Styling on Steroids

[Scott]

What was the guy who came up with the front end on this thing thinking??   

F-U-G-L-Y

[John S]

I take it you're not putting your name down for one, Scott. 

In fairness to the designer all front ends have been getting more 'road presence' in design parlance. It started back in the Commercials sector with the VW Crafter with a way over the top Snout that was unnecessary for mechanical reasons.
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/VW_Crafter_front_20071215.jpg&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VW_Crafter_front_20071215.jpg&h=1443&w=1884&sz=1274&tbnid=TpUy6QmjHGlotM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=120&zoom=1&usg=__N0lGBvBcfPy8dx4i_LIdHaxN4qI=&docid=faGA-vdrRCZPFM&sa=X&ei=Z8BzUaTONImb1AWxmIGIDg&ved=0CHUQ9QEwBQ&dur=1686

[Scott]

Honda has been going over the top though John.  They have been getting more and more crass in the last few years (make it shiny, extend the lines wherever there is room), but this one is really the winner. 

As for the transport van front end, I don't think you can find a nicely designed front end on a transport van of any brand.  The one you show is truly ugly, however if you look at the rest of the VW lineup, I don't think you can say that about any other model.

As for who started it - I'll go a year earlier than that VW transport van and voila, the 2006 Honda Civic 

[cosworth151]

That first one looks like a villain from the Power Rangers.

[Scott]

Another Honda front end fail