In order to keep up with all that’s refreshingly new in the market, car manufacturers like experiment a little, pushing limits, to churn out products that are competitive. Volkswagen has given the Vento a new lease of life by plonking in a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engine that comes mated with a torque-converter automatic gearbox. We take the car out for a drive to tell you if it’s worth the buy.
Power and ride
The car is powered by a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder TSI engine that makes 108.5bhp and 175Nm of torque. There’s a lot of torque on offer, and the motor is very tractable. It has a strong mid-range, but turbo lag is apparent. However, performance is good, and despite it being heavier, the engine makes it much quicker and fun to drive. At idle, some vibrations do seep in, and the engine can be heard inside. The 6-speed torque-converter is smooth and never seems to be hurried while shifting up. In ‘M’, it isn’t responsive and doesn’t really love overtaking all that much. It does feel a bit lethargic in traffic, in the lower rev range. The ride is on the stiff side, but this also makes it a good handler. But bad bumps are felt very prominently.
The outside and inside scene
The Volkswagen cars have been around for ages now, and it gets the same, straight-lined silhouette. A lot of buyers have been driven away from it because of this, but the new car gets a sporty front bumper with a front lip and side skirts as well. The LED headlamps spruce up the front a bit, and there’s some chrome around too.
The cabin remains the same. It features a touchscreen infotainment system that comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and while it does fall short on a lot of features, but it does get keyless entry, auto-folding ORVMs and push-button start. There’s also an anti-pinch function on all windows, along with remote closing windows. In terms of practicality, the car is great. Visibility from the driver’s seat is wonderful, and there are some bottle holders on the pads too.
Good to buy?
We heard of the torque-converter automatic coming in, but we were sad knowing it was going to replace the DSG. The engine also gets a cylinder less. The older engine was more refined and the DSG made for a perfect match. The build quality is good, the car is very planted at high speeds and performance doesn’t leave you complaining. Equipment is lacking when compared to its newest rivals, and the Vento is available with an automatic gearbox only on the top-spec variant. It may not impress you at first. But if you still want a fun car to drive from Volkswagen, do consider giving the Vento a look. Also, read the latest car comparisons, only at autoX.
