Mk 8 Golf

[Exonian]

Quite a good walk around vid
https://youtu.be/6YblQ8TaXqE

Some nice detail touches but the more I look at the actual car the less I like it (and I’d really like to like it).
 

[fredgroves]

You still have to remember this is a low end model.... look at a Mk7 Match and see if you like it as much as a GTI in terms of external looks...

[Exonian]

You still have to remember this is a low end model.... look at a Mk7 Match and see if you like it as much as a GTI in terms of external looks...

It’s more the awkward external bodywork angles. That’ll carry over to all models. There’s something about the overall shape, the way it sits, that looks a bit wrong.
In many areas it’s a very heavily and very badly facelifted mk7 but other areas are plain awkward looking and the designers will do well to make the GTI and R so appealing as to take one’s eyes away from certain ungainly aspects.
Kind of reminds me of the 2002 SEAT Ibiza that took a major facelift to stop it looking like a baby hippo.

[SRGTD]

Quite a good walk around vid
https://youtu.be/6YblQ8TaXqE

Some nice detail touches but the more I look at the actual car the less I like it (and I’d really like to like it).

That interior colour............it would stay looking clean and fresh all of about five minutes. Not practical for a daily driver or for anyone with kids. Give me good old boring dark grey / black upholstery and trim every time .

[Watts]

You still have to remember this is a low end model.... look at a Mk7 Match and see if you like it as much as a GTI in terms of external looks...

It’s more the awkward external bodywork angles. That’ll carry over to all models. There’s something about the overall shape, the way it sits, that looks a bit wrong.
In many areas it’s a very heavily and very badly facelifted mk7 but other areas are plain awkward looking and the designers will do well to make the GTI and R so appealing as to take one’s eyes away from certain ungainly aspects.
Kind of reminds me of the 2002 SEAT Ibiza that took a major facelift to stop it looking like a baby hippo.

It looks better than I thought it would but, the way the front end drops off to the low fitted lights and the slightly bloated look, the width of the grill below the lights, I hope fred is right. The interior though looks okay, in some ways I think the main screen is better resolved than in the 7.5 where it looks like an afterthought but I do think the 7 and 7.5 look more purposeful. Just as I don't like the A3 interior, the 7 when I first saw it looked right, probably because it was more like what I was used to. I shall await with interest the reveal of the GTI/R in March.

[Hertsman]

Quite a good walk around vid
https://youtu.be/6YblQ8TaXqE

Some nice detail touches but the more I look at the actual car the less I like it (and I’d really like to like it).

Thats a good point, we all are obviously like the brand, some right from when the first GTI was launched and think the majority of us want to like each next generation and so I personally trust everyone comments on here as having no agenda and if they really liked it, they would say - I really want to like it also, but do genuinely feel its a step back on the interior with the touch switching.

Personally quite neutral on the exterior, you can see they have tried to go sharper in the lines and its still evolution of revolution, and sure once its pumped up a little more for the performance models with larger rims it will look the part.

Cannot get past the interior though where think my biggest dislike is the removal of the DSG lever as its a satisfying action thats been taken away and replaced by an inert one.

Also, the way they have placed the media screen looks awkward, an afterthought even, and there is masses of piano black as a by product of the media screen sitting next to the driver display - surely it would have been better to just copy the Touraeg and make a single unit/casing that swept across as one entity? The Touraeg is really nice and so why do what done on the Golf VW??

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4F1zNBSb9Q

However, this is all based on photos and videos and holding final judgement till see the Geneva release and see one in a showroom

[martin dy]

Looking at the new Skoda Octavia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhQkzG4aoNk
Not only do I think it looks better than the Mk8 Golf but the interior quality is a step up too.
Even a covered cup holder!

[fredgroves]

Looking at the new Skoda Octavia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhQkzG4aoNk
Not only do I think it looks better than the Mk8 Golf but the interior quality is a step up too.
Even a covered cup holder!

Looks like a Mazda had a baby with an Audi.

[fredgroves]

Looking at the inside and the tech.... thats pretty much a Mk8 golf.

[Exonian]

Looking at the new Skoda Octavia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhQkzG4aoNk
Not only do I think it looks better than the Mk8 Golf but the interior quality is a step up too.
Even a covered cup holder!

I think this design is a far far more elegant effort than the Golf.
It’s too big a car for me to consider but they’ve done a fantastic job of the styling. I particularly like it in silver.
Covered cup holders & gas bonnet lifts too. Small details but when you’re paying the sort f money these cars now command the little luxuries become important when superminis are almost the same size and significantly cheaper with not much less kit.