Volkswagen Gol

The Volkswagen Gol is a subcompact car manufactured by Volkswagen do Brasil since 1980 as Volkswagen's entry-level car in the South American market—where it succeeded the South American VW Beetle (Fusca). Variants of the Gol were marketed in North America as the Volkswagen Fox from 1987-1993—and manufactured and marketed in Iran under the Gol nameplate.

The Gol has been the best-selling car in Brazil since 1987 as well as Argentina since 1988 with over 5 million manufactured in South America since 1980.

The Gol takes its name from the Brazilian Portuguese word for "goal."

Body styles

The Gol family comprises many body styles.

A 3 and 5 door hatchback which takes the name VW Gol in most countries; in Mexico, Egypt and Russia it has been called the VW Pointer. The first-generation Gol was offered only as a three-door; a five-door version was added in 1997.

A sedan produced only for the first generation. The Brazilian-built two-door and four-doors sedans were called the VW Voyage and Argentinian-built ones VW Gacel; the nameplate VW Fox was used in the United States and Canada. After a facelift in 1991, Argentinian-built models were renamed the VW Senda. For the second generation this model was replaced by the Volkswagen Polo Mk 3 Classic, which is still sold in Mexico and Argentina. But a new Voyage notchback sedan returned in the G5 generation.

VW Parati is a station wagon built on both generations since May 1982. The Parati I was a three-door sold in North America as the Fox Wagon. The second-generation Parati is sold in Argentina as the Gol Country. A five-door version was added in 1997 and the three-door version was dropped after the first facelift. It is named after Paraty, a city on the southern coast of Rio de Janeiro state. It was formerly called Pointer Station Wagon in Mexico and it was sold there between 1999 and 2005. It is rumored this model will be discontinued for the G5 generation.

VW Saveiro is a lightweight pickup truck. All Gol generations have been sold with this body, and was introduced to the market in September 1984. It is named after a traditional Brazilian fishing boat. It is currently sold in Mexico since 1999 as the Pointer Pick Up.

The VW Furgão is a lightweight panel van based on the Gol.

Gol G1 (1980-1994)

The Gol was released in 1980 to replace the Brasilia, which was in turn a replacement to the Beetle in the Brazilian market. It was based on its own unique BX automobile platform derived from the existing VW/Audi B1 and B2 platforms. With a design specific to Latin America, the Gol featured the 1.3-liter air-cooled, H4 engine from the Beetle, but front-mounted.^[1] A 1.6-litre engine was added later. In the mid 1980s, this engine was replaced by 1.6 and 1.8-litre longitudinally-mounted water-cooled gasoline I4 engines from the Passat. A 1.6-litre Diesel engine was made only for export (Diesel engines are not allowed in cars in Brazil).

The first generation (or "G1") Gol had two mild facelifts in 1987 and 1991. The 1988 Gol GTi was the first Brazilian-built car to use fuel injection. The 2.0-liter I4 engine was the same used by the Santana.

Sports versions

GT 1.8 (1984–86)

The Gol GT 1.8 was the BX family's first sports version and an answer to the Ford Escort XR3, a successful sports car in Brazilian market. With a 1.8 liter engine borrowed from Santana (MkII Passat), the Gol GT was much faster than the Escort XR3, but externally did not have the same beauty. First series still had a 4-speed gearbox, soon changed to a 5-speed (both manual).

GTS 1.8 (1987–1994)

Successor of Gol GT, the GTS had an updated design, following the new 87 BX line up style and also featuring new accessories that were not available before, such as rear spoiler and side skirts. The 1.8 liter engine produced 94 hp (70 kW) running on gasoline or 99 hp (74 kW) running on ethanol. The GTS was a very successful model and was kept in production alongside with the upcoming GTI.

GTI 2000 (1989–1994)

Known as the first Brazilian built car equipped with electronic fuel injection, the Gol GTI featured a larger 2.0 liter engine with power of 120 bhp (89 kW; 122 PS) running on gasoline. Also this engine was borrowed from Santana, despite that this model still used carburettors.

Gol G2 to G4 (1994-2008)

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The second generation (or "G2") Gol, known as Project AB9 during development, debuted in September 1994. Still based on the BX platform, it was very different from the earlier model, with an updated body and longer wheelbase than the 1980 original. Nicknamed "Gol Bolinha" (roughly "Rounded Gol" or "Bubble Gol"), and the previous started to be nicknamed as "Gol Quadrado", "Squared Gol". The new version was an answer to the then newly released Chevrolet Corsa.
The Gol G2 was available in the following versions: 1000i, 1000i Plus, CL, GL, Furgão (Wagon) and GTi (this one produced until 1997 with a 8V engine), with 1.0, 1.6, 1.8 e 2.0 engines. The Gol G2 also had two special editions. The first was in 1996, with the name "Atlanta" (after the Olympic Games) and in 1997, with the name "Rolling Stones".

