Not until Volkswagen came up with a compact car called VW Golf did the German automaker find a successful replacement to its iconic VW Beetle. For most parts of Volkswagen's history the Beetle had been its most produced and popular car, until the time came when its novelty had worn thin. As the car industry became more competitive Volkswagen had nothing that could make a decent showing in the market but the Beetle. Even for the car's manufacturer the VW Beetle feat was hard to outdo.

Volkswagen tried a slew of Beetle offshoots to pump interest back to its vehicle designs. Celebrated for its ?people's car? concept, Volkswagen innovation focused more on economical, comfort-tuned vehicles rather than on performance-class cars. Volkswagen gambled on its seminal idea, and it paid off when the front-wheel drive of the hatchback VW Golf showed the realization of the people's car concept.

The front-wheel drive setup allowed for a reduction of
VW Golf parts in the car assembly, turning low production cost into a low-priced car. Only the powertrain was installed in the engine bay. The driveshaft and rear differential, traditional car parts installed on rear-wheel and four-wheel cars, were removed from the engine bay. This parts streamlining made the VW Golf the lightest car in its class, and also the most spacious. With its less weight, the VW Golf was set for a better fuel efficiency and car handling.

The drivetrain parts of the VW Golf spanned the front wheels, drawing the center of gravity toward the front end of the car. This shift in the position of the car's load improved the traction and road stability of the front wheels. The rear wheels, on the other hand, are fitted with the VW Golf brake parts assembly. This car design equips the VW Golf with predictable handling characteristics that make it easy and comfortable to keep a tight rein of the drivetrain.

The front-wheel design of the VW Golf comes not with a downside. Because it is the front wheels that have to be steered, they are fitted with VW Golf parts called constant velocity joints, and not the more performance-tuned universal joints. When the wheels are steered, the CV joints are flexed through a much wider angle, and additionally take the brunt of steering stress. This makes the CV joint the most serviced VW Golf parts. This downside, however, is hardly a problem for the VW Golf went on to become a Volkswagen bestseller.