone can transform to suit their style and character.
By the way, the 5-door hatchback is not the only body version for the Golf. In 1999, Volkswagen developed two new car modifications with a station wagon body and a 3-door hatchback. Thanks to this, the company expanded its circle of customers by an order of magnitude. Now the Golf is a large one with a roomy trunk, a small women's runabout or a formidable sports hatch (by the way, in the German domestic market there were bodies for the Golf of the convertible type). But for the most part, the Volkswagen Golf 4 was suitable for young people who love speed and compactness. The Volkswagen looked like a kind of small animal, a predator conquering the night streets and wide autobahns.
Finally, we note the fact that the Golf body was completely made of galvanized steel. And this meant that even under the most severe climatic conditions, the car was 100 percent protected from rust. Up to this point, German manufacturers only covered the metal body with a layer of galvanization. With the fourth generation of Foltz, it began to be made entirely of galvanized steel. To make sure that the hatchback is immune to corrosion, just look at the condition of the metal of the car with your own eyes (fortunately, there are more than one generation of such “Golfs” in Russia). Even since 1997, not a single car has rusted yet, and this is without after-sales anti-corrosion treatment.
Reviews, dimensions and capacity
Volkswagen Golf 4 has quite standard dimensions for its "golf class". The length of the car body is 4150 mm, width 1735 mm, height 1440 mm (for the Volkswagen Golf 4 hatchback). Reviews note that due to such small dimensions, the machine is able to easily maneuver even in the narrowest streets. This is a big plus. But with there are small problems - say car owners. The total ground clearance of the car is 13 centimeters. As for the volume of the trunk, despite its small body, the hatchback is able to fit up to 330 liters of luggage (almost like on some full-size sedans). With the rear row of seats folded down, the volume increased to a record 1180 liters. For the station wagon, this figure was 460 and 1470 liters, respectively. Judging by the reviews of motorists, the "Golf" in the "wagon" body could perform the function of a real cargo-passenger minivan, as it can accommodate up to 4 passengers and at the same time has one of the most voluminous trunks.
Volkswagen Golf 4 - photo and interior review
The interior of the car is very comfortable and ergonomic. The compact 4-spoke steering wheel fits comfortably in your hands, on the center console there is a cassette recorder and buttons for controlling the stove and climate control. The front panel is not overloaded with unnecessary buttons, the dashboard is very simple and clear in perception. By the way, here already in the "base" there is a black-and-white digital computer (similar to the one that was installed on the "top ten" at one time). For its age, the car has quite a bright and interesting interior. True, by today's standards, it would seem very old.
In the top trim levels, the Golf was lined with leather inside and equipped with electric heated mirrors and power windows. True, there was one drawback in the cabin, which concerned a different level of location of the gas and brake pedals. True, over time you quickly get used to this feature.
Volkswagen Golf 4 - specifications
The range of engines for the fourth generation Volkswagen Golf was more than diverse. In total, the buyer was asked to choose between five petrol or three diesel units. The power range was also different. The weakest motor developed a power of 68 horsepower, the most powerful - up to 130 "horses". The choice among gearboxes was also provided. In total, the Golf was supplied to the European market in 4 gearbox versions. Among them, it is worth noting two automatic (for 4 and five speeds), as well as two mechanical (5 and 6 gears) transmissions. As practice has shown, the service life of each of them is about 200 thousand kilometers. Only at the end of this run, the gearbox undergoes its first repair.
By the way, changing the oil in the transmission is also often not required. On the "mechanics" oil went up to 60 thousand, on the "automatic" - up to 40 thousand kilometers. Relatively speaking, the replacement of the lubricant was required every 1.5-2 years. Mechanical boxes were equipped with a very reliable clutch system, which also nursed 150-200 thousand mileage without any problems.
Acceleration dynamics
A wide range of engines made it possible for each buyer to choose exactly the car that would best meet his requirements. So, "Golf" with the weakest engine made a breakthrough to "hundreds" in 18 seconds and accelerated the car to 169 kilometers per hour of maximum speed. A hatchback with a top-end 130-horsepower engine gained a "hundred" in just 10 seconds. At the same time, the “maximum speed” of 4 was 190 kilometers per hour.
