New Golf

From the side, I'd honestly struggle to tell you that is a Golf.

At the front they seem to have made a real effort to make the headlights narrower and then struggled to answer the self-inflicted question of "what do we do now with the big space to fill below the super-sexy thin lights and bumper?".

How very disappointing. It looks like a less successful version of the new Corolla. It's such a shame you can't even count on VW now for bland but tidy designs.

They've made mounted the headlights lower but then been left with a bulbous bonnet, it doesn't look right at all to me.
Oddly from the back they have moved away from the wide look that the Polo has and, in the photos at least, managed to make it look taller and thinner than the Mk7.

It's also looking as if manufacturers are really not sure how best to deal with the instruments and dashboard now they're using screens instead of dials and buttons. The screen in the centre looks like a real afterthought (a common failing across plenty of other manufacturers too) but if you look at it's positioning then its too close to the wheel so in a LHD car the driver's right hand will obscure some of the display, meanwhile there's a vast expanse of uncertainty to the right of that where they could've put the screen and filled in a bit of awkward space.

I like the 5 spoke wheels on the green one. That's it.

Agreed. And who thought we'd ever say something like that? 

On the list side it does seem to have the same gear selector as the Porsche 992. Shame its the crapest thing about the 992

Safe, clean design that will no doubt sell in the multi million. Not really that undistinguishable against the competition, it's instantly recognisable as a Golf, but it doesn't stand out, like say a Civic does, which is probably a good thing. From some front 3/4 angles it does look like its braking heavily, the nose is a lot lower compared to the rest of the squarer shape body

Interior is clean and modern, love the small bank of switches to the left of the steering wheel for the lights etc. that looks very neat, but can't help feeling the interior looks 'cold' and lacking visual comfort, maybe I want an interior console to envelope you a little, to have some switches on the centre console lit up at night bathed in a warming traditional red VW glow, having 2 screens does looks modern but somehow leaves me cold

If Honda just did a little work on the interior of the Civic I'd have that (change the sat-nav unit to incorporate some physical buttons and modernise the dials)

Beating bmw grills these days is the work of a design student and hardly rocket science.