meh
First - OP - thank you for providing these excellent photos.
I have reviewed the MK7 phots before I pulled the trigger ... and could have waited a year - but after seeing the MK7 - I traded my 4 month old MK6 6 speed for another MK6 DSG 2 weeks ago(cause I wanted DSG after 30 years of shifting).
Here are my reasons for not waiting:
1. I owned a MK1 - and the MK7 looks as flat as the MK1. One of the best features of the Mk6 are the flying butresses - shaved on the 7. I did not want to be back in my university days driving a MK1 - which the MK7 reminds me of.
2. The hood looks like the rest of the brand - bland and BMW-ish.
3. The car took on many angles and lost its almost Pininfarina styling. It's cold and lost some of it's soul.
4. The bumper and grill look almost regular sedan-like - muted and shalower compared to MK6. MK6 is more GT - more passionate, more race ready.
5. The crease in the hatch is - too executive
6. Rims suck the big one
7. Pin stripe in lights - barf
8. Rear valance - ugh
It's as if they looked at MK6 and figured a way to tune it back a notch. Yes the styling is fresh and great looking - it's just not an evolution in the right path IMHO. The only reddeeming items are the front lamps.
The car looks great on it's own merits. I do LOVE the reduced weight and more power. I would be surprised if we get ALL the trimmings in the USA, and IF we do, count on the extras to break the 30K barrier very quickly.
Despite the fresh interior and the technological improvements (WHICH ARE GREAT!) the car seems more corporate, more Korean, less GERMAN. Can't quite put my finger on it ... the chemistry is just not there for me .. not yet anyways. FIRST impressions are always the correct ones .. so I'm told.
The bottom line for me is that if I was a plain Golf buyer - I'd most likely wait and get MK7. In its BASE GOLF trim, the MK7 outshines the MK6 because THEN, the weight reduction, interior room and finish, fuel consumption and techno upgrades outweigh any styling diatribe. Furthermore, the base MK7 golf gets some of the MK6 GTI goodies, so it makes perfect sense. HOWEVER, and that's a big one, the MK7 GTI's styling cues are lost in the translation as a sports car - and what we end up having then is what looks like a Golf commuter with a bit of plastic glued on it to make it look-go-fast. The techno/power edge does not make up for it IMHO.
-TH