Fuel consumption
It is worth noting that even the most powerful engine was distinguished by low fuel consumption. On average, he spent about 8 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers. The most economical and low-power engine consumed no more than 6.5 liters per "hundred".
Cost in the Russian market
Serial production of the 4th generation Volkswagen Golf was officially discontinued in 2004. Since the new year, a newer hatchback, Volkswagen, has swept it up. Therefore, you can buy the fourth Golf only in the secondary market.
Its average cost ranges from 6 to 10 thousand dollars. Remarkably, even with its considerable age (10-17 years), this car is able to compete in terms of the durability of parts and assemblies, even the new Priore or Grant. What is most appreciated in the "German" is the body and the engine - they are almost eternal and will serve until the arrow shows 1 million kilometers on the odometer. And it’s not in vain that the Germans make the highest quality cars in the world.
Volkswagen Golf has long been a cult and leading model for the German concern. After all, since 1974, the Germans have sold over 25 million "Golfiki", and this means a lot. In addition - Golf is not just one of the most popular and massive car, it is also the ancestor of the class of the same name - the “golf class”. But the conversation is not about that, but about the fourth generation VW Golf hatchback ... Why about him? Yes, because he is really very good, that's all!
Volkswagen Golf 4 is a car with a classic, interesting and stylish design that has not become outdated even after more than 10 years since its inception. Truly a universal model, because even now the Golf IV looks its own on city streets, on a country road, and even on light off-road conditions (after all, there are versions of the Golf with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive). Depending on taste and preferences, Volkswagen Golf IV can be a three- or five-door hatchback, and for connoisseurs of practicality - a station wagon. But regardless of the body type, the fourth Golf is very good in all respects, and the one-piece galvanized body made it possible to make the assembly of the “German” close to ideal, since in this way the designers were able to minimize the joints between the parts.
The interior of the fourth generation Volkswagen Golf is now obsolete, although to this day there are no complaints about its ergonomics, practicality and functionality. The dashboard has a classic Volkswagen look, it is excellent to read at any time, and its information content will give odds to many more modern models. The steering wheel is comfortable and pleasant, but at the same time quite massive. The center console is without any frills, but everything you need fits on it: air conditioning and music, keys and buttons, and other controls. Finishing materials in the fourth Golf are not the best, but they are of high quality: they look pretty, they are pleasant to the touch.
Volkswagen Golf 4, as a true “German”, is perfect for both the driver and passengers. It is comfortable to sit in it, the front seats have a noticeably pronounced profile that holds well in the “saddle”. The rear sofa can easily accommodate three adults, while none of them will feel superfluous. Well, everything is going great in the fourth Golf, but the luggage compartment let us down: the volume of 330 liters is too modest against the background of the general impressions of a German car ... Although, if necessary, the usable volume can be increased to 1185 liters. But stop! There is also a wagon that can offer a more spacious “body”, with a volume of 460 to 1470 liters, depending on the position of the rear seat.
If the car is good, then it is such in everything. So, in terms of technical characteristics, the IV-generation Volkswagen Golf has a wide range of power units, about which we can say without a twinge of conscience: “Yes, you can roam here!” In total, eight engines were offered to choose from: five running on gasoline and three on heavy fuel. Their power varies from 68 to 130 horsepower. Four transmissions could be installed in tandem with them: a 5- or 6-speed manual, as well as a 4- or 5-speed “automatic”. Well, it is necessary to consider each of the power units.
The base gasoline engine is a 1.4-liter, 75-horsepower, complete with which only “mechanics” is available. Such a “fiery heart” is clearly rather weak, because with it it takes “eternal” 15.6 seconds to reach the first hundred, although 171 km / h of maximum speed look decent. The next in the hierarchy is a 1.6-liter engine, the return of which is 102 horsepower. With it, as with the previous one, “mechanics” can be installed, but an automatic machine with 4 steps is also possible. The 102-horsepower Golf 4 with a manual transmission has good dynamics: a hundred behind in 11.9 seconds, the limit is 188 km / h. A hatchback with an “automatic” in acceleration is slower by exactly 1 second, and in general - by 3 km / h. At the same time, you can’t exactly call such a Golf a leader in terms of economy: in the combined cycle, it eats 7 or 8 liters of fuel, depending on the transmission.
