MK8 latest info

[Watts]

I don't like the idea of all these touch sensors and screens, far prefer physical buttons, but - what is VW supposed to do? That's the way of the world now like it or not. They have to move with the times or even try and be a bit ahead or the product will appear old fashioned. Many of us on here may well be of the bit older generation, struggling with hair retention and colour, Norwegian blond.... We are an important customer base for VW but the youngsters out there are too, there's plenty of them and they want the new tech regardless. Plus they will be customers way past we will be

[Exonian]

After seeing the SEAT above I think the VW empire has shot themselfs in the foot.
Not keeping one brand with easy to use simple buttons is massively restricting your market.
What about all the old people who have probably been loyal to you for decades due to your cars simplicity and don't want all this modern tech in a car. I know my mother, uncles etc wouldn't want a car with controls like these and im sure they are not the only ones of their generation.

The Golf and its ilk are aimed at the quick turnover easy finance and lease market. As far as VW are concerned the next move for everyone is an electric car and are pushing the iPad styled interfaces on customers now who they assume are reasonably tech savvy. Cheapness of manufacture and easy to assemble is where it’s at. Disposable cars. The interfaces will gradually be honed just like with smartphones and TV’s.
Unfortunately the amount of people walking about with shattered phone screens and backs kind of points to the safety aspect of trying to use buttonless gadgets on the move!

Maybe VW think the older generation are either tech savvy silver surfers or will buy a Polo (or just as likely a mini-SUV based on the Polo chassis) instead. I’m sure they’ll have done some sort of customer profiling and development testing.

Much easier to hook younger buyers into finance schemes and try and keep them brand loyal with a new finance plan every couple years than dealing with older people that probably want to keep their cars for longer and expect either value for money or perceived quality.

[fredgroves]

As I said before.... SpaceX use a touch screen while their crew are shaken like a frog in a blender. One false move and its wipe out.

I think probably you should be able to change the radio channel going down a road without dying.

[Mag_Pie]

As I said before.... SpaceX use a touch screen while their crew are shaken like a frog in a blender. One false move and its wipe out.

I think probably you should be able to change the radio channel going down a road without dying.

That's a fair point actually

Time will tell, I'm sure when I see a new GTI in the flesh I'll go week at the knees and forget about all of that 

[Watts]

As I said before.... SpaceX use a touch screen while their crew are shaken like a frog in a blender. One false move and its wipe out.

I think probably you should be able to change the radio channel going down a road without dying.

But it is more about taking you eyes off where you are going, not whether you change the radio preset instead of anything else. At least with the rocket they won't run into something whilst making adjustments so I don't think it's a fair comparison.

[fredgroves]

No but on their touch screen is a button that fires the abort system. Guaranteed it's on the at all times and not buried in a sub menu. Might not want to accidentally press that and I'm also quite sure it doesn't ask if you are sure...

[Ulysses31]

As I said before.... SpaceX use a touch screen while their crew are shaken like a frog in a blender. One false move and its wipe out.

I think probably you should be able to change the radio channel going down a road without dying.

But it is more about taking you eyes off where you are going, not whether you change the radio preset instead of anything else. At least with the rocket they won't run into something whilst making adjustments so I don't think it's a fair comparison.

This^^^
When I'm driving down the road I'm watching the car in front, the berk behind me who is far too close, the schhol child up ahead on his bike who is wobbling all over the place, anticipating if the traffic lights up ahead are going to chamge, deciding if the drizzel has become heavy enough to put my wipers on, watching the school kids up ahead at the bus stop who are pushing and shoving in case one of them ends up in the road, watching the ice-cream van parked on the other side of the road in case a child runs out from behind it and deciding if I need to scratch my arse. And you now want me to do all of this without looking at the road? Sorry, but no. I absolutely love my 7.5 GTI but in 25 years of motoring it is my first VAG so I have no brand loyalty. When the time comes, I WILL be buying a car with physical controls. And don't get me started on voice commands

[SRGTD]

As I said before.... SpaceX use a touch screen while their crew are shaken like a frog in a blender. One false move and its wipe out.

I think probably you should be able to change the radio channel going down a road without dying.

But it is more about taking you eyes off where you are going, not whether you change the radio preset instead of anything else. At least with the rocket they won't run into something whilst making adjustments so I don't think it's a fair comparison.

This^^^
When I'm driving down the road I'm watching the car in front, the berk behind me who is far too close, the schhol child up ahead on his bike who is wobbling all over the place, anticipating if the traffic lights up ahead are going to chamge, deciding if the drizzel has become heavy enough to put my wipers on, watching the school kids up ahead at the bus stop who are pushing and shoving in case one of them ends up in the road, watching the ice-cream van parked on the other side of the road in case a child runs out from behind it and deciding if I need to scratch my arse. And you now want me to do all of this without looking at the road? Sorry, but no. I absolutely love my 7.5 GTI but in 25 years of motoring it is my first VAG so I have no brand loyalty. When the time comes, I WILL be buying a car with physical controls. And don't get me started on voice commands

Agree,

I’m not a technophobe, and I’m not against manufacturers fitting touch screens in cars, but for basic everyday functions, IMO conventional physical buttons and switches that are easy to locate and operate while driving are far safer and less distracting to use than having find a submenu that’s ‘buried’ deep somewhere within a touchscreen.

IMO, touchscreens for pretty much everything is taking form over function to the extreme, and in some instances, at the expense of safety.

BMW seem to have struck a good balance between touchscreens and physical controls in their latest model range - here’s the latest 1 series set-up;

[Exonian]

The new 1 series interior is pretty spot on.


I see the TV advertising for the new Golf has started in earnest.
Same for the Leon, seems like both models are released simultaneously.
The Leon advert is certainly more appealing to my eyes.

[SRGTD]

@Exonian; agree on the BMW 1 Series interior.

I’ve not seen the TV advertising for the mk8 Golf yet. I have seen the Leon TV ad and agree it looks more appealing than the pictures and online video reviews I’ve seen of the Golf.

I think that Seat have picked the right colour in Desire Red for TV advertising, which seems to show the car off in its best light - most of the cars in online video reviews of the Leon have also been Desire Red too. Looking at the the colour options for Leon though (non metallic red or white and metallic blue, grey, black or white), the colour palette is pretty uninspiring.