Volkswagen preparing a 1.4 petrol Vento

In our earlier post, we reported Volkswagen testing the new Jetta around Pune. Amar Paithankar, the guy who took the pictures, is also reporting that VW was testing a few other cars too along with the new Jetta. The most intriguing of these cars was a 1.4-liter petrol version of the Vento. Now, we cannot expect VW to be testing an entirely new variant of a car just for fun, can we?

The new 1.4-liter petrol variant of the Vento seems to be prepared to fend off the fresh challenge thrown by the Hyundai Verna. Also, petrol prices are soaring through the roof and people are increasingly putting their money on diesel variants of various models unless there is an extremely substantial price difference between the petrol and diesel variants.

The cheapest Vento currently retails for about Rs. 7.1 lakh ex-showroom. It’s the 1.6-liter petrol Trendline version. With the Vento 1.4 liter petrol Trendline variant, VW may be able to offer a further discount of Rs. 50K, which would give the prospective customers an even bigger incentive to go in for the car.

The specifications of the new engine are not disclosed yet, but we can expect peak output of around 85PS, with 130Nm or thereabouts of peak torque. While those figures may not sound enough to haul the heavy weight of the Vento reassuringly enough, the lure of being able to own a premium sedan like the Vento at a small price, may just rope some more customers in for VW.

Apart from the new Vento, Amar also reports having spotted a Skoda Yeti and a Skoda Superb with concealed badges on test. While the Yeti on test may be an AT ver

sion, we cannot fathom what changes the superb may incorporate.

Volkswagen preparing a 1.4 petrol Vento

In our earlier post, we reported Volkswagen testing the new Jetta around Pune. Amar Paithankar, the guy who took the pictures, is also reporting that VW was testing a few other cars too along with the new Jetta. The most intriguing of these cars was a 1.4-liter petrol version of the Vento. Now, we cannot expect VW to be testing an entirely new variant of a car just for fun, can we?

The new 1.4-liter petrol variant of the Vento seems to be prepared to fend off the fresh challenge thrown by the Hyundai Verna. Also, petrol prices are soaring through the roof and people are increasingly putting their money on diesel variants of various models unless there is an extremely substantial price difference between the petrol and diesel variants.

The cheapest Vento currently retails for about Rs. 7.1 lakh ex-showroom. It’s the 1.6-liter petrol Trendline version. With the Vento 1.4 liter petrol Trendline variant, VW may be able to offer a further discount of Rs. 50K, which would give the prospective customers an even bigger incentive to go in for the car.

The specifications of the new engine are not disclosed yet, but we can expect peak output of around 85PS, with 130Nm or thereabouts of peak torque. While those figures may not sound enough to haul the heavy weight of the Vento reassuringly enough, the lure of being able to own a premium sedan like the Vento at a small price, may just rope some more customers in for VW.

Apart from the new Vento, Amar also reports having spotted a Skoda Yeti and a Skoda Superb with concealed badges on test. While the Yeti on test may be an AT ver

sion, we cannot fathom what changes the superb may incorporate.

VW Vento diesel’s price to be increased, petrol variant left untouched

VW India is increasing the price of its highly successful Vento diesel. The price will be increased by 2.2 percent. The price hike will be effective from July 1st 2011. The company has cited increased input costs as the reason for the hike. At the same time, the company has left the petrol variants untouched, and they will continue to be sold at the current prices. The company seems to have taken the decision to leave the petrol prices unaltered keeping in view the high price of petrol which is already acting as a deterrent to petrol cars’ sales.

The customers who book the Vento Diesel till June 30, 2011 will be able buy the car without the price increase. Also, those who opt for selected variants of the Vento Petrol Variant will be able to get a reduced interest rate of 6.99 percent starting June 2011.

Commenting on this, Mr. Neeraj Garg, Member of Board & Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt. Ltd. said “The Vento diesel has been well accepted in the market since its launch in September 2010. Its quality, build and drivability have won the Vento many accolades. We want to continue maintaining the same standard and quality for our customers; however we have seen no relent in the input costs over several months now which has forced us to increase the cost of the Vento.”

