Volkwagen Vento.. Really Das Auto (The Auto) in its segment..Afterall its German Engineering.

Hi All,

This is my 1st ever review on Carwale. Ever since i was a child i was bought up in this environment of Japanese and Korean brands, with just one outlook that a car should hve good fuel economy and shud b low at maintenance. But times hve changed and now other factors such as ride, handling, premium feel, features r considered. I owned a Hyundai  i10 Kappa engine b4 this, and altough the car was very good in most of areas and did its job very well.But did not excelled in any one area. its never caused any problems in its tenure of 2 yrs and 35K KMs it was with me. But due to the rising cost of petrol and space issues (family of 4 with average height being 5'7".myself being 6'1 😄) during long journeys compelled me to change. Also, at the time of buying my i10 i had considered Fabia petrol, but again due to the above factors nad some family opinions i shifted my mind to i10 even though i liked evr aspect of the Fabia over i10. But this time i wanted a car which gives me absolute thrill n pleasure while driving(as i drive myself). So here my experience:

Exterior

 Quite elegant. Please all offend none types. although understated quit crisp, typical German (some bits taken from Audi stable). i especially like the side profile. The Volkwagen logo looks awesome on the front grille.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

 Altough there is a common belief that it it a Polo+Boot, let me clarify that only parts are shared btu it is a sedan which is built from scratch. The interior space is good. can accomodate 4 persons wid ease. It actually can pack in 5 but the huge hump(trasmission tunnel) limits it. Ergonomically perfect, but i personally feel the turn indicators shud hve been on the right side. The positioning of the front armrest is debatable though. altough for me its perfect 😎. the dashborad layout is pretty simple but ergonomic.typical German. Except for one absurdly placed bonnet openin lever which if u need to open the door as its confilts wid the door panel. Seats r quite nice altough i feel a bit more thigh support wud hve been better. Legroom good, Steering feel and positioning is great. On the features list especially for the trendline version is disappointing altough the cabin quality makes u forget that. Driver side door shud hve access to all windows(my i10 also had). the ac blower noise is also on the higher side for 3+ Speed. Premiun feels once ur in side the cabin.Rest fine.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

Its a stonking diesel this one..Hoots, bomb to drive. Lots of low end torque and quite linear too.Just press the accelerator n off she shoots. But the clutch shud hve been a bit more soft compared to fluidic Verna(my uncle owns it n hve driven for fair amt of kms). Also, i feel the diesel lacks on the refinement levels too when compared to competitors. Fuel ecoomy is very good. I get 14-15 in city(peak hour mumbai traffic) and 18-20 on highway. Gear shifting is good but cud hve been better. Top speed also good. personally touched 180 kmph on expressway.

 

Ride Quality & Handling

 This is where the Germans hve mastered it. The Japanes and Koreans will take ages for it. At low speeds, straight lines or throw it around corners, u will never feel nervous. Although ABS cud hve been the perfect icing on the cake but by no means it lacks bike without ABS. Also, i personally feel the tyre size shud hve been atleast 15"n above. At low speeds there r sliht thud that filter in but thats due to the stiff suspension setup altough the people onside r not bothered much.

Final Words

 Final Say: Own it to believe it. Just dun judge it on the features list alone. Kepp it up VW!! Way to go.

Areas of improvement  

 Add ABS and bit more on the finicky features, make small mud flaps, increase the service network, bonnet opening lever, tyre sixe.

 

A stonking diesel engine, build and plastic quality, good fuel economyLess features to competitors, engine refinement, mud flaps too long