Volkswagen Golf III Hatchback (1H1) cars: technical specifications, versions and trim levels

Volkswagen Golf III 1H1 cars are popular 5-seat hatchbacks, which were produced since 1991 till 1998. They came in 3- and 5-door versions. The car won recognition right after its appearance and was proclaimed “European Car of the Year” in 1992. For the manufacturer, it was the first model ever to receive this award. A wide range of spark plugs, windscreen wiper blades, oil, air and fuel filters in our online-shop will surely allow you to select the most appropriate component, while numerous specials and discounts – to buy spare parts for Golf III 1H1 inexpensively.

Technical specifications of Volkswagen Golf III 1H1

Length of the car was 4020 mm, height – 1695 mm, width – 1405 mm. Despite its compact dimensions, the cabin was rather spacious. The luggage compartment was also capacious: its volume varied from 320 to 1152 litres depending on whether the rear seats were folded. Road clearance of 130 mm provided stability of the vehicle and allowed for improved handling.

Main modifications

During production years, about 50 modifications of VW Golf III 1H1 were released: 15 petrol and 6 diesel ones for cars with a 5-door body and the same quantity for 3-door ones. Most of them had a front-wheel drive, but there were also all-wheel drive modifications. The most powerful of them is the 2.9 VR6 Syncro MT.

This hatchback was available in 3- and 5-door versions and was notable for excellent dynamic characteristics: its top speed was 225 km/h, and it accelerated to 100 km/h just in 7.5 seconds. Manual 5-speed transmission provided instant reaction of the car to steering commands. V-engine developed up to 190 hp, creating a torque of 5800 rpm. Loading capacity of the vehicle was only 370 kg.

This modification couldn’t be called fuel-efficient. Fuel consumption on the highway was 8.2 litres per 100 km, and 11.1 litres – during driving in combined cycle, and could reach 16.1 litres in the city. But Golf III (1991–1998) 2.9 VR6 Syncro MT hatchback had another aim: not to save fuel, but to impress with dynamics. A company’s in-house development – the Syncro all-wheel drive system did the job. Its work was based on viscous coupling operation principle. In regular conditions, about 93% of engine power is transmitted to the front axle, but as soon as rear wheels begin rotating slower than the front ones, all power is transmitted to the rear axle. Transition between the axles is performed smoothly without jerks.

Configurations of Volkswagen Golf III 1H1

The car was available in various trim levels. The most popular of them are CL, GL, GT and GT Special. There were other equipment variants for GTI and VR6 modifications and such limited series as Savoy, Avenue, New Orleans, Movie, Bon Jovi and others.

For instance, in GL configuration, the car had 4 airbags, an anti-lock brake system (ABS) which were available as additional options. The seats were height-adjustable, could be trimmed with leather or heated.