He added “On the other hand we are fully aware that customers who prefer the petrol variants are already faced with the burden of increased fuel costs and therefore we have decided to continue absorbing the additional costs for our petrol variants.”

VW Vento diesel’s price to be increased, petrol variant left untouched

VW India is increasing the price of its highly successful Vento diesel. The price will be increased by 2.2 percent. The price hike will be effective from July 1st 2011. The company has cited increased input costs as the reason for the hike. At the same time, the company has left the petrol variants untouched, and they will continue to be sold at the current prices. The company seems to have taken the decision to leave the petrol prices unaltered keeping in view the high price of petrol which is already acting as a deterrent to petrol cars’ sales.

The customers who book the Vento Diesel till June 30, 2011 will be able buy the car without the price increase. Also, those who opt for selected variants of the Vento Petrol Variant will be able to get a reduced interest rate of 6.99 percent starting June 2011.

Commenting on this, Mr. Neeraj Garg, Member of Board & Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt. Ltd. said “The Vento diesel has been well accepted in the market since its launch in September 2010. Its quality, build and drivability have won the Vento many accolades. We want to continue maintaining the same standard and quality for our customers; however we have seen no relent in the input costs over several months now which has forced us to increase the cost of the Vento.”

He added “On the other hand we are fully aware that customers who prefer the petrol variants are already faced with the burden of increased fuel costs and therefore we have decided to continue absorbing the additional costs for our petrol variants.”

Features comparison: New Verna Vs City Vs SX4 Vs Vento

A few days ago, we told you about the handouts being distributed to the prospective customers by some of the Hyundai dealerships. These handouts, apart from having the list of all the features of the new Verna, also have a detailed comparison of the car’s features with the main rivals. Having a look at the comparison reveals that the Verna indeed has quite a few features that the rivals don’t. The most important ones of these are parking camera with sensors, push button start, proximity sensing keys, Bluetooth connectivity and six airbags.

There are, however, some features that the rivals have and the new Verna doesn’t. These include rear a/c vents, height adjustable driver’s seat, rear map lamps etc. However, after having a detailed look at the featured comparison, the New Verna emerges a winner against its rivals without considering the price. Here’s a detailed comparison chart of the new Verna’s features vis-à-vis the rivals. Do let us know if you think the Verna has trumped its competition feature wise.

Feature	Verna SX (O) AT	Honda City V	SX4 DDiS ZDi	Vento TDI Highline
RVM mounted blinkers	Yes	No	No	No
Chrome Handles	Yes	Yes	No	No
Rear Spoiler	No	No	No	No
Glass Antenna	No	No	Yes	No
Alloy Wheels	Yes 16”	Yes 15”	Yes 16”	Yes 15”
Height Adjustable driver’s seat	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rear map lamps	No	No	No	Yes
Leather upholstery	Yes, standard	Yes, Optional	Yes, Optional	No
Rear A/C Vents	No	No	No	Yes
Rear camera display	Yes	No	No	No
Rear Parking sensor	Yes	No	No	No
Fully Automatic Temperature Control A/C	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Cooled glove box	Yes	No	No	No
Electric ORVM	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Electrically folding ORVM	Yes	No	No	No
2 Din CD Player	Yes	No (only USB)	Yes	Yes
USB and Aux-in	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Steering mounted audio controls	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audio system Bluetooth Connectivity	Yes	No	No	No
Proximity sensor for key	Yes	No	No	No
Push button start	Yes	No	No	No
Fog Lamps	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Air bags	Six	Two	Two	Two
ABS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Features comparison: New Verna Vs City Vs SX4 Vs Vento

A few days ago, we told you about the handouts being distributed to the prospective customers by some of the Hyundai dealerships. These handouts, apart from having the list of all the features of the new Verna, also have a detailed comparison of the car’s features with the main rivals. Having a look at the comparison reveals that the Verna indeed has quite a few features that the rivals don’t. The most important ones of these are parking camera with sensors, push button start, proximity sensing keys, Bluetooth connectivity and six airbags.

