When I saw this jacked-up VW Golf MkII at one of our favorite hiking spots, I wondered if it was a real Golf Country, a rare jacked-up version of the already rare Syncro, and sold only in Europe.
The answer to my question was all too obvious. I didn’t even have to get on my knees and see if this really did have drive to the rear axle.
Here’s what the real thing looks like. Only some 3,000 were built, and it seems a bit odd that it wasn’t sold here. VW could have been ahead of the game, and competed with Subaru in the nascent passenger-car off-roader niche. Even the regular Syncro Golf Mk2 didn’t make it to the US, although there was a Passat Syncro and of course the Vanagon. The Syncro AWD system was developed and manufactured by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, natch.
So no, this is no Country; just a SUVW.
And with an automatic, at that.
It sure looks ready to take on some serious off-roading.
Looks O.K. to me .
-Nate
Realised as “Mad Max stunt Car” 🙂
Seriously: I think it was the VW AG attempt to find the unique niche-car, created in Switzerland & Austria with the Fiat Panda 4×4 (Sisley)
But with no luck at last
Both the Fiat Panda and VW Golf Country 4x4s were done by Steyr-Daimler-Puch.
Not unique, thanks to Dangel. Founded in 1980 in France. Renowned are the Peugeot 504 and 505 4×4 conversions. Below a more recent Peugeot Partner 4×4 by Dangel.
And speaking of Fiat, here’s the Ducato (RAM ProMaster) 4×4 by Dangel. A 4×4 system without electronic doodads, by the way.
VWoA has never been all that sharp about spotting possible market niches, though with the numbers sold elsewhere maybe they thought this market wasn’t worth the effort.
BTW, watching DW-NEWS on friday, (a German-sourced BBC-type news agency) VW has reached an agreement of sorts with the German government over the diesel…..flap (?). VW has decided that it is not all that urgent/crucial to settle with owners of diesel-engined VWs in the U.S. mostly because….according to DW-NEWS, the U.S. is NOT VW’s biggest market. VW is concentrating on settling with the U.S. government, while customers will take a figurative back seat.
VW did submit a repair proposal to CARB. CARB rejected it last week.
One report I heard was that the deadline that CARB gave VW was too short, so they threw something together to hold off CARB while they continued to work on a real solution. May or may not be true, but sounds plausible.
I like it better then all the mk2’s you see with fat rims with too narrow rubber band tires along with extreme negative camber slammed to the ground.
But I’d take a real Golf Country any day.
VW did build about 26,000 mk2 Golf Syncro’s, although not for US consumption. I’d also settle for one of those.
I believe you could now import one into the US as an antique vehicle (what is the limit over there? 25 years?). Check this one out (in Austria):
https://www.willhaben.at/iad/gebrauchtwagen/auto/vw-golf-country-143993048/
Country or No Country, this old man thinks they’re both super!
VWoA has never been all that sharp about spotting possible market niches,
I have been trying to get my arms around what VW is doing with the next gen Tiguan. They are presently selling the daylights out of the current Tiguan, in spite of it’s somewhat funky styling.
Supposedly the European next gen car is about 2.5″ longer than the current one. The US is supposed to get a long wheelbase version, with a 4″ stretch in w/b, instead. All other things being the same, that would make the US version about 181″ long, or about the same size as an Audi Q5, which is Audi’s best selling model, or the RAV4.
But VW is calling theirs a 7 seater, with the third row being optional. To get a useable third seat, the car would need to be about a foot longer than the short wheelbase version, or about 190″. If the US spec Tiguan is that big, it will be competing with the 7 seat SUV they are getting ready to produce in Chattanooga.
If they try to cram a third seat in a 181″ body, the seat will be a joke, as it was when a third row was offered in the RAV4. Toyota only saw a 5% take rate on that third row seat and dropped it.
I asked about the specs on the 17 Tiguan at the Detroit auto show last week. No one knew. I asked at the VW dealership when I had the Jetta in for service a couple days ago. No one knew. I fired an e-mail off to corporate two weeks ago about it, No answer. The salesmen at the dealership, the one I bought my Jetta from, said that he has learned, over his 10 years selling VeeDubs, not to believe anything he hears about an upcoming model, be it from authoritative media reports, rumors, or official VW press releases, until one comes off the truck at the dealership.
Steve
Never knew about the Golf Country syncro. The lifted one in the pic looks really cool. I would take one. If they did bring it here, I think it would have had a hard time competing with Subaru, especially in the electrical department.
If this thing can tow at least a ton it would be perfect for me. Otherwise, I’ll just set back and obsess. What I won’t do is buy another car that can’t be just a little bit truckish.
No Country For Old Volkswagens – What business is it of yours where I’m from…friendo?
