Based on the Autogefuehl review I’m still concerned about the styling, although I often say that about any new car! There’s a odd slope to the bonnet, the back end looks huge and overall I think the car just looks a bit bloated. I’m hoping I’m wrong when the performance Golfs come along as I’ve got my eye on a potential ED45. Bit concerning how VW Sen to be cutting costs on the Golf. But I suppose there’s no actual future in the model, it’s all about the ID going forward realistically I think.
I was also surprised about the cost cutting, some of the cost cutting is same as on the Polo - which is significantly cheaper - the manual bonnet stay and the harder plastic throughout the door cards rather than being rubberised on the top. The dash trimming looks very BMW 4 series (the inlays), that bolt on console screen doesn't look right to me, and the stubby little DSG stick is also very BMW.
The back end looks very 1 series as does the overall side profile. It's like VW taking the ugly stick to the MK5 to make the MK6 all over again. Bloated yet not significantly bigger.
Not a fan.
The dealership activated options is interesting. If you really do get a fully loaded car with inactive options, potentially you only have one WLTP submission per trim level.
Could it also be a tax dodge? Let's say the new R is £39k in bare bones spec. You squeeze under the £40k threshold and 2 days after registering the car you add £3k of options by getting the garage to activate the kit and avoid paying almost £500 a year car tax for the first 4 years.
Could hackers find a way to free up all that on board but not active tech without paying VW for it?