There are, however, some features that the rivals have and the new Verna doesn’t. These include rear a/c vents, height adjustable driver’s seat, rear map lamps etc. However, after having a detailed look at the featured comparison, the New Verna emerges a winner against its rivals without considering the price. Here’s a detailed comparison chart of the new Verna’s features vis-à-vis the rivals. Do let us know if you think the Verna has trumped its competition feature wise.

Feature	Verna SX (O) AT	Honda City V	SX4 DDiS ZDi	Vento TDI Highline
RVM mounted blinkers	Yes	No	No	No
Chrome Handles	Yes	Yes	No	No
Rear Spoiler	No	No	No	No
Glass Antenna	No	No	Yes	No
Alloy Wheels	Yes 16”	Yes 15”	Yes 16”	Yes 15”
Height Adjustable driver’s seat	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rear map lamps	No	No	No	Yes
Leather upholstery	Yes, standard	Yes, Optional	Yes, Optional	No
Rear A/C Vents	No	No	No	Yes
Rear camera display	Yes	No	No	No
Rear Parking sensor	Yes	No	No	No
Fully Automatic Temperature Control A/C	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Cooled glove box	Yes	No	No	No
Electric ORVM	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Electrically folding ORVM	Yes	No	No	No
2 Din CD Player	Yes	No (only USB)	Yes	Yes
USB and Aux-in	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Steering mounted audio controls	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audio system Bluetooth Connectivity	Yes	No	No	No
Proximity sensor for key	Yes	No	No	No
Push button start	Yes	No	No	No
Fog Lamps	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Air bags	Six	Two	Two	Two
ABS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Volkswagen Vento – All that you want to know!

The Vento is a very important car for the Indian market. For a very long time, there has been a void in the Indian mid-size car segment. Although there are cars like the DZire, Fiesta, SX4, Verna, and Linea trying to fill up this space, either they do not look the part, or the engines are not good enough. The City comes across is a very good car, but then it’s very expensive. The Vento in that sense presents itself as an all-round package. It’s a well engineered German sedan which is powered by good engines. We are sure it will create a dent in the Honda City sales, and take some customers away from the top variant customers of the rest of the brands as well. Here’s all that you need to know about this handsome new German saloon.


Brief Overview:
The Vento is the first sedan from Volkswagen to be designed and built for a market like India. It is the company’s second volume model after the Polo in India.


The Vento is designed on elegant, understated lines. It was developed in Germany and built in India


The Vento is 4384mm long, 1699mm wide and 1466mm tall. Vento has a wheelbase of 2552 mm and a turning radius of 4.97m.


The Vento has two engines.


A 1.6 L petrol engine with 77kW/105 PS. This engine can attain a maximum fuel efficiency of 14.4 km/litre for the AT version and 15.83 km/litre for the MT version.


The 1.6 L 77kW/105 PS diesel engine will attain the highest fuel efficiency of 20.54 km/litre. This version is not available in AT


The Vento is available in two trims – the Trendline and Highline in both the petrol and diesel variants.


Front: The Vento offers a smart and elegant look. The front maintains the typical Volkswagen design look like that of the Polo. It comes with chrome trimmed front radiator and line grille that adds to its elegant, very well proportioned look. The chrome finish on the front air dam and the fog light surrounds of the Vento add to the elegant front.


Rear section: Just like the rest of the car, the rear too is neatly designed and offers a harmonious look. The wide rear window offers good visibility behind the sedan while continuing to maintain its strong dynamic lines. The squarish tail lamps give a stylish contour to the Vento and perfectly blend with the rear design. The rear light clusters with the chrome lining add a touch of elegance.


The Vento offers 480 litres of boot space for its passenger which is good enough for a family for pack their bags and drive away for a week for a holiday.

