In 2001, Volkswagen made an entry onto the Indian soil through its subsidiary Skoda Auto. In 2007, Volkswagen India, a wholly owned subsidiary of the multinational company was formed. Volkswagen India has come out with a lot of cars. Some of the cars that have come out of the stables of VW are the Jetta, Vento, Beatle, Phaeton, Touerag and Passat. However, certain cars like the Beatle, Phaeton, and Touerag were discontinued in 2013.
One of the best-selling Volkswagen cars in India is the Vento, which is a compact sedan. As one of India’s leading C-segment players, Volkswagen Vento is VWs first mid-size saloon. The Vento is based on the Polo platform and is specifically designed for the Indian market.
The Volkswagen Vento is 4,384 mm long, 1,699 mm wide, 1,466 mm tall and has an extended wheelbase of 2,552 mm. The extended wheel base means that there is more room for the passengers. A lever on the front passenger seat can slide the seat all the way to the front giving more space behind. This feature is exclusively for the Indian Vento. Three passengers can comfortably sit in the rear seat. The seats are comfortable and have ample thigh support.
This mid-size sedan is offered in two petrol and one diesel engine options. The 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine has a displacement of 1197 cc and is good for 103 bhp and 175 Nm. The other petrol engine is the 1.6-litre 1598 cc petrol motor that develops 103 bhp and 153 Nm. The diesel unit consists of a 1.6-litre 1598 cc power unit capable of producing a power of 103 bhp and a maximum torque of 250 Nm. The Volkswagen Vento offers a fuel efficiency of about up to 15.8 kmpl on its petrol variant while the diesel variant of the car gives a mileage of about 16 kmpl.
The variants of the Vento are known as the Trendline, Comfortline and Highline. Of these, the petrol variant of Highline also comes with the automatic option.
Volkswagen Vento gets power windows, climate control, rear air-con vents, power steering, centre arm rest and a string of other features. The beige colored interiors look upmarket. The central console comes with a CD and music player with four speakers. The music system has stereo mounted audio controls. Surprisingly, there are no ipod, AUX or USB input in standard versions. The highline variant comes with dual air bags and ABS for safety. There is a navigation system that also doubles as a reverse camera.
The VW Vento comes in the price range of Rs. 7.39 to 9.99 lakh. The closest rivals of Vento are sedans like Skoda Rapid, Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Fiat Linea and Hyundai Verna.
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