I like the shape. I like the front, looks a bit like Scirocco.
The interior is nice too, but the back is the only weak part. The back of the Mrk V was better imo.

Overall, this came completely out of the blue for me, yet it is a pleasant surprise...but it baffles me VW decided to introduce the new Golf before the new Polo....Polo needs it much much more.

now the real question is:
how long will this one stay on the marketbeing based on the MKV there is only this much improvement that can be done without having to change the platform

will this model be able to effectively compete with newer and better competitors say 3-4 years from now?
or will VW be forced to change it again?

i am afraid the cost that has been offset by this FL+ golf will be lost again when 4 years down the sales start to lag and a new model has to be developped.

This is correct. But stupid.
This Golf VI is way more than a FL: new panels, new interior, new factory tooling... So way more than a FL. It's been done because the Golf V is too expensive to produce.

However, given its look, it's merely a FL for the customer. So in 3 years it will be completely outfashioned by the fresher competition (Megane, Focus, Astra etc...), and the 308 is already way better looking from the inside, whereas the Civic comes from Mars...

It means that this Golf VI won't last more than 4 years without an extensive FL, because it is in fact a car that is already 4 or 5 years old with a FL. Such a car can't last for another 6 years, only for another 3 or 4 years.

So VW did the V, after 4 years made a very expensive re-thinking, and will have to make a new generation in 4 years... They should have given the VI a different look, but it would have meant a real re-thinking of the car and manufacturing process...

In fact the Golf VI is only a cost-cut version of the V, trouble is it will become very obvious that this is an old car when the serious competition will be renewed...

Hmm, I am a little confused by some of the reactions to this car.

It is a VW Golf for God's sake ......it was never intended to be an 'ego-mobile'/style statement -- this is a classless car ....a "people's car" if you will. It remains true to that ethos.

It is interesting to see the VW styling become more edgy and flat -- closer to Audi.

Initial reactions to a new Golf follow the same theme with every new generation; dull, boring, same-old and so on are the pervading opinions.

And yet, for on-the-tar presence and image the Golf continues to hold its own year on year against supposed more modern and avantgarde designs. Having owned two GTIs and a Polo, my wife and I are deeply familiar with the VW brand and product concept and there's no way in heck that we would consider one of the Golf's direct rivals were we to be in the market. There are many reasons for this, the predominant one being that the Golf always looks like a Golf. It doesn't evolve in huge leaps and bounds, it doesn't rely on fussy, unnecessary detailing with a short shelf life and it always looks like a premium product compared with even its closest competitors.

I appreciate the family resemblance to the nifty, more youthfully appealling Scirocco and I'm quite a fan of the move away from the old-as-the-hills shield grill format. The interior is typical Golf too - nothing flashy or showy - being just right for the intended target market.

So yes, it is a subtle evolution and that's why it's going to be a great Golf once again.

Like the folks above said there are a lot of Scirocco cues in the design. Nevertheless it looks more like a facelift (which it actually is) instead of a new generation car. Overall it's a bit bland but xenon lights should sharpen the front appearance and a darker color probably fits the car better.

that rear is a step backward as far as to the tuareg
front is okay
and i thought that after the up concepts they have finally found a good design language

I guess VW want to preserve it as a people's car leaving the newly developed Sirocco for the fashionable crowd.

I think the Golf used not to be a mere people-mover, a boring dull small-family car. It used to be more than that.

And it was substantially better than its competitor, it often moved the game further again (remember the shockingly good finish of the IV).

It was never avantgarde, but it was classy, mature, elegant for the category. Now it has become one of the most boring, its interior is inferior to some of the competitors (ever sat in an Astra? the Golf VI better be a strong evolution to catch it up), in fact it has lost its edge.

Therefore I'm disappointed. I was not waiting for a marvel, but for a car that would set itself as the natural leader of the category, a car that would look and feel superior than the competition to justify a higher price. It is not. Just like the Golf V was not. And like I said, the competition is not asleep...

I don't see this car as a facelift!

Golf generations are often subject to a concertina effect: some generations being closer to the previous generation than the following one. Look at Golf I and II; Golf III and IV (torsion beam rear axle with trailing arm suspension). Now Golf V introduced the expensive and class-leading independant rear suspension and this is being used in a simplified, less cost-to-manufacture and hence more profitable format in the new car. The Golf VI is all about continuous improvement, continuity and profitability. A profitable car is, after all, a better product than a loss-making one.