Side profile: The straight and muscular lines on the side profile of the Vento are typical of VW design DNA. The Vento looks sturdily built from the sides, with a strong emphasis on the big wheel arches which lend the car an air of muscle and sturdiness. Additionally, the body coloured side mirrors and door handles in the Vento Highline add to its slick look. The extended C pillar ensures ample space in the rear of the car is clearly visible.


Front Passenger Seat:
The interiors aredone up in two tone trim, and the dashboard has been designed to cut glare.



The Highline variant of the Vento offers power steering wrapped with genuine leather and can be easily adjusted according to the driver’s convenience.


Driver’s seat is height adjustable for comfortable driving.


The front door is equipped with 1 litre bottle holders, sunglass compartment inside the glove box


Center console includes 2 cup holders, front center arm rest, sun visors with ticket holder on driver’s side, vanity mirrors on passenger side
 
Rear Passenger Seat:
The Vento with a long wheelbase offers good legroom



The Vento has rear AC vents for the passengers seated at the rear seats of the car.


A unique feature provided in the Highline variant of the Vento which no other car in any category offers to customers is the ability for the rear seat passenger to push the co driver’s seat from the rear itself, thereby further enhancing passenger comfort.
 

Standard features of the Vento: Exterior



The Vento is equipped with 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


High mount brake light


Day & night rear view mirror, Front disc brakes Electronic immobilizer.


Halogen headlights, heat protection glass with green tint, partially zinc coated body with 6 years anti-rust warranty.


Paint: Solid colors only

Interior features (Apart from the features listed in passenger comfort earlier)
Fully lined trunk and trunk floor, Trunk illumination

Foldable roof handles with coat hooks
Warning triangle holder
Front center console including 12V outlet
Rear seat headrest,
The gear lever surround, inner door handles & AC vents with chrome.
“Livon” fabric upholstery & Interior lights at roof front & centre.
Power windows front & rear with driver side one touch down
Electric trunk opening from the front driver’s side
Rear AC vents equipped with dust and pollen filter, Central locking,
Rear defogger, White instrument back-lights, Parking lights

Additional Equipments/ Features in the Highline:
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 Chrome package, Genuine leather wrapped steering wheel, gear shift knob, hand brake lever and gear shift boot


Rear centre arm rest, “Livon” superior upholstery
ABS, Front Airbags for driver and co-driver
Anti Theft system with interior surveillance, Fog light, front & rear
Electrically adjustable outside mirrors
Climatronic automatic air conditioning
Multi function information display including door opening warning
Radio with CD player MP3 and four speaker including roof Atenna



The Vento Price List**



Engine/ Trimline Price Index (INR in Lakhs)
1.6L Petrol Trendline (Manual) 6,99,000
1.6L Petrol Highline (Manual) 8,23,500
1.6L Petrol Highline (Automatic) 9,21,500
1.6 L TDI Trendline (Manual) 7,99,000
1.6L TDI Highline (Manual) 9,23,500

** All prices are Ex Showroom New Delhi

Volkswagen Vento – All that you want to know!

The Vento is a very important car for the Indian market. For a very long time, there has been a void in the Indian mid-size car segment. Although there are cars like the DZire, Fiesta, SX4, Verna, and Linea trying to fill up this space, either they do not look the part, or the engines are not good enough. The City comes across is a very good car, but then it’s very expensive. The Vento in that sense presents itself as an all-round package. It’s a well engineered German sedan which is powered by good engines. We are sure it will create a dent in the Honda City sales, and take some customers away from the top variant customers of the rest of the brands as well. Here’s all that you need to know about this handsome new German saloon.


Brief Overview:
The Vento is the first sedan from Volkswagen to be designed and built for a market like India. It is the company’s second volume model after the Polo in India.


The Vento is designed on elegant, understated lines. It was developed in Germany and built in India


The Vento is 4384mm long, 1699mm wide and 1466mm tall. Vento has a wheelbase of 2552 mm and a turning radius of 4.97m.


The Vento has two engines.


A 1.6 L petrol engine with 77kW/105 PS. This engine can attain a maximum fuel efficiency of 14.4 km/litre for the AT version and 15.83 km/litre for the MT version.