I saw a real Golf Country when I was visiting Germany. At first I thought it was something that an industrious owner cobbled together, but everything looked to be so well sorted out.
It’s only appropriate that the banner ad I see is “Has Volkswagen defrauded you?”.
Also, what are those wheels from? They have to be 4×100, and they look like an OEM wheel of something (in non-plastidipped form).
By the way, this car is a 1986-1987, since it has both a third brake light and front quarter glass.
I like it overall!
I never realized VW had ventured into this territory back in the 80s. Given this, I’d completely understand a similar treatment of the modern Golf or Jetta Sport wagon as a competitor to the XV Crosstrek. I think it’s a segment that could use a bit more competition.
I’d completely understand a similar treatment of the modern Golf or Jetta Sport wagon as a competitor to the XV Crosstrek. I think it’s a segment that could use a bit more competition.
The Golf wagon has received the Outback treatment: 4×4, jacked up suspension and wheelwell extensions. Supposed to arrive in the US in 2016 as the Alltrack
There is also an Alltrack version of the Passat wagon. Probably not ever see the US as it’s based on the new for 2015 MQB based European Passat, rather than the enlarged, previous generation Passat that we get here.
Plus the more down-to-earth 4×4 VW Passat 4Motion.
Volkswagen dropped the Syncro-name, 4×4 is now called 4Motion (of course Audi will never drop the legendary Quattro-name).
Several Skoda models are also available as 4×4. I haven’t checked Seat.
Plus the more down-to-earth 4×4 VW Passat 4Motion..Volkswagen dropped the Syncro-name,.
I remember the late 80s second gen Passat, sold in the US as the Quantum, being offered as a Synchro, A nearly normal looking car with a 4×4 powertrain really isn’t where it’s at. Here it’s about having a car that is bigger and taller than anyone else’s.
At first glace at the pic at the top of the page, between the color and the shape of the grill, I thought it was some sort of all steel bodied version of an Iltis.
Volkswagen Iltis, Mercedes G-Class and a Unimog in one picture. Sweet !
I’m not very impressed by the VW Alltracks; they are good as a ‘normal’ car but they are just 20mm or so higher than the standard models, for just 175mm (200mm clearance.
Nasty but nice
@ Mr Dutch: those Dangel things are actually really nice. They look like military vehicles. A market VW has been entirely absent from. Some nice onces still for sale: http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/886447503.htm?ca=12_s
Nice !
A while ago I came across this less-military-looking Peugeot 306 Break (wagon) 4×4 while searching for info about Dangel.
Love the look of it but question whether the driveline is capable of handling any serious offroad work with the revised geometry.
…question whether the driveline is capable of handling any serious offroad work
In the US, it isn’t about actual offroad capability. Most SUV drivers in the US are posers. It’s all about appearances. People want that big, hulking, jacked up look, so we have big SUVs that are two wheel drive. Even when a car actually is a 4×4, most of them rarely go off road, intentionally. Plenty go off road unintentionally because the meathead at the wheel doesn’t realize that a little extra traction for propulsion does not mean they have more traction for brakes or steering.
Remember this ad for the 2015 Ford Edge? Driving on clear, dry city streets on a warm, sunny day, while the driver talks about herself. That is what SUVs are about in the US. I have been hearing the same song, an anthem to self, in other Ford ads.
Yeah, I get the whole ‘Most SUV owners never go offroad’ meme. I just wonder in this specific case because the elimination of the valence below the front bumper gives the impression that the owner is looking to gain clearance, like he really does intend to go somewhere rougher than a dirt road.
With that lift and the oversized tires, the stock CV joints could be marginal.
It can, as evidenced by the numbers sold in places like Tirol and other more remote parts of Austria.
Yes, I understand that but I’m talking about the modified one in the post, not the factory built version. Garage installed lifts of CV jointed drivelines are prone to problems, especially when done on the cheap.
Then again, maybe the owner was a VW aficionado who got the proper Euro spec parts to do it properly (At least on the front end, not installing the whole Quattro system).
Simply jacking up a FWD driveline to fit bigger tires in not something that’s destined to end well.
Not to mention that hill-climbing will be a challenge with less weight on the front wheels. I think this would be very good however for rough road duty.
I know the mods are silly, and the 1.8-8v engine that’s probably moving this car really needs the 5-speed, but this is one case where I love the mix of humor and honesty in changing the car’s looks with the sticker. How many SS396 “tribute” cars have custom-made “I used to have a 350” or “I STILL have a 350” stickers?
The Country is a sought after model still here in Austria – very useful if you live out in the sticks where roads the snow may not be cleared as efficiently as in a big city. They go for between €3000 – €6000 and seem to last for a very long time (200,000 – 300,000 Km not being unusual).