Filed under: Time Warp, Euro, Volkswagen
VW design chief wants a return to 'basics'
If you look back over the years, Volkswagens have been steadily marching toward the gaudy. We're not talking Sagrada Familia amazingness, but chromey, buck-toothed, overwrought fussiness. Walter Da'Silva is out to change all that by realigning Volkswagen design with its past. That doesn't mean that every VeeDub becomes a K.D.F Wagen throwback like the New Beetle, but certain proportions and themes from the historical portfolio will define the design language.
Da'Silva expounded on his efforts with CAR, and used a lot of adjectives to tart up what's simply a course correction of Volkswagen styling. Look for the next Passat to be de-chromed and given a nose and tail treatment that follows a tighter brand template. Basically, what Da'Silva really wants to do is forget that the last eight years happened, and bring new VW designs more in line with the Wolfsburg of the late 1990s. If we could pipe up with our votes, we'd like to see the classic angularity of the Mk1 Golf come back -- Citi Golf, anyone?
[Source: CAR]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
SPG 6:33PM (6/26/2008)
Some of the new Volkswagons have such stand out designs that I can't figure out why I find them to be so forgettable. They look nice, they even look better then much of their competition.
Yet it's not stand out styling.
I did prefer some of the Volkswagon designs of the past, yet I don't feel that Volkswagon was on such a terrible route with their current designs.
The prices for many of their models however...
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PJ 7:29PM (6/26/2008)
The biggest problem with their current designs is that they don't look European. They're derivative shapes ornamented with glitter and glitz, which is how the Japanese and Americans typically try and stand out.
The prev-gen Jetta and Passat had it nailed. Stubby, pert proportions with a classless appeal, and the kind of detail finesse that makes ornamentation superfluous.
Now VW expects buyers to a pay the same premium as before for cars with no Euro cachet. And that was really the only reason to put up with their quality issues.
AMcA 9:11PM (6/26/2008)
I liked the clean, Bauhaus simplicity of the last iteration of the VW line. It was very German. Very "people's car", quite elegant and very distinctive.
They really veered off course with the current Jetta and Passat. They look Japanese odd. And they blend into the current automotive landscape.
Good thing they're going to get back to basics.
jgp 10:12PM (6/26/2008)
YES! I _loved_ the Mk. 4 Jetta and B5 Passat.
The new Mk. 5 Jetta is horribly ugly, and it can't go away soon enough. The new Passat isn't too bad-looking, but the B5 was considerably better-looking.
Bring back VW's late-90s design theme!
Dan 10:57AM (6/27/2008)
I agree with SPG... I think both VW and Audi make attractive cars when I see them in prototype stages, but then they fall off into "bland and forgettable" into the first year of production.
With the exception of the new S5 and R8, I don't think VW group has taken enough strides to break the mold and make truly memorable cars. Returning to roots is not something I want to see in my new car purchase.
I think Nissan made incredible strides with the introduction of the G coupe and FX and new M... but maybe that's just because it was a last-ditch effort that paid off. I guess you throw everything you've got into the ring when you've got everything to lose.
geo.stewart 6:33PM (6/26/2008)
give me a modern Karmann Ghia
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geo.stewart 6:36PM (6/26/2008)
I prefer the old Jetta design to the new, esp GLI.
I actually like the new Rabbit. yes I know its the same design language but it works on the hatch.
tend to like the Passat in Euro stance.
Dollars and quality on the other hand....
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rouse42 6:41PM (6/26/2008)
bring the damn IROC over and put the concept front end on it!
offer it in Blue motion, 1.4 TSI and R36 Trim
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rouse42 6:42PM (6/26/2008)
would even settle for 2.0T instead of the 1.4TSI for cost reasons
Dondonel 5:33AM (6/27/2008)
I actually like the production Scirocco more than the IROC proto. However, this is a rare case with VW, Scirocco is the only VW I would actually buy, everything else in their stable looks outdated.
chuck 6:56PM (6/26/2008)
The previous generation Passats, Jettas, and Golfs looked amazing for their time. VW should've further developed these styles instead of going for a completely different look. The cars went from angular, stylishly boxy designs to bloated, bubbly, Japanese look-a-likes. (But somehow they still look a bit better than many other new cars.)
