2015 Volkswagen Vento – Expert review

Volkswagen Vento Facelift Exteriors Back View
Volkswagen Vento Facelift Exteriors Back View

Volkswagen Vento has been in India for a while now and got frequent updates in the name of facelift and limited editions. The car also gets an update last year in the form of automatic gearbox and 1.5L diesel engine. Now again, VW has launched a new Vento with comprehensive cosmetic changes and some added features to make it a better car than it used to be when initially launched. Vento carries the most understated and timeless design which looks simple in front of ravishing Honda City, next GEN fluidic 4S Verna and recently launched Maruti Suzuki Ciaz. It has been the one of the most favorite cars in the world which didn’t enjoyed much success in our country due to its simple design. So let’s us see what kind of impact these changes are going to make on Vento’s sales.

Price:

  • With some cosmetic changes and added features there is a marginal bump in the pricing of New Vento though it’s bearable enough.
  • To begin with, the petrol trim starts at 7.85 lakhs while the diesel variant costs at Rs. 9.10 lakhs which is slightly higher than the initial prices of Honda city, Hyundai Verna and Maruti Ciaz.
  • Whereas the price of top variant of New Vento ends at 11.87 lakhs which is at par with Honda City and Hyundai Verna.

Engine & Performance:

  • 2015 Volkswagen Vento is mechanically same as previous GEN without any change in engines except for the better fuel efficiency.
  • The facelift Vento retains the two engine options-Petrol and Diesel. Petrol is available in two options 1.6L MPI engine and 1.2L TSI engine developing same amount of 103.5bhp power but different torque of 153nm@3800rpm and 175nm between 1500-4100rpm respectively.
  • 1.6L engine is mated to a 5 speed manual transmission while 1.2L TSI engine comes with 7 speed automatic transmission.
  • 1.5L TDI Diesel engine makes 103.5bhp power@4400rpm same power as petrol but develops higher amount of torque of 250nm between 1500-2500rpm. The engine comes equipped with a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission.
  • New Vento as always hits the sweet spot with its performance; it is firm in city speed, blistering on highways and comfortable through potholes.
  • Ride quality is mature and you will be satisfied of what you get from this Vento as well and the body roll does full justice with the performance.
  • Vento is far away from the uncomfortable and rigid factor thanks to its brilliant suspension. Refinement 
  • The dual clutch automatic transmission works very well in New Vento as it easily shifts and smooth to operate.  
  • Like before Vento feels inspiring, stable and tenable at higher speeds complimented by its new design is ready to give fierce competition to Segment ruler Honda City and other rivals with its riding ability and performance.
  • Volkswagen now promises 7.5 percent more fuel efficiency than before as all the variants now deliver better figures as compared to its previous GEN models.

User's Asked Question

 

Space & Dimensions:

  • 2015 Vento has grown in size by some millimeters, 6mm longer and 1mm taller than the previous model. Dimensions of new Vento now stand at 4390mm in length, 1699mm wide and 1467m height with the wheelbase of 2553mm.
  • New Vento diesel variant has 163mm of ground clearance which is down by 2mm and 2-3mm less than what with its competitors are offering.
  • New Vento comes with the increased boot capacity of 494 liters, huge and cool glove box department and bottle space near the doors just compliment it.
  • Seats are soft and height adjustable (only driver) and it is supported by front and rear armrests.
  • Vento has seating capacity for 5 persons, front space in not a problem at all, but rear gets floor hump by at least 5 inches so it may hamper the rear seating comfortably.
  • Rear gets powerful A/C vents and option to adjust the front seat in case occupant wants more legroom space.

Interiors:

  • The basic layout of interiors remains same except for the few changes such as new color scheme and updated equipment list.  
  • 2015 Vento version gets walnut beige theme for highline trim and Cloud Titanschwarz for others which nicely complement the whole cabin especially the dashboard.
  • 2015 VW Vento is now equipped with a new and sporty flat bottom three spoke steering wheel with piano black finish and audio controls.  
  • Centre console gets chrome surrounded music system and number of function buttons like A/C control etc. The new Vento comes loaded with some additional features such as Cruise control, dead pedal, cool glove box and electronically adjustable OVRMs.     
  • Height adjustable front seats which you can adjust from rear also are made up of premium fabric upholstery which provides you good thigh and lateral supports for long drives.
  • The quality of materials used is second to none and fit and finish and build quality is of top notch as always.   
  • New Vento has rear A/C vents to keep you cool. The changes make new Vento jovial than before but isn’t really drastic as it lacks certain features such as Touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, reverse parking camera etc.

Exteriors:

  • Volkswagen has worked on the exteriors of new Vento minutely as it comes with lots of changes up front as compared to previous update and continues to flaunt the neat/ clean front and rear design.
  • Starting from the front which gets hefty number of updates like a new three slat grille with extra chrome replacing an aged two slat grille, new double headlamps with smoked effect. We were expecting projector headlamps to the new Vento?
  • The revised bonnet has deeper creases looks muscular and neat than ever, redesigned bumper gets a thin chrome line with new fog lamps which now have cornering light function.
  • For Side profile, the changes include a set of new alloy wheels, OVRMs with LED blinkers, chrome detailing on door handles.
  • Move to the rear, you will get a thick chrome strip on the boot lid, new layout for the tail lights with faux LED effect, soft touch button for releasing boot lid and LED reflectors on the bumper.
  • Overall, new Vento looks best of the lot and these changes will certainly have a positive impact on its sales.

Safety:

  • New Vento continues to boasts dual air bags, front disc brakes and three point seat belts as standard feature.
  • New Vento is equipped with features like anti-lock braking system (ABS), hill hold control, ESP (Electronic stability program) and electric engine immobilizer with floating code.
  • New Vento is facilitated with anti pinch window technology which stops windows from closing if there is any object or hindrance in between closing of windows.
  • It comes with other features such as cruise control, speed sensing auto door lock, high mounted stop lamp etc.
  • Safety features are just par with other competitors such as Hyundai Verna, Honda City and Skoda Rapid.

 Verdict:

With changes like added features, better fuel economy and more goodies as standard, VW tries to cover up two of its weaknesses of the previous cars. But features like touchscreen infotainment system, rear view camera puts it behind the competition. Design wise City and Verna is much better while Performance wise new Vento is just brilliant a certain threat to segment ruler Honda City. Automatic transmission is a big plus for Vento as it makes competition tuff for the other automatic cars available in the segment. Overall, it gets thumbs up from our side except for the after sale services as Volkswagen has to look on its services which they can improve itself.

 

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