Volkswagen Vento Launched: Comprehensive round up of what the car has in store for you

Volkswagen Vento

The Volkswagen Vento’s launch ceremony happened a while ago at the Park Hotel in New Delhi amidst glitz, glamor and the whos-who of the Indian auto media in attendance. Team ICB was right there at the even to bring you first hand pictures and happenings straight from what can be termed as one of the the big car launches of the year. The event began with Volkswagen India pulling off a neat stunt with the Vento being lowered from building boot down giving onlookers the view of the Vento playing superman by scaling a vertical wall. Impressive alright but what’s a family sedan doing playing superman? Moving on, the launch began with the same old countdown and finally two white Volkswagen Ventos came into focus along with the usual pretties in two even as shutterbugs flashed away rapidly.

Coming to the car in itself, the Volkswagen Vento is a handsome but an understated looker, just like most Volkswagens, and while this styling might not tug at your heart strings, by all means, it looks like a long term charmer. Folks worrying about the booted Polo looking as FUGLY as the Maruti Suzuki Dzire rest assured. The Volkswagen Vento shows no inkling of the hideous rear overhangs that the Dzire has and thus comes across as a car that has been designed rather than redesigned. The wheelbase goes up by 96mm along with the overall length which is also much more than the Polo. Overall, the looks while not as radical as the All New Honda City or as sexy as the Fiat Linea treads the middle line with a classy understated charm most middle aged car buyers would be smitten with. The Hyundai Verna Transform will be in trouble when the Volkswagen Vento Diesel starts selling and we’ll to come to that in just a bit.

All along the spectacle, Neeraj Garg of Volkswagen India continually stressed on the fact that the Vento is designed solely with one factor in mind, that of being the class leader in every aspect. This translates into a nice set of features, just like the Polo Hatchback, which could give the All New Honda City some thinking to do. Passenger airbags comes as standard on the Vento along with very essential features like ABS and airbags which will come together on the top end variants. Talking of which, the Volkswagen Vento will feature two variants: Trendline and Highline, as opposed to three on the Polo. Automatic climate control makes it to the Vento along with vents for the rear passengers and the feature wherein the front seats can be adjusted from the rear seat(segment first). Smacks of playing to the chauffered set, doesn’t it? Drivers too needn’t fret as height adjustable seats, electric orvms, tilt/adjust steering are a bunch of decent kit to make driving a whole load easier.

Coming to the where the real action is, at least for us the enthusiasts, the engine bay, you’ll find either a 1.6 liter four pot petrol engine or a 1.6 Liter CRDI diesel mill. While the 1.6 Liter petrol engine pumps out 105 Bhp@5250 rpm and 153 Nm of twist @3800 rpm, the diesel trumps the petrol out and out in the twist stakes while the power remains identical at 105 Bhp @4400 rpm. 253 Nm of max twist to play around with between 1500-2500 rpm. Torque steer anyone? This, if not anything will make the Verna CRDI shiver as the Volkswagen Vento looks like an angel from heaven when compared to the gargoyle like Hyundai Verna Transform. The diesel promises to be a hoot to drive going by the spec sheet at least and if all goes well, we could be looking at a great drivers diesel as Volkswagens traditionally are strong handlers.

The interiors too reek of teutonic elegance with black and beige trim while the tank like German build will have plenty of Indians used to tinny Marutis going ga ga over the very teutonic Vento. An MP3 player with radio is standard on the highline variant along with 15 inch alloys, fog lamps, bits of chrome on the insides, a multi function display as well as a rear center armrest. A glaring omission however is the absence of steering mounted audio controls. We’re a trifle disappointed with this as this is coon becoming standard piece of kit in most smaller cars too. The highline variant will come in 4 colors namely silver, blue, beige and black while folks going for the trendline would have only two colors, red and white to choose from. Cost cutting hints, eh? Not too happening on the color front, we say. If you buy the trendline, you will have to make do with 14 inch alloys and black door handles which further will piss quite a few customers off

 

In our opinion, VW India shouldn’t simply chop small features like these in the name of variant differentiation. Looks and feels like lowlife moves these. What isn’t lowlife is the fact that the both the variants will come a 6 year warrantied anti corrosion body treatment and great ground clearance to make sure that only the wheels touch terra firma. This will particularly bring cheer to folks in the coastal belts, who for long have been grappling with the sea eating away their lovelies’ paint and body. So, these are very thoughtful features that deserve high acclaim.

All said, the big question still hasn’t been answered, that of the average kya hai kind. Neeraj Garg of Volkswagen India played safe and kept harping that ARAI hasn’t yet released official “real time” mileage figures. The Indian auto media is a relentless lot, aren’t they? So, when pushed, he gave a figure of 40-60 MPG for the European version of the Vento which when translated comes to about 17-25 Kmpl. That’s an optimistic figure but the Diesel we think should be able to match the lower figure quite comfortably. So, mileage warriors can fell good for now at least. Regarding pricing, Mr Garg mentioned that the price will be announced at a date close to the launch date of the Volkswagen Vento, which incidentally will happen sometime between October and December of this year. Meanwhile, we’re expecting an ex-showroom price of INR 8-9 Lakhs for the Volkswagen Vento. So, that, in a nutshell is all about the just launched Volkswagen Vento.