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Donald 6:56PM (6/26/2008)
You know what else is a classic VW theme they should bring back?
Reasonable prices.
I didn't return to VW after my last Golf because I felt the pricing of their models, compounded with the costs of maintenance, didn't make them affordable anymore. I miss my Golf, but I don't miss the pricing.
VW is a mass market company, not a near-luxury company. Stop giving me near-luxury pricing and get back down to earth.
That's what I remember fondly of VW...it was a car that made sense.
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Ian 12:08AM (6/27/2008)
The Passat notwithstanding, Rabbits and Jettas are more than affordable. I've been shopping around and feature for feature, and dollar for dollar, the only car that comes close to the Rabbit is the Impreza 2.5. Yes, you can get a Yaris or a Fit for less, but its smaller and has less features. To get a Civic with the same features as a $16,000 rabbit, you pay $19,000+.
Donald 9:28AM (6/27/2008)
Problem here is VW is taking a $2000 hit on each 2-door Rabbit they sell over here, which is why the 4-door starts close to $20k.
Yeah, you get a great car for $16k, but because of the hit, the color choices and options are limited. When you step up to the 4-door, still no color options, but you can get some nicer ammenities. At that point, though, the price is steep enough that you can start cross-shopping larger cars. I picked up a base model RAV4 for less money than a comparable 4-door Rabbit. Same gas mileage, same FWD configuration, less maintenance, and fewer electrical gremlins.
I still miss my Golf and VW, but they don't make financial sense to me anymore.
AntBee 10:16AM (6/27/2008)
You are so right on the mark with this comment! VW's prices are what keep me from considering them any longer when shopping for a car. I had a 1995 GTI, and I loved it!
Jrejre 7:15PM (6/26/2008)
That Scirroco concept looks way better than the production version. But I guess since boring works for toyota they figure boring will work for them too.
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MikeofLA 7:22PM (6/26/2008)
I think they need to flatten things out a little. The R32 is a sick car, but I don't like how there isn't a flat panel on the car. The hood looks like the cab inflated pulling the hood up with.
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montoym 7:23PM (6/26/2008)
I like the de-chroming idea. The newer VW designs aren't bad, but they tend to look better with less chrome IMO.
For instance, take the Rabbit and the Jetta. Same front end, but the body-colored Rabbit looks much better.
But, then again, I'm not really a fan of chrome period. Hence why I like my current Mk4 GTI. The only chrome it has are the badges.
Also, while it could look a bit better I like the addition of the red "lipstick" around the grille of the MkV GTI's, like the older ones. That's a nice piece of nostalgia that helps set the car apart as well.
See these examples:
http://www.edmunds.com/media/roadtests/firstdrive/2006/volkswagen.rabbit/07.vw.rabbit.340.jpg
http://www.motorcities.com/media/image/640/06JHF011110004A/2007-Volkswagen-Jetta-Wolfsburg-Special-Edition-A-640.jpeg
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1337 10:42AM (6/27/2008)
The Jetta and Rabbit front ends have more differences than simply +/- chrome. The Rabbit has a unique front end, while the non-GLI Jettas have chrome. GTI and Jetta GLI models have the standard Jetta nose, except with black trim instead of chrome.
Rabbit:
http://www.edmunds.com/media/roadtests/firstdrive/2006/volkswagen.rabbit/07.vw.rabbit.340.jpg
Jetta (non-GLI):
http://davidkearns.com/content/binary/2006_Volkswagen_Jetta_1_ext.gif
GTI:
http://www.edmunds.com/media/reviews/top10/06.least.expensive.cars.to.insure/06.vw.gti.500.jpg
drunkenpublicness 7:23PM (6/26/2008)
I can understand D'silva's point (the current Jetta's a mess, IMO) but if the new Scirocco is what he's talking about as far as a styling direction, I think Volkswagen needs to leave their upcoming products in the oven a little longer.
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