What year they were released. Different model year = different name...more or less the same car.
The Golf wasn't made until 1985. 1984 was the last year of the Rabbit.
The car was always called the Golf in Germany. The name was changed because VW feared that people would think "Golf" meant "golf", the sport, as opposed to the German for gulf wind.
The Rabbit was actually only called a Rabbit in North America. Elsewhere it was called the "Golf". The reason for the name change is because VW feared that people would associate the name "Golf" with the sport, as opposed to the wind, which all Volkswagens were named after at the time. VW fans later teased the idea of the Golf being associated with the sport by implying the pickup truck must be the vehicle that carries the clubs; the "Caddy".
Volkswagen has a new 2010 Rabbit. Of course the VW Golf used to be the same car and this was the name it was always known by in Europe. Here's a review of the new model from Edmunds.com http://www.edmunds.com/volkswagen/rabbit/review.html.
The Volkswagen Rabbit is also manufactured as the Volkswagen Golf. A German made car that is sold and used worldwide the Volkswagen Rabbit is loved for its economical efficiency.
Yes, it is a Golf but VW stopped calling it the "VW Golf... GTI". Just as VW didn't call the R32 a Golf (although it is based on the VW Golf and has the same shape and many common components).
The Scirocco debuted in 1974, for the 1975 model year. This was the same year the Golf/Rabbit came out.
There is no 1991 VW Rabbit.
The VW Golf MK5 is actually not a new car. It was first manufactured in 2003, and was available in the United States from 2006 where it was known as the VW Rabbit. Changes to the suspension system and careful tuning from the previous model meant that the Mk5 gave a very smooth ride.
A Volkswagen jetta/golf produced between 1985-1992
firing order of a 1996 VW Golf?
vw golf manual