The Vento is the second diesel sedan in the segment to get an automatic transmission that is paired to the new 1.5-litre TDI motor that debuted on the Polo earlier this year.
Stepping on to the road less taken, Volkswagen has launched the Vento diesel automatic in the country priced from Rs. 7.44 lakhs. The top of the line Vento 1.5 TDI with the DSG automatic transmission will cost Rs 10.94 lakhs (all prices ex-showroom, Mumbai). The updated Vento carries forward the same design bits from the outgoing model and can now be easily differentiated from the new Polo facelift. The changes however, extend inside the cabin as well as under the hood with the inclusion of the new 1.5-litre TDI motor that has been paired to an automatic transmission. There is also a new metallic brown shade from the Jetta, a night blue colour has also been added.
Starting with the changes under the hood, the new 1.5-litre TDI diesel engine is essentially a stripped down version of the 1.6-litre unit that was powering the Vento diesel, until now. The India specific 4-cylinder diesel engine made its debut on the Polo earlier this year, but has been tuned to produce 105 PS of power and 250 Nm of torque on the Vento. The new engine is paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox, while Volkswagen has also added the 7-speed DSG automatic transmission unit offered in two trims – Comfortline and Highline. The DSG gearbox is the same one that is found on the Vento TSI which is powered by the 1.2-litre 4-cylinder motor.
Apart from the mechanical changes, the updated Vento borrows its interiors from the new Polo. Volkswagen has updated the sedan with the sporty new 3-spoke flat bottom steering wheel with controls, beige and black dual-tone interiors and a revised centre console. The instrument cluster also gets updated with new white illumination, while the MID screen gets a new font for ease of reading. Other features include automatic climate control, updated infotainment system and rear air-con vents. The interior does come out as far more premium than the outgoing model and definitely adds to the like-ability of the sedan.
In terms of safety, Volkswagen continues to offer dual front airbags (now on all variants), ABS, parking sensors, dual beam lamps, new alloy wheels, footwell lights on the updated Vento. The downsized engine also happens to be more refined and fuel efficient with Volkswagen claiming an ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 21.21 km/l for the DSG, while the manual returns 20.34 km/l. The updated Volkswagen Vento carries over the two petrol engines offered earlier, that is the 1.6-litre (coupled to a 5-speed manual) and 1.2-litre (matched to a 7-speed DSG automatic) units, both of which produce 105 PS of power. While the 1.6 MPI powerplant outputs 153 Nm of torque, the turbo mill generates 175 Nm of torque. The 1.6 and 1.2 petrol engines are claimed to return 15.04 and 16.93 km/l respectively.
The Vento is the second diesel automatic in the segment after the Hyundai Verna and will definitely attract buyers looking for diesel comfort. After having lost volumes to the new Honda City, the Vento is in dire need of some resurrection. The updated model might just be able to provide a fresher appeal that also locks horns with sibling Skoda Rapid, Hyundai Verna, Ford Fiesta, Fiat Linea and the likes in the segment.
2015 Volkswagen Vento Prices (ex-showroom, Mumbai) –
* Vento 1.6 Petrol MT – Rs. 7.44 – 8.87 lakhs (available in Trendline, Comfortline and Highline trims)
* Vento 1.2 Petrol AT – Rs. 9.35 – 9.92 lakhs (available in Comfortline and Highline trims)
* Vento 1.5 Diesel MT – Rs. 8.57 – 9.90 lakhs (available in Trendline, Comfortline and Highline trims)
* Vento 1.5 Diesel AT – Rs. 10.49 – 10.94 lakhs (available in Comfortline and Highline trims)
