Volkswagen Gol

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The Volkswagen Gol was a B-segment automobile designed and produced in Brazil for Latin America by the German manufacturer Volkswagen. It replaced the Volkswagen Brasilia and the Volkswagen Beetle as a low-cost car. Gol was the sales leader in the Brazilian market for more than twenty years.

In addition to Latin America, some models of the Gol range were sold in the United States and Canada (two-door sedan and station wagon called Fox and Fox Wagon), it was also assembled as Ckd in Russia and China, and in the Middle East.

It was sold in three- and five-door hatchback versions (Gol or Volkswagen Pointer), two-door sedan (Voyage, Gacel or Fox) and four doors (Amazon or Senda), and family (Parati or Country). The Gol family covers three generations, launched in the years 1980, 1994 and 2008. The first received two aesthetic modifications in 1987 and 1991. The second generation underwent two profound remodeling in the years 1999 and 2005, which were commercially called third and fourth. generation. It then continued to be sold as an economical variant while coexisting with its replacement the Gol Trend, also called G5 (fifth generation) in its first appearance, in 2008. The redesigns of 2013, 2016 and 2019 were called G6, G7 and G8 respectively, and are mainly aesthetic. From these last 4 generations a new sedan was derived, which recovered the name Voyage, and a new version of the pickup Saveiro.

First generation (1980-1996)

Main article: Volkswagen Gol BX

This generation of Gol was a purely local development carried out by Volkswagen do Brasil, in order to replace the Fusca, the national version of the Volkswagen Type 1, which had been sold since 1950, despite the fact that production This last model had been reactivated in 1992 at the request of then president Itamar Franco. Its development included the creation of a new modular platform that was called 'Plataforma BX', while other models were developed that were derived from the Gol, these being the Saveiro pickup, the rural Parati and the Voyage sedan. This platform was designed by the German engineer Phillippe Schmidt who had been transferred from the headquarters to take charge of the Brazilian subsidiary.

In its first version, this Gol configured, with its self-supporting chassis, a mechanical group consisting of an engine and gearbox arranged in a longitudinal position. The fact of being able to use this configuration had to do with the possibility of taking advantage of the use of the 1.3-liter air-cooled boxer engine, originally from the Fusca, although positioned in this case in the front of the car. As time went by, this engine was replaced by new water-cooled engines with better performance, which included the AP engines of Audi origin from 1.6 to 2.0 liters, as well as an economical version, called "Gol 1000", which was equipped with a 1.0-liter Ford CHT engine, derived from the Renault engine that equipped the Corcel and Escort models of the Brazilian Ford. This combination was possible due to the creation in the South American market of the Autolatina alliance in 1987, which brought together the actions of the Volkswagen and Ford brands.

Regarding its bodywork, the design of this car was inspired by the rectilinear silhouette of the Scirocco model and was named Gol, due to the roots that soccer has in the South American region, mainly in Argentina and Brazil. In turn, both the Gol and the rural Parati were only available in 3-door versions, while the Voyage sedan had both 2- and 4-door versions, the latter being the only version marketed in the Argentine market, being offered under the nomenclatures Gacel (between 1989 and 1991) and Senda (between 1992 and 1996). Completing the range of bodies was the Saveiro light pick-up offered in both countries and which only presented single-cab versions.

Its production ended in Brazil in 1994 with the launch of its successor, the Volkswagen Gol AB9 and with which it coexisted in production in the Argentine market, until its final disappearance in 1996.

Volkswagen Gol MKI
Volkswagen Gol 1990
Volkswagen Gol GTS
Volkswagen Gol GTi 1989

Volkswagen Gol GTi 1989
Volkswagen Gol Rediseño ́87
Volkswagen Gol Rediseño ́87
Volkswagen Parati familiar 1990

Volkswagen Voyage 2 doors
Volkswagen Fox 2 doors
Volkswagen Voyage 4 doors
Volkswagen Saveiro

Second generation (1994-2014)

Main article: Volkswagen Gol AB9

The second generation of Gol was presented in 1994. This generation represented a radical change in the appearance of the model, presenting a new body design with larger dimensions than its predecessor, but maintaining its mechanical base.

This new Gol was designed on an improved version of the previous generation BX platform, but was coded with the acronym AB9. Despite presenting a wider design in terms of width, tall and long, this Gol was a few centimeters shorter than its predecessor, yet its renewed design gave it greater aerodynamics.

