Just seen some new pics of the next generation Golf and I have to say VW are starting down the route to styling cars identically. The front is very A3/Ibiza ish and I don't know whether I am a big fan. I have seen it in blue and silver silver sets it off nicely but the blue looked a bit bulky on it. Images are here http://www.whatcar.com/popups/images_na.asp?na=2172&im=15284

A pretty riskless follow-up, I'd say. Compare with new Astra - another damage-limitation approach as opposed to ground-breaking design.

They know it's their cash-cow, so why go overboard on the design?

Like to see it with steel rims, though - see how it looks in poverty-spec!

Oh My God ! Front end with new lights looks like an Ibiza right enough. Or a Pug 307. Or a Berlingo van. Or a Toyota Avensis. Or a Honda Civic. Or ........

Tail lights very Ibiza.

Golf new models and facelifts until now have looked fairly similar to the outgoing model, this time I think they've tried to be a bit radical and they've completely wrecked it - lost that Golf look :(

hmmm - not my cup of tea

Should look OK in some form of R32 guise.....

Ugly. Very very ugly.

Well done VW.

A smart, if uninspired, top selling car made to look ugly and suprised.

It seems that, like BMW, VW have discovered that you can only do so far when refining an existing design and then you have to go bizzare...

and scare off all your customers.

Dunno about that - the Megane appears to be quite popular...

Rob.

New Golf is ok......must be showing my age.

But Megane is one butt ugly car so I can't be going senile. I reckon the new Beemers are pants to although i kind of like the Z4 (has to be on the optional big wheels though).

Better keep quiet now......quick where the number for Saga Insurance.

I rather like the new 3, 5 and 7 series BMs. Don't like the Z4 though.

I like Z3/4/8 (They probably work best from top down). New 7 is not so bad - new 5 is disgusting. I see VW have gone for this popular "shoulders" look with the new Golf albeit toned down a bit from the likes of the Pug 307/Primera/Avensis, thank goodness. I can't see any attraction in it, but they're all copying each other. I wonder which spotty teenage designer was responsible for inflicting it on us first and starting this rash of copycat designs?

surprised

LOL!

I don't mind it. Kind of the blandish love child of Ibiza and 307. As pointed out before, looks like they've taken the "Golf" out of it.

Regards,

Mark (who actually like the Megane)