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Launched in October 1997, the Volkswagen Golf Mk4[2] (or VW Typ 1J) was the best selling car in Europe in 2001 (though it slipped to second place, behind the Peugeot 206, in 2002).[3]
The Mk4 was a deliberate attempt to take the Volkswagen Golf series further upmarket, with a high-quality interior and higher equipment levels, to compete with the Audi A3.
Overall the level of maturity of the design and its target audience were also evident — the humorous plays on the game of golf which resulted in special edition models of the three earlier generations being called "Golf Ryder", "Golf Driver", not to mention the GTI's "golf ball" gearlever knob were dropped, and replaced with a more subtly styled golf ball knob.
It was replaced in 2004 by the Volkswagen Golf Mk5.