Volkswagen Golf, 1974–1993

Volkswagen Golf 1st generation specifications

The Volkswagen Golf 1st generation was built from 1974 to 1993. This page lists all 71 versions (hatchback and cabriolet) with 50–110 hp and 78–157 Nm of torque.

50–110 hp
Power (37–82 kW): 78–157 Nm
Torque (58–116 lb-ft): 8.2–19 s
0–100 km/h (fastest to slowest version): 188 km/h
Highest top speed (117 mph)

All versions

From least to most powerful. Figures are manufacturer claims and vary by market and model year.

Power, torque and performance for each version of the Volkswagen Golf 1st generation.
Version	Engine	Power	Torque	0–100 km/h	Top speed	Gearbox	Drive
1.1 AT Hatchback 3-doors	1.1 litre gasoline	50 hp 37 kW	—	—	—	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.1 AT Hatchback 5-doors	1.1 litre gasoline	50 hp 37 kW	—	16.6 s	140 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.1 MT Hatchback 3-doors	1.1 litre gasoline	50 hp 37 kW	78 Nm	15.8 s	140 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.1 MT Hatchback 5-doors	1.1 litre gasoline	50 hp 37 kW	78 Nm	15.8 s	140 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.5 AT Hatchback 3-doors	1.5 litre diesel	50 hp 37 kW	—	19 s	140 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.5 AT Hatchback 5-doors	1.5 litre diesel	50 hp 37 kW	—	19 s	140 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.5 MT Hatchback 3-doors	1.5 litre diesel	50 hp 37 kW	—	18 s	140 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.5 MT Hatchback 5-doors	1.5 litre diesel	50 hp 37 kW	82 Nm	15.8 s	140 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.1 AT Hatchback 3-doors	1.1 litre gasoline	51 hp 38 kW	—	16.6 s	140 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.1 AT Hatchback 5-doors	1.1 litre gasoline	51 hp 38 kW	—	16.8 s	140 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.1 MT Hatchback 3-doors	1.1 litre gasoline	51 hp 38 kW	—	15.8 s	140 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.1 MT Hatchback 5-doors	1.1 litre gasoline	51 hp 38 kW	—	15.6 s	140 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.3 AT Cabriolet	1.3 litre gasoline	54 hp 40 kW	100 Nm	15 s	150 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.3 MT Cabriolet	1.3 litre gasoline	54 hp 40 kW	100 Nm	14 s	150 km/h	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 AT Hatchback 3-doors	1.6 litre diesel	54 hp 40 kW	—	—	—	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 AT Hatchback 5-doors	1.6 litre diesel	54 hp 40 kW	—	—	—	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 D MT Hatchback 3-doors	1.6 litre diesel	54 hp 40 kW	102 Nm	16.8 s	143 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 D MT Hatchback 5-doors	1.6 litre diesel	54 hp 40 kW	100 Nm	16.8 s	143 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.3 AT Hatchback 3-doors	1.3 litre gasoline	58 hp 43 kW	93 Nm	14.5 s	150 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.3 AT Hatchback 5-doors	1.3 litre gasoline	58 hp 43 kW	93 Nm	14.5 s	150 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.3 MT Hatchback 3-doors	1.3 litre gasoline	58 hp 43 kW	93 Nm	13.5 s	150 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.3 MT Hatchback 5-doors	1.3 litre gasoline	58 hp 43 kW	93 Nm	13.5 s	150 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.1 AT Hatchback 3-doors	1.1 litre gasoline	59 hp 44 kW	—	13.5 s	150 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.1 AT Hatchback 5-doors	1.1 litre gasoline	59 hp 44 kW	—	14.5 s	150 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.1 MT Hatchback 3-doors	1.1 litre gasoline	59 hp 44 kW	—	13.5 s	150 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.1 MT Hatchback 5-doors	1.1 litre gasoline	59 hp 44 kW	—	13.5 s	150 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.3 AT Hatchback 3-doors	1.3 litre gasoline	59 hp 44 kW	100 Nm	14.5 s	150 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.3 AT Hatchback 5-doors	1.3 litre gasoline	59 hp 44 kW	100 Nm	14.5 s	140 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.3 MT Hatchback 3-doors	1.3 litre gasoline	59 hp 44 kW	86 Nm	14.6 s	150 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.3 MT Hatchback 5-doors	1.3 litre gasoline	59 hp 44 kW	93 Nm	14.6 s	150 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.3 MT Cabriolet	1.3 litre gasoline	59 hp 44 kW	93 Nm	13.5 s	150 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.5 AT Cabriolet	1.5 litre gasoline	68 hp 51 kW	—	14.7 s	153 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.5 AT Hatchback 3-doors	1.5 litre gasoline	68 hp 51 kW	93 Nm	14.7 s	153 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.5 AT Hatchback 5-doors	1.5 litre gasoline	68 hp 51 kW	93 Nm	14.7 s	153 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.5 MT Cabriolet	1.5 litre gasoline	68 hp 51 kW	110 Nm	14.3 s	150 km/h	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.5 MT Hatchback 3-doors	1.5 litre gasoline	68 hp 51 kW	93 Nm	13.7 s	150 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.5 MT Hatchback 5-doors	1.5 litre gasoline	68 hp 51 kW	93 Nm	13.7 s	153 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 AT Cabriolet	1.6 litre gasoline	68 hp 51 kW	—	15.3 s	150 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 MT Cabriolet	1.6 litre gasoline	68 hp 51 kW	—	14.3 s	150 km/h	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 TD MT Hatchback 3-doors	1.6 litre gasoline	68 hp 51 kW	118 Nm	13.5 s	155 km/h	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 AT Cabriolet	1.6 litre gasoline	71 hp 53 kW	128 Nm	14.7 s	153 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 MT Cabriolet	1.6 litre gasoline	71 hp 53 kW	128 Nm	14.5 s	150 km/h	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 AT Cabriolet	1.6 litre gasoline	74 hp 55 kW	120 Nm	14.7 s	153 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 AT Hatchback 3-doors	1.6 litre gasoline	74 hp 55 kW	120 Nm	—	—	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 AT Hatchback 5-doors	1.6 litre gasoline	74 hp 55 kW	120 Nm	—	—	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 MT Cabriolet	1.6 litre gasoline	74 hp 55 kW	120 Nm	12.7 s	154 km/h	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 MT Hatchback 3-doors	1.6 litre gasoline	74 hp 55 kW	120 Nm	—	—	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 MT Hatchback 5-doors	1.6 litre gasoline	74 hp 55 kW	120 Nm	—	—	Manual, 4-speed	Front wheel drive
1.8 AT Cabriolet	1.8 litre gasoline	89 hp 66 kW	145 Nm	13.2 s	—	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.8 MT Cabriolet	1.8 litre gasoline	89 hp 66 kW	145 Nm	11 s	168 km/h	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.8 AT Cabriolet	1.8 litre gasoline	94 hp 70 kW	143 Nm	—	—	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.8 MT Cabriolet	1.8 litre gasoline	94 hp 70 kW	143 Nm	—	—	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.8 AT Cabriolet	1.8 litre gasoline	97 hp 72 kW	143 Nm	13.4 s	161 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.8 MT Cabriolet	1.8 litre gasoline	97 hp 72 kW	143 Nm	11 s	166 km/h	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 MT GTI hatchback 5-doors	1.6 litre gasoline	108 hp 81 kW	140 Nm	8.8 s	182 km/h	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 MT GTI hatchback 3-doors	1.6 litre gasoline	108 hp 81 kW	140 Nm	8.8 s	182 km/h	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.8 MT Cabriolet	1.8 litre gasoline	108 hp 81 kW	154 Nm	9.1 s	182 km/h	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.8 MT GTI hatchback 5-doors	1.8 litre gasoline	108 hp 81 kW	154 Nm	8.2 s	188 km/h	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.8 MT GTI hatchback 3-doors	1.8 litre gasoline	108 hp 81 kW	154 Nm	8.2 s	188 km/h	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 AT Cabriolet	1.6 litre gasoline	109 hp 81 kW	—	9.8 s	180 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.6 MT Cabriolet	1.6 litre gasoline	109 hp 81 kW	138 Nm	10.2 s	172 km/h	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.8 AT Cabriolet	1.8 litre gasoline	110 hp 82 kW	157 Nm	8.9 s	180 km/h	Automatic, 3-speed	Front wheel drive
1.8 MT Cabriolet	1.8 litre gasoline	110 hp 82 kW	157 Nm	10 s	180 km/h	Manual, 5-speed	Front wheel drive
1.5 AT Hatchback 3-doors	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1.5 AT Hatchback 5-doors	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1.5 MT Hatchback 3-doors	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1.5 MT Hatchback 5-doors	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1.6 D AT Hatchback 3-doors	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1.6 D AT Hatchback 5-doors	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1.6 D MT Hatchback 3-doors	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1.6 D MT Hatchback 5-doors	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Dimensions and weight