Also this version of Gol had some chronic deficiencies of design, such as bad alignment of body parts, due to problems with the robots on the assembly line, and poor quality of plastic parts. A curious fact about this version of Gol is that the versions produced in Argentina have a symmetry defect. Some drivers say that the driver's seat is not aligned with the steering wheel, being a little "dislocated" to the left.

G3 and G4 facelifts

The second-generation Gol received two facelifts, which include both cosmetic and engine upgrades.

The first upgrade, in 1999, was known as the Gol G3 (right photo) in Brazil and had a new VW 'corporate' front end similar to the Jetta/Bora IV. The Gol G3 came with optional airbags and ABS brakes.

When the 2005 (G4) Gol was released with styling cues from the Volkswagen Fox, incorporating the "V Grill", most avid automotive enthusiasts were unimpressed with the leap backwards in interior design.

Gol Turbo and Total Flex

The Gol 1.0 16V Turbo, launched in 2000 with a 112 hp 1.0-litre turbocharged gasoline engine, was the first one of its kind in South America, as was the flexible fuel vehicle Gol Total Flex, available since 2003.

Pointer (Mexico)

The Gol G2 was introduced in Mexico in spring 1998 as the Volkswagen Pointer (a name previously used in Latin America for a rebadged model based on the Ford Escort Mk V, the Pointer/Logus). The only version for this year was a 3 door hatchback with a 1.8lt 98 hp engine and a 5 speed manual gearbox. The only extra cost option available was a package compounding air conditioning and power steering. For 1999 a 5 door hatchback version, the Brazilian Parati (called the Pointer Station Wagon in Mexico) and the Saveiro (called the Pointer Pick Up) are added. They were marketed in three trim levels: Base, Comfort (A/C and power steering) and Luxe (14" alloy wheels, power windows and remote control centralized door locks, A/C and power steering). For 2000 the Pointer received the same facelift as in Brazil and a sporty Pointer GTI based on the Brazilian Gol GTI is introduced. It was a 3 door hatchback with a 2.0lt 122 hp engine. It had AM/FM/Cassette radio, alloy wheels, 4 disc brakes, sport black seats as standard equipment. In 2002 a basic Pointer City version is introduced, the former Comfort version is renamed the Trendline, and the Luxe variant as the Comfortline. In 2005 the Pointer Station Wagon and the Pointer GTI are discontinued and the former Pointer trims (but the City) are replaced by a new Pointer Mi version.

In the model year 2007, the Pointer receives the newest facelift, and its versions are reorganized. The Pointer is currently marketed as the Base, A/C (Air Conditioning, power steering and rear wiper/washer), Trendline (Radio AM/FM Stereo CD, 15" alloy wheels, fog lamps), and GT (only available as a 5 door hatchback. It has the same equipment as the Trendline plus: rear headrests, 6 spoke 15" alloy wheels, black accented headlamps, rear spoiler, and sport seats). The Pointer was replaced in December 2008 by the new Volkswagen Gol G5 which has been launched in Brazil in July 2008.

Gol around the world

As a result of a joint-venture with Kerman Khodro, the Gol has been built in Iran since 2003.

The Gol G3 was briefly sold in Russia in 2005 as the Pointer, but the sales were soon discontinued due to low demand.

The Gol G3 was also made and sold by Shanghai Volkswagen in China from February 2003, but production has ended.

It is currently sold in Egypt as the Volkswagen Pointer.

Gol G5 (2008–)

The fifth generation of the Gol was released in Brazil, on June 29, 2008, as a 2009 model. Referred to before its launch as the Gol NF for Nachfolger or Neue Familie (German terms for "successor" and "new family" respectively), this model is marketed as the "Novo Gol". No longer based on the BX platform, it shares Volkswagen's PQ24 platform with the Fox and Polo, with some components from the PQ25 platform.^[2]

In Brazil, it was released in a single 4-door hatchback version with the options of 1.0 or 1.6 L flex engines. Its dimensions are 3.90 m in length, 1.66 m in width, 1.45 m in height with a wheelbase of 2.47 m and luggage capacity of 285 litres.

