Expert Reviews

Last month was a little easy for the Vento and we didn’t add much mileage on the odometer. But the holiday season did bring along a couple of outings. And for the first time, my ultra self-righteous family, who would rather be in our family owned cars over even the premium test vehicles, actually preferred the Vento.

The Vento TSI makes for a perfect everyday car with its small direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine and lightning quick dual-clutch DSG automatic transmission. It has been quite a companion on the everyday city commutes returning a respectable efficiency of around 11kmpl. The highway figures of the long term however were unknown, so with the aim of shedding light on them, it was time to do the customary Mumbai-Goa-Mumbai drive. 

I have always liked the Volkswagen Vento in the four years of its existence. This German car’s solid build, high-tech drivetrains and understated yet classy design were always to my liking. Despite that, all this potential never really translated into big sales numbers. According to me, this was likely down to the brand’s infamous after-sales and service rather than the product itself.

Earlier this year, our resident German car fan, Venkat, spent some time with the refreshed Volkswagen Vento. And although the VW managed to impress him with its quick shifting 7-speed DSG and good quality all round, there is no getting away from the fact that it’s got some serious competition in the buzzing C-segment sedan market.