If you are an automaker selling cars in India, there is only one way you can save yourself from the Government’s irregular policy changes. This implies that you need to develop more small cars, which are subjected to lesser excise duties. Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki were quick to get the Indigo CS and the new Swift DZire respectively, which are the only compact sedans in the market today. Mahindra followed up quickly with the launch of the Quanto, which is a sub 4-metre SUV. The company is now working on another compact SUV (codenamed S101).
Then there is the Ford EcoSport which too comes under the 4-metre length, but we are not here to discuss about sub 4-metre compact SUVs. Instead we are more keen on talking about compact sedans and now Volkswagen is working on one too. Of course by the time the German car maker wakes up and gives the Indian market a sub 4-metre Vento, we would already be having the Amaze and Verito CS on sale. Volkswagen plans to bring the Vento CS to the Indian market by 2014 and as we speak, the company has already started trimming the Vento’s boot.
Our renderings here show that the Volkswagen Vento compact sedan doesn’t really seem to be a nice idea. The vehicle will definitely look abrupt and other than the Honda Amaze, we are yet to see a visually pleasing compact sedan. In order to classify the Vento as a small car, Volkswagen will have to give it the engines of the Polo, which means 1.2-litre petrol and diesel engines will do duty on the vehicle. Volkswagen is said to be working on a 1.5-litre diesel engine which is expected to be ready next year. It too could be offered in the Vento. The German carmaker can offer the 1.2-litre TSI engine in the Vento CS but that will increase prices due to the higher costs of the turbocharged motor.
