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05/07/2008 00:16. With rising emissions and safety laws, as well as greater customer expectations at the lower end of the new car market, VW’s Gol could sound the death-knell for the likes of the CitiGolf?

The Gol (‘Goal’ in English) has been a presence on the Brazilian market since 1980 being traded under the name ‘Pointer’ since 1994. The two previous generations were Spartan affairs purely marketed as affordable transport for the masses, but the latest version appears to synthesize the quality of the European Golf in a compact, wallet-friendly package.

The Gol borrows a number of styling cues from the Touareg and Scirocco, and sits upon the same PQ24 platform as the present VW Polo. It does, however, lift its front suspension and the steering column from the PQ25 platform, already used by the... // Car Today