The advertisements were filmed in Los Angeles, featuring Sylvester Stallone and Gisele Bündchen.^[3]

Volkswagen High Torque (VHT) technology was introduced on the third generation Gol family. This new technology allows the flex engine to get the high torques at lower revs, the engines produce higher torques and horsepower on Ethanol fuel.

Voyage G5

Revealed in September 2008 the Voyage is the sedan variant of the current Gol and as such has the same running gear 1.0L and 1.6L VHT ethanol compatible engines.

Voyage is available in four versions on the Brazilian market; 1.0L, 1.6, 1.6 Trend and 1.6 Comfortline all come standard with ABS brakes and dual front airbags.

The Voyage boot can be electronically operated via a button on the dash or by pressing the keypad; the boot capacity is 480 litres.^[4]

Saveiro G5

In August 2009 VW Brazil revealed the fifth generation Saveiro utility. The new Saveiro is available with a standard cabin or an extended cabin, sharing the same wheelbase which is 152 mm longer than that of the Gol and Voyage. The only available engine, the 1.6L VHT, carries over from the Gol and Voyage.

The most basic 1.6 specification has black bumpers and 14-inch steel wheels. The optional Trend package includes 14-inch alloy wheels and colour coded door handle and mirror covers; the top of the line is the Saveiro Trooper which has black painted 15-inch steel wheels.

Carrying capacity is 715 kg for the standard cabin and 700 kg for the extended cabin.^[5]

Engine specifications

• 1.0L VHT 72 hp (76 hp Ethanol) producing 95 Nm (104 Nm Ethanol) @ 3850 rpm
• 1.6L VHT 101 hp (104 hp Ethanol) producing 154 Nm (156 Nm Ethanol) @ 2500 rpm

Voyage/Senda/Gacel

The Voyage 2-door sedan variant of the Gol was released in June 1981 with a 1.5 inline watercooled gasoline engine. The same engine was offered with an ethanol option.

By May 1982 the 1.5 were upgraded to 1.6. In 1984 a watercooled 1.8 was launched as a higher level option.

In January 1983 the four-door sedan was released. It was known as VW Amazon in some export markets, with diesel engines.

Between 1991 and 1995 the Ford CHT 1.6 was in the range as part of the Autolatina lineup.

The four-door Voyage/Senda/Gacel was built in the Autolatina Pacheco factory in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 1983 to 1994. It was sold under the name Gacel with the Argentine-built 1.6 OHC engine with a carburettor.

The new 2008 Voyage was released in Brazil in October 2008, a few months after the Gol G5.

Gol (Fox) in North America 1987-1993

Volkswagen Group of America marketed variants of the Gol (manufactured by Volkswagen do Brasil) in North America as entry level models from 1987-93 under the Volkswagen Fox nameplate. Initially offered as a two-door and four-door sedan as well as a two-door wagon, the wagon was discontinued for model year 1991 along with the two-door sedan for the Canadian market. That same year the four-door sedan (as well as the two-door, in the US) received a mild restyling.

All North American models employed a longitudinally-mounted straight-4 1.8 L gasoline engine producing 81 hp (60 kW) at 5500 rpm and 93 lb·ft (126 N·m) at 3250 rpm.

Early models (1987–1989) featured Bosch CIS-E type Jetronic electro-mechanical fuel injection, using an oxygen sensor to assist in fuel management. Later models (1990–1993) employed Bosch Digifant electronic fuel injection. In Canada from 1987-1989 was offered with the simpler Bosch CIS fuel injection system without an oxygen sensor for the engine fuel management system.

Over the course of its model history, trim levels included base Fox, GL, GTS, GLS, GL Sport, Polo, and a Wolfsburg Edition. Options included air conditioning, five-speed (vs. four) manual transmission and metallic paint. No automatic transmission was offered. The GL trim featured revised cloth trim, rear license plate backing, ceiling-mounted map light, glove compartment light, trunk light, tachometer [except on wagon models], body-coloured bumpers, hubcaps, passenger side exterior rear view mirror, 175/70-13 tires, locking gas cap and 3-point rear seat belts.

The 1991 facelift included revised grill, headlights, turn signals, badges, and hubcaps—as well as reduction of towing hooks to two from four. Later North American models featured "automatic" non-motorized front seat shoulder belts along with a knee-bar and manual front lap belts.

Gallery

References

External links

• Gol NF(Third/Five Generation) Revealed
• Volkswagen Egypt Official Pointer/Gol Site
• Shanghai-VW Official Gol Site