|
Golf 3
VW Golf 3
R4/R4/R4/R4/VR6/R4/R4, 1391/1781/1781/1984/2793/1896/1896 cm3,
75,0/81,0/81,0/82,4/81,0/79,5/79,5 mm * 78,7/86,4/86,4/92,8/90,3/95,5/95,5 mm,
9,2/9,0/10,0/10,4/10,0/22,5/22,5:1, OHC*, 107/140/145/235/166/124/150 Nm
2800/2500/4200/3200/2000/2400 rpm,
44/55/66/85/128/47/55 kW, M5, M4 (only 1,4), A4 (optional),
front drive, transversal, all-wheel drive (optional), McPherson,
twist-beam axle, gear rack, disks, partly ventilated,
frenos disks/drums, ABS, 4,02/2,48/1,7/1,42, 960 kg;
155/165/175/195/220/155/165km/h, 1992 - 1997
*16V (1984 cm3)
At the time of the Golf I, the factory was struggling to survive. It was compact, but unfortunately also prone to rust. The Golf II solved this problem thoroughly and also offered more interior space. But where should the Golf III
develop now? The factory had two clear answers to this: safety and environmental protection with, of course, non-deteriorating quality.
Let's start with security. If you had driven the predecessor, you were familiar with the Golf III from the outset. Even if you switched from other cars in this class, you hardly had any problems. Most of the control elements were
where you would expect them to be. The dashboard was slightly oriented towards the driver's seat. Despite the closed C-pillar, visibility was even excellent.
ABS and airbags were offered for the first time in the course of the series. This also included a padded environment, adjustable belt articulation points and steering wheel as well as a significantly reinforced body compared
to the previous model. The glued panes also provided more stability. The US regulations forced a lot in this area, but also made the car significantly heavier. You don't need to say a word about the safety of the chassis and
the usually good pulling power.
Before we get to environmental protection, let's stick with the body for a moment. It was larger than that of the Golf II, but looked rather smaller. The drag coefficient was also reasonably acceptable for the first time at 0.32.
With the same engine you could either drive faster or use less fuel. In addition, there was the further reduction in wind noise, except for the opening of the sliding roof (option).
For the first time, the Golf 3 succeeded in making the leap to a body that enabled the occupants to survive a half-sided impact at 64 km/h reasonably intact. The predecessor was even worse than the last Beetle models in
this respect.
It was the time when CFCs disappeared and paints were to become poor in solvents and other environmentally harmful substances. VW wrote that even the paint residues are reused. Since car emissions have been
measured, the new paintwork has sometimes emitted more pollutants than the exhaust. Everything was now put to the test, upholstery, plastics production and adhesives. Serious preparation began for the someday fully
recyclable automobile.
But there were also positive things that we saw for the last time in this model. There was the extremely simple, but by no means primitive, and further improved rear axle. The successor model had a much more complicated
axle, more compatible with all-wheel drive. One last detail were the rear seats, Their backrests folded to where the seat bottoms had just been. Less mourning was probably appropriate because of the central injection that
was later omitted with this model. Although it had unequaled few components, it is not very future-proof in terms of exhaust emissions.
Yes, a lot has happened in terms of the engine. Then the error readout started and if you didn't trust the error statement, you could read out the so-called 'measured value block'. That was the time of the flashing signals and
their interpretation. But there was already the VAG 1551 scanner. Both gasoline and diesel engines have been digitized. The (turbo) diesel now had an oxidation catalyst. The star of the first full year of construction was the
VR6 engine with 2.8 l displacement and 128 kW (174 hp).
Perhaps the siblings in the larger family are still of interest. What the Golf II didn't have was a convertible. It came with the Golf III and was brand new and never been there, a station wagon derived from the Golf with a trunk,
which was now called 'Vento'. In 1993 the sedan and a year later also the convertible came with one of the greatest triumphs of the Volkswagen factory, the TDI diesel engine. Now you could combine grumpy gripping in the
lower speed range with extreme economy.
|
|
