SWMBO said to me last week that she wouldn't have a clue what to replace the trusty A6 with when it goes to the parking lot in the sky (not for some years yet we hope). She is right when she says that modern designs are getting uglier.
This is not an anti-VAG rant but I have to mention four recent products in despatches, having seen them all, and driven all but the new model A4.
The new A6 is ugly, the new A3 sporthatch is very ugly, and the A4 "advance" or whatever they will call it when it gets to the UK, is downright hideous. That grille doesn't work guys, on the A6 it is tolerable if the car is in the right colour but on the A3 and the A4 it just looks daft.
Thought the new Golf was ordinary and bland? Wait until you see the new GTi in the tin, the face that sank a thousand ships or what?
And no, the BMW 5 series has not grown on me, the 1-series is very unpleasant on the eye both in reality and in pictures.
I could go on but it is depressing me.
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What are Backroomer\'s opinions on the forthcoming next generation SEAT Toledo? (Fairly flattering picture in car by car breakdown.)
HJ
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Ew. Not awfully keen on it to be honest. Could have been made quite a bit prettier IMO by shifting the rear wheels back a few inches, but then I guess they couldn't use the Golf underneath it. I don't like what I can see of the front end either, though I'll wait to see it in the flesh before I judge it properly. Is it supposed to be a mini-mpv?
As for cars becoming uglier, there have always been cars styled controvertially - the first generation Sierra, for example, caused a ruckus when it came out. As for the Audis and BMWs - I think they're trying to sell to "typical" Audi and BMW drivers by making them look all aggerssive. When an angry-looking 5-series or an A6 that resembles a goateed bouncer appears in your rear-view you're supposed to get out of the way.
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Although I own a Seat and quite like it, I haven't been as impressed by the pics of either the new Toledo or the new Leon - not sure if the pics I've seen of the new Leon are the final version or not, though. If so, it's too bulbous, a poor interpretation of the styling that looks so well on the Ibiza - I've often said that I like my Leon enough to replace it with another one, but now I'm not so sure.
Looking again at the pic of Toledo, I'm actually reminded slightly of the Renault Vel Satis - which doesn't do anything for me! I'm not sure why Seat decided to produce both this and the Altea - both have a high roofline, both have five seats (unless there are plans for a 7-seater Toledo), both have hatchbacks, both (as part of VAG's "sporty" division) presumably drive well. What's the real difference between them - is it just that one of them might have more interior space than the other?
--
andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...
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I like it, but then I tend to like cars whose style departs from the norm. The worst sort of styling is that horrible blandness thet Vauxhall in particular are guilty of. I bet their designers all wear beige cardigans and holiday in Frinton.
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To be honest, GM in Europe seem to be improving rapidly in the styling stakes.
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Looks OK but photo is v small. I can see hints of Yaris, Megane, A-Class, Daewoo, Astra etc. Designers may be on hiding to nothing. If they play safe it looks boring or derivative. If they take risks it can look horrible or weird or whatever.
Douglas
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The Toledo is yet another one with this oh-so-fashionable 'reverse rake' rear door windows. Personally I think this is ugly every time I see it, but I must be in a minority.
The Peugeot 206 is an example - quite apart from aesthetics it means very poor rear visibility, which I would say is unsafe, even dangerous at some types of road junction. The Megane is even worse. SWMBO had a 206 and the blind spot was a retrograde step compared with the 205.
The 205 was pretty by any standards. It's a matter of personal taste I know, but perhaps someone can suggest what it is about the 206 and Megane that people find pleasing to the eye.
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