PS: Many thanks to the latest entrant to Team ICB, Amber Goyal, our Delhi correspondent, who rushed to the event at minimum notice and who thus is instrumental in bringing to you this post on the Volkswagen Vento launch. Thank you Amber!

Volkswagen Vento Sedan Car Launch in Delhi: Exclusive Photo Gallery

Official Press Release and Detailed Spec Sheet

Volkswagen unveils the New Volkswagen Vento in India

New Delhi, July 6, 2010:

Volkswagen, Europe’s largest car maker unveiled its new sedan the New Volkswagen Vento in New Delhi today.

“For the Volkswagen Group, India is an important strategic growth market, as we continue to grow our volumes and market share in this automotive boom market with our brands Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda”, Christian Klingler, Group Board Member for Sales and Marketing commented during the car presentation.

In the first six months of 2010, the Group delivered 16,900 vehicles in India, showing an increase of more than 100 percent and therefore a higher growth than the overall market (+29 per cent).

“This clearly reflects the success story of Volkswagen in India and builds a strong base for our long term goal to achieve 8-10 per cent market share for the Group”, Klingler continued.

Speaking about the showcasing of the Vento, Mr. Neeraj Garg, Member of Board and Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt. Ltd said, “The Volkswagen Vento is a completely new product offering from Volkswagen in India. It will be another important brand pillar for us to stimulate the brand’s growth in the country.”

He further added “The Vento stands for German engineering, Best in Class Features. This particular model has been specifically designed with the expectations and wants of our customers in mind, making the Vento set benchmarks in its class.” he concluded.

The New Volkswagen Vento

The New Volkswagen Vento will be available with a petrol and diesel variant. The petrol variant is equipped with a 1.6 litre engine with an output of 105PS @ 5250 rpm and a Torque of 153NM @ 3800 rpm.

The diesel variant is also equipped with the 1.6 litre engine with an output of 105PS @ 4400 rpm and a Torque of 250 NM @ 1500-2500 rpm.

It will be available in two trim levels including Trendline, Highline. The petrol variant is paired with a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic gear box and the diesel variant is paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox.

The interior is equipped with storage compartment in front doors for 1 litre Bottles, sunglass storage inside glove box, foldable roof handles with coat hooks, front and rear centre armrest, cupholders and “Livon” fabric upholstery are proof of the sure instinct of high design quality which interprets the classic elements of the Vento in a contemporary way.

In exteriors too, the Vento offers Body colored bumpers, Chrome inlays in front grille, body coloured exterior door handles & mirrors (Highline), rough road package with increased ground clearance and partially zinc coated body with 6 years anti-rust warranty.

With regards to safety, the Vento Highline is equipped with ABS, Front Airbags for driver and co-driver, Anti Theft system with interior surveillance and back up alarm.

On comfort, the Vento Highline offers CD MP3 Player with 4 speakers, Electrically adjustable outside mirrors, Climatronic automatic air conditioning with rear AC vents, Remote control for central locking. Multi function info display including door opening warning, height adjustable driving seats and a steering wheel adjustable for reach and rake which improves the drivability of the passenger.

The Vento will establish a leadership position in its class with category defining attributes of space, style, comfort and safety. It will be manufactured at Volkswagen’s Chakan plant with an annual capacity of 110,000 cars and will be available through Volkswagen’s 47 dealerships across the country.

About Volkswagen:

Volkswagen, the largest carmaker in Europe sells its broad model range from the Fox to the Phaeton in more than 150 countries worldwide. Volkswagen currently offers the Jetta and Passat, assembled in Aurangabad for the Indian consumers. Also available on sale now is the iconic New Beetle, the powerful SUV Touareg, Phaeton and the New Volkswagen Polo.

Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt. Ltd.

Volkswagen Vento Specifications -

Vento 1.6 liter petrol
Power : 104 Hp @ 5250 rpm
Torque : 153 Nm @ 3800 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic

Vento 1.6 liter TDI diesel
Power : 104 Hp @ 4400 rpm
Torque : 250 Nm @ 1500-2500 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual

Exterior -

Wheels : 14″ wheels with wheel caps (Trendline); 15″ alloys(Highline)
Mirrors/Door handles : Black (Trendline); Body coloured (Highline)
Fog Lamps : No (Trendline); Standard(Highline)

Interior -

Colour: Black and Beige (Trendline); Black and Beige (Highline)
Steering, gear knob : No leather finish (Trendline); Leather finish (Highline)
Seat fabric : Livon fabric (Trendline); Livon superior fabric (Highline)
Rear Armrest : No (Trendline); Yes (Highline)

Safety -

ABS : No (Trendline); Yes (Highline)
Airbags : No (Trendline); 2, Driver & passenger (Highline)
Fog lamps : No (Trendline); Front & Rear (Highline)
Engine Immobilizer : Yes (Trendline); Yes (Highline)