A 105-horsepower unit of the same volume as the previous one is next on the list. Although he has an increase of 3 strength, it does not solve anything here, except that the maximum speed is 4 km / h higher, while the rest of the indicators are similar.
A 1.6-liter engine with a return of 110 horsepower is another representative of the fourth-generation Volkswagen Golf power range. It is only paired with a five-speed manual transmission. The dynamic performance of the engine has been improved for the better, but not significantly - 0.2 seconds faster is a set of hundreds than the previous one, and the top speed is 194 km / h. For 100 km of track, such a unit needs only 6.5 liters of fuel when driving in a combined cycle.
The most powerful and voluminous in the gasoline camp is a 2.0-liter, whose power potential is 116 “horses”. With this “golf heart”, both 4-speed automatic and 5-speed manual transmissions are possible. The first exchanges 100 km / h in 12.4 seconds and is gaining maximum 190, the second - 1 second and 5 km / h faster.
That's all, gasoline engines are over, now it's the turn of three diesel units. The weakest both among diesel engines and among the entire power line is a 68-horsepower engine with a volume of 1.9 liters (by the way, everyone on this type of fuel has this volume). Yes, despite the decent volume, the dynamics characteristics of such a Golf are simply terrifying - in 18.7 seconds, which it needs to accelerate to a hundred, you can do a lot of useful things. Yes, and the maximum speed here causes tears - only 160 km / h. But the dynamics are offset by efficiency: in the combined cycle, the 68-horsepower, diesel Golf requires only 5.2 liters of combustible mixture. For this motor, only a 5-speed “mechanics” is available in a pair and nothing else.
Next in line is a diesel engine endowed with 100 horsepower. It comes with a 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmission. Its dynamics is not impressive, but it is worth noting that it is 5 seconds faster than a less weak one.
And finally, the last and most powerful power unit is a diesel engine with 130 horsepower. Transmission types are similar to the previous engine. Yes, with such a “fiery heart”, the VW Golf 4 looks like a dynamic and rather nimble car - 100 km / h is conquered in 10.5 or 11.4 seconds, depending on the gearbox, but the maximum speed here exceeds 200 km/h Phew, that's it, the engines are finished!
It is logical that it is impossible to say exactly how much the new fourth-generation Volkswagen Golf costs today, because its release was completed 9 years ago. But the fact is that this “fruit” is represented very widely in the secondary market. Golf 4 in good technical condition can be bought at a price of about 180-200 thousand rubles, but for a copy in perfect condition, you may have to pay about 400-500 thousand Russian rubles. So, for a solid, German car, even a 10-year-old should fork out!
Comparison test January 02, 2008 Bestsellers (Chevrolet Lacetti, Citroen C4, Ford Focus, Kia Ceed, Mazda 3, Opel Astra, Skoda Octavia Tour, Volkswagen Golf V)There are eight golf-class hatchbacks worth up to 500,000 rubles on the Russian market. Among them there are petrol and diesel versions, three- and five-door European, Japanese or Korean brands. In a word, the choice is the widest.
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Comparison test January 06, 2007 Urban rockets (BMW130, Ford Focus ST, Honda Civic Type-R, Mazda 3 MPS, Opel Astra OPC, Volkswagen Golf GTI) Golf-class models are in the production range of almost all automakers. These are cars without claims, for trips "from point A to point B", even if in many cases they are of very high quality. Sports modifications based on these ordinary, in general, machines are a completely different matter. They use more advanced technologies, sometimes borrowed from higher-end models. They have a character capable of delivering driving pleasure even to the fastidious motorist. It is these flagship representatives of the golf class that will be discussed in our review.
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