Throughout its commercialization, this generation was divided into three subgenerations, which were known as G2 (1994-2005), G3 (1999-2005) and G4 (2005-2014). Likewise, and like its predecessor, it developed other body types with different nomenclature, presenting the Saveiro pickup versions and the rural Parati (Gol Country in Argentina), but on the other hand, it did not present a sedan version, so it did not exist in this generation a version of Volkswagen Voyage. At the same time, and in favor of filling this vacancy, a novelty that this generation presented was the incorporation of 5-door versions for the Gol and Parati models, being the first time that body options with direct access to the seats were presented for these cars. rear through doors. Likewise, the B segment offering was completed with the Volkswagen Polo Classic, which was offered as a saloon version.

Responding to the Chevrolet Corsa, Volkswagen launched the third redesign of the Gol in September 1994. The platform of the new model was an improved version of the first generation. The Cx aerodynamic coefficient dropped by 25%, from 0.45 to 0.34, and its lengthened wheelbase allowed for an increase in internal space, which was a weak point of the previous model. For this same reason, the second generation of the Gol inherited the longitudinal engine layout from its predecessor, something curious in a market where all its rivals already had a transverse engine.

With its multiple versions and modifications, this generation of Gol was finally discontinued in 2015, having coexisted in sales with its successor third generation, which was launched in 2008 as Volkswagen Gol NF.

Third generation (2008-2023)

The third generation Gol (marketed as Gol G5, coded as NF) was released in Brazil in November 2008 with a five-door hatchback body. Based on the NF platform of the Fox/Lupo and the Polo, it has the transverse bi-fuel gasoline/ethanol engines of 1.0 and 1.6 liters of displacement, released in the 2009 line of these models. In the rest of the countries where it will be sold, the Engines will run only on gasoline. In principle, the Gol IV will continue in production with a reduced range.

The sedan version, launched in October 2008, resumed the Volkswagen Voyage name, which had been used in the Brazilian market for the sedan version of the first generation of the Gol, except for Mexico and Central America, where it is known like Volkswagen Gol Sedan. In Argentina it is known as Volkswagen Voyage.

In the Central American market, this generation of the Gol is sold alongside a more austere version of the second generation Gol and is positioned directly below the Volkswagen Polo V.

G5 (2008-2013) G6 redesign (2012-2016) G7 redesign (2016-2018) G8 redesign (2018-2023)

Volkswagen Gol NF (G5)
Volkswagen Gol G6

Saveiro G5

In August 2009 VW do Brasil revealed the third generation of the Saveiro pickup. The new Saveiro is available with a standard cab or an extended cab, sharing the same wheelbase that is 152 mm longer than that of the Gol and Voyage. The only engine available, the 1.6L VHT with 101hp, which is carried over from the Gol and Voyage. The most basic specification of the 1.6 has black bumpers and 14-inch steel wheels. The optional “Trend” package includes 14-inch alloy wheels and color-coordinated door handles and rearview mirror; The top-of-the-range model of the line is the Saveiro “Trooper” which has 15-inch steel wheels painted in black. Load capacity is 715 kg for the standard cab and 700 kg for the extended cab.

Volkswagen Saveiro 1.6 with cabin Space Cab

NF goal in Argentina

In Argentina, the Gol NF was presented simultaneously with the launch of its production and sale in Brazil. At the same time, the so-called Gol G4 (the last update to the Gol AB generation) continued its production and sale in Argentina due to its good level of sales, presenting the Power and Trendline versions until there. At the time of the launch of the Gol NF (called in Argentina as Gol G5), production of the Gol G4 was focused exclusively on the Power version, while the Trendline equipment level became the property of the new Gol. In this way, the Gol G4 was offered as Gol Power, while the Gol G5 was presented as Gol Trend. After the end of production of the Gol AB (Gol G4 or Gol Power), the new Gol NF began to occupy the entire strip, being presented in its Trendline and Comfortline versions.

Since January 2022, the Gol has been prohibited from being sold in Argentina after the entry into force of the law that prohibits the sale of new vehicles not equipped with ESP. Volkswagen has been very critical of the new law to make it mandatory this safety equipment. By refusing to equip the Gol with ESP, Volkswagen had to stop marketing the model in Argentina, even though it was the third best-selling passenger car in the national market in 2021.

Saveiro

In 1982, Volkswagen do Brasil decided to manufacture a coupe utility vehicle based on the Gol, called Saveiro. It was called Pointer Pick-up - later Gol Pick-up - in Mexico.