Equipment -

AC : Yes (Trendline); Climate control (Highline)
Remote locking : No (Trendline); Yes (Highline)
Rear AC vents : Yes (Trendline); Yes (Highline)
ORVM adjust : Internal (Trendline); Internal, electric (Highline)
Boot release : Internal (Trendline); Remote (Highline)
Defogger : Yes (Trendline); Yes (Highline)
Music system : No (Trendline); CD/MP3 4-speakers (Highline)

Colours -

Trendline : Candy White, Flash Red
Highline : Reflex Silver Metallic, Shadow Blue Metallic, Terra Beige Metallic, Deep Black Pearl

Volkswagen Vento detailed specifications -

Vento Features: (Trendline)

Exterior
14″ steel wheels with full wheel caps •Chrome inlays in front grille to the left and right of the
Volkswagen logo•Body coloured bumpers• Black exterior door handles & mirrors• Halogen
headlights• Partially zinc coated body with 6 years anti-rust warranty • Rough road package with
increased ground clearance

Interior
Front doors with storage compartments including holder for 1 litre bottle • Rear doors with storage
compartments• Storage compartment for sunglasses inside the glove box• Fully lined trunk and trunk
floor • Trunk illumination• Foldable roof handles with coat hooks(3x) • Warning triangle holder • Center
console including 2 cupholders • Front centre armrest including cupholder for rear seat• Front center
console including 12V outlet• Rear seat backrest, Fixed Gear lever surround, inner door handles &
AC vents with chrome•2 tone anti-glare dashboard, Black & Beige• Sun visors with ticket holder on
driver’s side • Sun visors with vanity mirror on passenger’s side • Livon” fabric upholstery

Safety & security
Height adjustable 3 points front seat belt•3-point safety belts for rear outboard occupants, lap belt for
rear middle occupant• Front headrests and rear headrests, height-adjustable • High mount stop lamp•
Day night rear view mirror• Front disc brakes • Electronic immobilizer•

Comfort & Convenience
Power steering, rake & reach adjustable • AC with rear AC vents• Central locking• Push-push’ type
fuel lid opener, centrally lockable• Outer rear view mirrors manually adjustable from inside• All four
power windows, with driver side one touch down• Electric trunk opening • Rear defogger• White
instrument back-lights• Parking lights • Radio preparation with speaker & antenna pre-wiring • Front
intermittent wipers• Dust and pollen filter•14″ steel spare wheel

Colours Available
Candy White • Flash Red

Vento Features: Highline (Additional over Trendline)

Exterior
• Body colored outside mirrors and door handles • 15” Alloy wheels • Chrome strip on trunk• Paint,
metallic and pearl effect• Chrome finish on front air dam and fog light surrounds • Green wedge at top
section of windshield

Interior
Co-driver seat adjustable from rear seat for additional leg room• Interior Chrome package •Genuine
leather wrapped steering wheel, gear shift knob, hand brake lever and gear shift boot• Rear centre
arm rest • “Livon” superior upholstery

Safety
ABS• Front Airbags for driver and co-driver• Anti Theft system with interior surveillance and back up
alarm• Fog light, front & rear

Comfort & Convenience
Electrically adjustable outside mirrors • Climatronic automatic air conditioning •Comfort power
windows •Height adjustable driver seat• Remote control for central locking, incl 2 keys • Multi function
info display including door opening warning • Radio with CD player MP3 and four speaker including
roof Atenna•14” steel spare wheel

Colours Available
Reflex Silver Metallic •Shadow Blue Metallic • Terra Beige Metallic •Deep Black Pearl

Comments

• 
  

  

  Enter your email address:

• ICB Exclusive !

  • 

    2012 Maruti Dzire ZXi petrol and ZDi diesel road test review!

  • 

    Royal Enfield Desert Storm 500/Classic Chrome 500 in ICB’s comprehensive road test and review!

  • 

    Ford India’s Great Endeavour Challenge; Epic fun that!

  • 

    ICB experiences the Royal Enfield RiderMania 2011: Some Epic stuff that was!

  • 

    The Mahindra Duro 125DX Power Scooter in ICB’s first ride review

• 
  

• About

  IndianCarsBikes is an automobile blog for all the Auto enthusiasts. Get all the latest news, reviews, launches, first drive reports of all the Indian Motorcycles & Cars including an overview of the World Auto Industry.

• Recently Written

  • Over 2 Crore Rupees; That is what Maybach lost on each car it sold!
  • Fiat India wants to make your Valentine’s Day special; Do walk into the Fiat Caffe in New Delhi!
  • 3 cylinder turbo petrol engines could make their way across BMW’s car range over the next few years!
  • 2012 Maruti Suzuki SX4 Celebration Edition launched!
  • Tata Ace mini pick up truck all set to be assembled in Indonesia; Passenger cars to follow!
  • The Tata Indica XL diesel hatchback continues doing the testing rounds!
  • Have you watched the 2012 Skoda Rapid Sedan’s TV commercial yet?
  • Tata Motors hikes car prices; Nano and Aria prices unchanged!
  • Will the Ambassador Compact Sedan be the big launch from Hindustan Motors for 2012?
  • We hear, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport SUV lined up for a March 2012 launch!