While this version is the fourth generation of the car that replaced the Beetle in Volkswagen's model lineup, it is only the third generation in North America known as the Golf; the original version was the Rabbit. The Golf—which takes its name from the German word Golfstrom, meaning Gulf Stream—is one of an increasingly rare species in the American market: the hatchback. The Golf has been the most popular compact car in Europe for over twenty years, and has helped make Volkswagen the best-selling European import brand in the U.S.

Having just redesigned the Golf last year, Volkswagen has made only minor feature upgrades to the 2000 Golf.