The 1.6 L 77kW/105 PS diesel engine will attain the highest fuel efficiency of 20.54 km/litre. This version is not available in AT


The Vento is available in two trims – the Trendline and Highline in both the petrol and diesel variants.


Front: The Vento offers a smart and elegant look. The front maintains the typical Volkswagen design look like that of the Polo. It comes with chrome trimmed front radiator and line grille that adds to its elegant, very well proportioned look. The chrome finish on the front air dam and the fog light surrounds of the Vento add to the elegant front.


Rear section: Just like the rest of the car, the rear too is neatly designed and offers a harmonious look. The wide rear window offers good visibility behind the sedan while continuing to maintain its strong dynamic lines. The squarish tail lamps give a stylish contour to the Vento and perfectly blend with the rear design. The rear light clusters with the chrome lining add a touch of elegance.


The Vento offers 480 litres of boot space for its passenger which is good enough for a family for pack their bags and drive away for a week for a holiday.

Side profile: The straight and muscular lines on the side profile of the Vento are typical of VW design DNA. The Vento looks sturdily built from the sides, with a strong emphasis on the big wheel arches which lend the car an air of muscle and sturdiness. Additionally, the body coloured side mirrors and door handles in the Vento Highline add to its slick look. The extended C pillar ensures ample space in the rear of the car is clearly visible.


Front Passenger Seat:
The interiors aredone up in two tone trim, and the dashboard has been designed to cut glare.



The Highline variant of the Vento offers power steering wrapped with genuine leather and can be easily adjusted according to the driver’s convenience.


Driver’s seat is height adjustable for comfortable driving.


The front door is equipped with 1 litre bottle holders, sunglass compartment inside the glove box


Center console includes 2 cup holders, front center arm rest, sun visors with ticket holder on driver’s side, vanity mirrors on passenger side
 
Rear Passenger Seat:
The Vento with a long wheelbase offers good legroom



The Vento has rear AC vents for the passengers seated at the rear seats of the car.


A unique feature provided in the Highline variant of the Vento which no other car in any category offers to customers is the ability for the rear seat passenger to push the co driver’s seat from the rear itself, thereby further enhancing passenger comfort.
 

Standard features of the Vento: Exterior



The Vento is equipped with 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


High mount brake light


Day & night rear view mirror, Front disc brakes Electronic immobilizer.


Halogen headlights, heat protection glass with green tint, partially zinc coated body with 6 years anti-rust warranty.


Paint: Solid colors only

Interior features (Apart from the features listed in passenger comfort earlier)
Fully lined trunk and trunk floor, Trunk illumination

Foldable roof handles with coat hooks
Warning triangle holder
Front center console including 12V outlet
Rear seat headrest,
The gear lever surround, inner door handles & AC vents with chrome.
“Livon” fabric upholstery & Interior lights at roof front & centre.
Power windows front & rear with driver side one touch down
Electric trunk opening from the front driver’s side
Rear AC vents equipped with dust and pollen filter, Central locking,
Rear defogger, White instrument back-lights, Parking lights

Additional Equipments/ Features in the Highline:
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 Chrome package, Genuine leather wrapped steering wheel, gear shift knob, hand brake lever and gear shift boot


Rear centre arm rest, “Livon” superior upholstery
ABS, Front Airbags for driver and co-driver
Anti Theft system with interior surveillance, Fog light, front & rear
Electrically adjustable outside mirrors
Climatronic automatic air conditioning
Multi function information display including door opening warning
Radio with CD player MP3 and four speaker including roof Atenna



The Vento Price List**



Engine/ Trimline Price Index (INR in Lakhs)
1.6L Petrol Trendline (Manual) 6,99,000
1.6L Petrol Highline (Manual) 8,23,500
1.6L Petrol Highline (Automatic) 9,21,500
1.6 L TDI Trendline (Manual) 7,99,000
1.6L TDI Highline (Manual) 9,23,500

** All prices are Ex Showroom New Delhi

Volkswagen Vento. All the pictures, details and specifications

After being the first in the world to catch the Volkswagen Vento in the flesh, we are again one of the first in India to bring to you the official images, specs and details of the much anticipated car. Volkswagen has released the official images of its Polo sedan in Russia. The model displayed will be built in the company’s manufacturing unit in Kaluga near Moscow. The car will make its show debut at the 2010 Moscow Motor Show in August.

