Volkswagen Vento TSI – Design Review

More gears equal more convenience and more fun.

Design Review

Few things are less exciting than driving around in a Volkswagen Vento – perhaps even less so, if it’s an automatic featuring a conventional torque converter. Looking over a rather staid dashboard while cruising down the open road, with the gearbox set in the most relaxed setting, you will find the car to be a nice, stress-free, comfortable sedan made with good quality bits.

However, plonk in a certain 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine paired with a dual clutch gearbox and you are looking at a Vento with a lot of interest.

Design

As is always the case, Volkswagen has taken a familiar approach with the styling of the new Vento TSI. On the outside, not much has been changed with the car exuding typical Volkswagen design cues with its crisp and clear lines, neatly designed front/rear fascia and a compact profile.

Volkswagen hasn’t left the exterior completely untouched though. The brand, in fact, has made subtle additions in the form of a chrome strip on the boot lid and around the fog lamps. Further differentiating the new Vento automatic from the old 1.6-engined model is the tiny TSI badge at the back.

Like the regular Vento, what works in favor of the new Vento TSI is the well balanced nature of the design. Right from the sharp lines all around to a neatly integrated boot, the Vento, indeed, looks well proportioned and not just a booted sibling of the Polo.

User Experience Review

Step inside and you will be greeted by a cabin which boasts of a good mix of quality materials and in typical Volkswagen fashion – impressive attention to detail. While the design of the interior remains the same as before, Volkswagen has done well by enhancing the equipment list.

Drawing comparisons with the likes of Hyundai Verna and Ford Fiesta, the Vento’s cabin sure looks quite dull.

But when it comes to quality and fit and finish of plastics, the VW really is hard to match. Adding to the Vento’s appeal is the overall comfort level. While both front seats and the rear bench are comfortable to sit in, the cabin could have been roomier, especially at the back.

Nonetheless, one interesting feature that is sure to be appreciated by backseat occupants is the conveniently placed lever behind the front passenger seat which allows the seat to move forward for additional legroom. 

Feature-wise, the Vento TSI is specced just as well as the 1.6-engined model in the Highline trim. Standard features, as a result, include climate control, electrically adjustable rear view mirrors, a rather good sounding audio system with Bluetooth connectivity, steering mounted audio controls, ABS and airbags.

As for functionality, Volkswagen has been quite thoughtful to add necessary features like rear AC vents, rear parking sensors and a front armrest.

Performance Review

The regular Vento automatic (now officially discontinued) used a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine. Mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox, the 1.6-litre unit was up to the job for most occasions but lacked serious punch. Volkswagen has tried to address this with the new Vento TSI which uses a completely new power-train, and a seriously impressive one at that.

Powered by a 1.2-litre TSI engine mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch DSG gearbox sourced from the Polo GT TSI, the new Vento TSI uses 105PS of power and 175Nm of torque for propulsion – impressive numbers for an engine this small.  

What impresses most of all, however, is the DSG automatic gearbox. The buttery smooth 7-speed unit does an impressive job on almost every count; be it gentle cruise around the town or quick highway runs. In regular ‘D’ mode, the gearbox does a pretty good job of shifting cogs smoothly and early in the rev range to maximize fuel efficiency.

Shift the chunky, chrome-finished lever down to ‘S’ and it’s a completely different animal, letting the engine scream for all its worth, all the way to the redline before selecting a higher gear; speaking of which, the 1.2-litre turbocharged engine remains very refined almost throughout the rev range and is at ease even when driven with a heavy right foot.

Turbo power and a quick shifting gearbox is just what the Vento needs to make for a fun car to drive and although there are no paddles shifters behind the steering wheel, there is a manual model which lets you have some amount of control over the sublime power-train.

With a 0-100kmph sprint time of little over 10 seconds, the Vento TSI never feels overly potent, though it is no slouch either. Press the accelerator hard and the engine sends out a rush of low-end torque right when you want it, thanks to a wide powerband and flat torque curve. Out on the highway, the engine continues to impress by pulling well even above triple digit speeds – a rarity for automatic cars with small displacement petrol engines.

As for the ride and handling, the car is a bit of a mixed bag: while the ride is fairly sorted over majority of what our roads have to offer, the Vento doesn’t feel as composed as it is supposed to when it comes to maintaining composure during high-speed driving. It requires constant steering inputs even when driven in a straight line. Around the corners, the experience isn’t entirely convincing either. Bottom line is, the Vento responds really well when driven sedately at moderate speeds.

Verdict

At a shade under Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom), the Vento TSI will be seen as a bit of a premium, given how much of a value the regular petrol version is. Then again, there is nothing quite like it in the market except for the Polo GT TSI – a car which offers all the goodness of the Vento, without a boot.

Just don’t expect either of these cars to completely blow you away.