Volkswagen Gol was the most successful car on the Brazilian market and it was produced since 1980 as a replacement for the popular VW Beetle.
In 2014, the car already reached its third generation.

In 1980, Volkswagen was looking for a way to replace the cheap and reliable Volkswagen Beetle on the South-American market. It was just very hard to create something affordable to buy and cheap to run. So, the first generation was made on a mix of platforms and an air-cooled VW Beetle engine but mounted in the front. As the years went by, the car grew and changed market expectations.

The 2014 model was a facelift for the 2008 model. It featured a look closer to the European Polo in some details such as the headlights and the taillights. The Gol was available in a few shapes and sizes such as hatchback, sedan, or even as a pickup. The front bumper with a honeycomb lower grille and other stylistic details were unusual for a car from its segment.

Inside, the instrument cluster featured the same layout as from a European Volkswagen Golf 6, with an LCD display between the tachometer and the speedometer. The audio system looked like a carry-over from an older generation of Volkswagen products on the standard trim level, but a modern infotainment unit with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity was available.

For the engine, the Gol was available with a choice of two units of 1.0- and 1.6-liter. Both engines featured flex-fuel systems, with either gasoline or ethanol. The standard transmission was a 5-speed manual, and an option for 5- or 6-speed automatic was on the options list.