The sedan, as we had said earlier, will not just be a boot stuck on to the Polo, but a nicely executed car. The wheelbase of the car, and resultantly the overall size of the car will be much larger than its hatchback version. The new car will be 4.38 meters long, 1.7m wide and 1.46m high with a wheelbase of 2.55m (Polo is 2.456m). This will result in not only better legspace for the back benchers, but also a cavernous boot. The new car’s ground clearance too is increased by 15mm.

Engine options will include a 1.6-litre gasoline engine producing 105PS mated with a 5-speed manual transmission. Height adjustable driver’s seat, trip computer, air bags, power windows etc. will be available as standard equipment or options varying from variant to variant.

In the Indian market, the Vento will also come with A 1.6 liter diesel engine producing 105 bhp. We can expect a DSG gearbox to make an appearance on the car at a later point in time. The price is expected to be in the region of 7 to 8 lakh, depending on the variant. Looking at the pictures, the quality of the interiors appears to be top notch. Feast your eyes on the pictures, covering every single detail of the car. And don’t forget to write your comments on how you like this new machine from the German automaker.

 

Volkswagen Vento. All the pictures, details and specifications

After being the first in the world to catch the Volkswagen Vento in the flesh, we are again one of the first in India to bring to you the official images, specs and details of the much anticipated car. Volkswagen has released the official images of its Polo sedan in Russia. The model displayed will be built in the company’s manufacturing unit in Kaluga near Moscow. The car will make its show debut at the 2010 Moscow Motor Show in August.

The sedan, as we had said earlier, will not just be a boot stuck on to the Polo, but a nicely executed car. The wheelbase of the car, and resultantly the overall size of the car will be much larger than its hatchback version. The new car will be 4.38 meters long, 1.7m wide and 1.46m high with a wheelbase of 2.55m (Polo is 2.456m). This will result in not only better legspace for the back benchers, but also a cavernous boot. The new car’s ground clearance too is increased by 15mm.

Engine options will include a 1.6-litre gasoline engine producing 105PS mated with a 5-speed manual transmission. Height adjustable driver’s seat, trip computer, air bags, power windows etc. will be available as standard equipment or options varying from variant to variant.

In the Indian market, the Vento will also come with A 1.6 liter diesel engine producing 105 bhp. We can expect a DSG gearbox to make an appearance on the car at a later point in time. The price is expected to be in the region of 7 to 8 lakh, depending on the variant. Looking at the pictures, the quality of the interiors appears to be top notch. Feast your eyes on the pictures, covering every single detail of the car. And don’t forget to write your comments on how you like this new machine from the German automaker.

 

VW Vento sketches revealed (polo sedan)

We earlier brought to you the world exclusive scoop of the Polo Sedan, which Volkswagen believed would have fooled us to think of the car as a Ford. Later our friends at Autocar revealed that VW will launch the Polo Sedan by the name 'Vento'. However, here are a few sketches of the VW Vento that have been leaked:

The Vento will sport a longer wheel base by about 50mm as compared to the Polo hatchback. the extra length will help provide for better leg room as well as head room for the rear.

The Vento is expected to hit the streets by July, 2010.

VW Vento sketches revealed (polo sedan)

We earlier brought to you the world exclusive scoop of the Polo Sedan, which Volkswagen believed would have fooled us to think of the car as a Ford. Later our friends at Autocar revealed that VW will launch the Polo Sedan by the name 'Vento'. However, here are a few sketches of the VW Vento that have been leaked:

The Vento will sport a longer wheel base by about 50mm as compared to the Polo hatchback. the extra length will help provide for better leg room as well as head room for the rear.

The Vento is expected to hit the streets by July, 2010.