Typical values for the 1st generation, hatchback and cabriolet.
Length	3,820 mm	150 in
Width	1,610 mm	63 in
Height	1,410 mm	56 in
Wheelbase	2,400 mm	94 in
Ground clearance	125 mm	5 in
Kerb weight	750–1,015 kg	1,653–2,238 lb
Boot space	345–370 litres	12–13 cu ft
Seats	5
Turning circle	10.3 m	34 ft
Fuel tank	45 litres	12 US gal

Questions about the Volkswagen Golf 1st generation

What is the most powerful Volkswagen Golf 1st generation?

The 1.8 AT cabriolet, with 110 hp (82 kW) and 157 Nm of torque.

How fast is the Volkswagen Golf 1st generation from 0 to 100 km/h?

The quickest version, the 1.8 MT gti hatchback 5-doors, takes 8.2 seconds; the slowest takes 19 seconds. 0–60 mph is about 0.3 seconds quicker than 0–100 km/h.

What engines does the Volkswagen Golf 1st generation have?

Engines from 1.1 to 1.8 litres, running on gasoline or diesel. The table above lists the power, torque and gearbox of each version.

How big is the Volkswagen Golf 1st generation?

About 3,820 mm long, 1,610 mm wide and 1,410 mm tall (150 in long), weighing 750–1,015 kg. Figures vary slightly by body style.

Every Volkswagen Golf generation

1st generation 1974–1993
2nd generation 1983–1992
3rd generation 1991–2000
4th generation 1997–2006
5th generation 2003–2009
6th generation 2008–2012
7th generation 2012–2017
7th generation, facelift 2017–2020
8th generation 2019–2024

Volkswagen Golf overview: current engines, dimensions and markets

Sources: manufacturer data for each version. Figures are manufacturer claims and vary by market, model year and equipment.