El Volkswagen Golf (1986-1992) se ofreció con 16 configuraciones de motor distintas en toda su gama.
| Motor | Potencia | Par motor | Transmisión | Ruedas motrices | Velocidad máxima | 0-100 km/h | Consumo | Disponible en |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L Gasolina | 160 hp | 225 Nm | Manual | Front Wheel Drive | 216 km/h | 8.3 s | 9.4 l/100km | 1 acabado |
| 1.8L Gasolina | 129 hp | 168 Nm | Manual | Front Wheel Drive | 200 km/h | 9.0 s | 9.0 l/100km | 1 acabado |
| 1.8L Gasolina | 107 hp | 154 Nm | Manual | Front Wheel Drive | 186 km/h | 10.3 s | 8.5 l/100km | 1 acabado |
| 1.8L Gasolina | 98 hp | 143 Nm | Manual | All Wheel Drive | 180 km/h | 11.1 s | 9.0 l/100km | 2 acabados |
| 1.8L Gasolina | 90 hp | 142 Nm | Automatic | Front Wheel Drive | 170 km/h | 13.7 s | 9.5 l/100km | 8 acabados |
| 1.8L Gasolina | 90 hp | 142 Nm | Manual | Front Wheel Drive | 175 km/h | 11.5 s | 7.8 l/100km | 8 acabados |
| 1.8L Gasolina | 90 hp | 137 Nm | Manual | All Wheel Drive | 175 km/h | 12.0 s | 9.3 l/100km | 3 acabados |
| 1.6L Diésel | 80 hp | 155 Nm | Manual | Front Wheel Drive | 169 km/h | 13.2 s | 5.6 l/100km | 3 acabados |
| 1.6L Gasolina | 72 hp | 120 Nm | Automatic | Front Wheel Drive | — | — | — | 3 acabados |
| 1.6L Gasolina | 72 hp | 120 Nm | Manual | Front Wheel Drive | 164 km/h | 13.5 s | 7.6 l/100km | 3 acabados |
| 1.6L Diésel | 69 hp | 133 Nm | Manual | Front Wheel Drive | 160 km/h | 14.5 s | 5.5 l/100km | 4 acabados |
| 1.6L Gasolina | 69 hp | 118 Nm | Automatic | Front Wheel Drive | 157 km/h | 16.4 s | 8.8 l/100km | 3 acabados |
| 1.6L Gasolina | 69 hp | 118 Nm | Manual | Front Wheel Drive | 162 km/h | 14.1 s | 7.7 l/100km | 3 acabados |
| 1.6L Diésel | 60 hp | 110 Nm | Manual | Front Wheel Drive | 151 km/h | 16.9 s | 5.9 l/100km | 2 acabados |
| 1.6L Diésel | 54 hp | 100 Nm | Manual | Front Wheel Drive | 148 km/h | 18.7 s | 5.6 l/100km | 3 acabados |
| 1.3L Gasolina | 54 hp | 97 Nm | Manual | Front Wheel Drive | 151 km/h | 16.7 s | 7.4 l/100km | 3 acabados |
Cada fila es una configuración mecánica distinta — cilindrada, potencia, transmisión, tracción y tipo de combustible — deduplicada entre acabados que comparten el mismo motor. Las diferencias solo de acabado (interior, llantas, opciones) no crean una fila aparte.