You're right, it is much quieter, my mk5 made a great noise without being overly loud, whereas my mk7 makes almost none. I miss it too.
Autoexpress stated that the exhaust on their long term mk7 started sounding fruitier after 12 months use, so here's hoping.
As for the engine, you'll find it becomes much smoother and indeed faster after 1000 miles or so.