The Volkswagen Citi Golf was a car produced by Volkswagen in
South Africa from 1984 until 21 August 2009. It was a face-lifted version of
the original Volkswagen Golf Mk1 hatchback, which ceased production in Germany
in 1983. The car was produced only with right-hand drive.
History: Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) assembled the Mk1
Golf from 1978 to 1984 when it was replaced by the Golf Mk2. VWSA however
decided to retain the Mk1 as an affordable, locally manufactured entry-level
car. Tooling mostly came from the Volkswagen Westmoreland Assembly Plant when
it ceased production there in 1988.
The original Citigolf was available in a limited range of
solid (non-metallic) colours (a fact highlighted in the contemporary
advertising campaign which used a tagline "Red, Yellow, Blue... Not
Green!"). The early cars were distinguished by white bumpers and wheels,
as well as white appliqués carrying the CITIGOLF and CITI graphics mounted on
the lower door panels and on the tailgate.
Initially, the bodywork was identical to that of the
superseded Mk1 Golf, but a locally penned facelift gave it a sloping grille,
similar to that of the Mk2 model Golf, as well as more modern "deep"
bumpers in body colour.
In 2004, the Citi Golf received a facelift that included a
new dashboard lifted from the Škoda Fabia, as well as larger front passenger
windows. Until a further facelift in the second quarter of 2006, it sported
tail-lights similar to post-1980 Euro Mk1s. The 2006 facelift saw modifications
to the front bumper (adding a second grille in the lower half) as well as new,
unique-to-South-Africa taillights incorporating a circular inset
taillight–brakelight combination.
A sedan version called the Fox (Volkswagen Jetta A1) was also
produced, along with a coupé utility called the Caddy.
The Citi Golf and the Caddy are no longer in production but
VWSA still has stock. VWSA now also produces the Golf Mk5, Jetta Mk5, the
European VW Polo hatchback and its Brazilian sedan derivative. The Citi Golf
was intended to complement this range as an entry-level vehicle.
"Special Edition" Citi Golfs carrying unique trim
and equipment combinations have been released throughout the car's production
run and include the "Designa", the "Blues", the
"Ritz", the "Rhythm" and the "Citi.com" which, in
theory, was available only if ordered over the Internet.
Another special
edition called the "Deco" introduced colour-coded leather seats to
the car in 1995. It was available in three derivatives, namely red, green and a
special electric blue. The latter was initially only offered on the Citi but
was later transferred to other Volkswagen models as well. The
"VeloCiti" model, which included the 1.8iR, was one of the best
sellers. Other limited editions included the Citi Billabong and Citi Xcite. The
most recent special edition is the "GTS", which takes its cues from
the original GTS.
The Citi Golf was, for a time, also available in a 1.8-litre
CTi variant with Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection (at a time when
other versions still had carburettor engines). The CTi was very similar to the
original Golf I GTi. In addition, there was a 1.8-litre carburettor-engined
Sport variant (with advertising tagline "New Citigolf Sport, drive it
home, Sport, drive it home.").
The last addition to the Citi Golf lineup is the Citi 1.8iR,
which was unveiled at the Auto Africa Expo during October 2006 in Johannesburg.
It features enhanced styling and specification, including a full bodykit,
partial leather front seats, and aluminium trim on the dashboard. The engine is
a 1.8-litre fuel-injected unit which, although it shares its displacement with
the iconic CTi, pushes out 8 kW of extra power, taking it up to 90 kW. VWSA
claims that it can accomplish 0 to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds. This was also a
limited edition and only a handful were made between 2006 and 2008.
